TMS and TMS equalivants or mechanical issue?

[Jules]

Hey everyone, I have been working on TMS for the past 4+ years, which I believe a lot of my issues are actually from. But, I have a question. I have had costochondritis/teitze syndrome for the past 18 years, which I have just recently learned is a mechanical problem with a stuck rib joint. I have learned something that will help get it unstuck. However, it also causes joint pain in the shoulder and arm, due to referred pain, what I thought was thoracic outlet syndrome and carpal tunnel. This has been my major issue for all this time. So my question is even though this is mechanical, can the stress of having TMS contribute to breakthrough pain? I really want to believe this is TMS, but a YouTube video showed me the exact symptoms I have correlates with this mechanical problem. Has anyone had this issue and more importantly, have you resolved it with the TMS structured program or something else?

I have been doing well so far, and actually painted my living room and kitchen. I was carrying heavy groceries up the stairs when my rib popped out and start spasming. I've now been down for the last three days trying to calm it back down again. Typically the only one who can put back in my ribs is a chiropractor, but all it does is just take care of the symptom of it and not the cause.

I have a solution that from what I've read works with most people, but I've also had some very emotional breakthroughs in therapy which has increased my pain. So, can a mechanical problem cause pain to the extent that it becomes disabling or is this TMS pain just using my mechanical problem as it's vehicle for distraction?

Thanks.

 

[MindBodyPT]

Hi Jules!

First of all, have you been evaluated by a healthcare professional who has confirmed no serious pathology of your rib or shoulder (like a fracture)? If yes, you can rest assured there is nothing “wrong” with this area of your body. Many of us have had disabling pain with TMS causes…you are not alone!

TMS/MBS theory states that “mechanical” issues in the body will cause pain only in cases of acute injury. For example, if you had an acute injury to your ribs like a fracture, pain would occur. There would also be obvious inflammation. However in the absence of this, pain from a “structural abnormality”, which Sarno would call a “normal abnormality” like what you are describing, would really most likely be TMS pain. It makes sense you might have seen a Youtube video that exactly matched your symptoms…I think all of us have had pain we thought was from a “mechanical” injury that behaved in a predictable way that we later realized was TMS pain.

Costochondritis is another way of saying “chronic inflammation of rib cartilage.” At this point, after 18 years, if you had an injury to the rib or chest, the tissue itself would have healed long ago and pain you experience from it is likely to be TMS caused. It is possible you have triggers such as carrying heavy objects, and are conditioned to have pain at these times. It also makes sense a chiropractor would help to relieve the pain temporarily! Of course you are feeling real pain that massage or manipulations would help…but it is like taking Tylenol for a cold (to temporarily reduce a fever).

So it sounds like most likely the pain is due to TMS and has “piggybacked” onto an area of your body that has bothered you for a long time/site of an old injury. Hope that explanation helped!

 

[Jules]

Yes, I've been evaluated and have many tests done and nobody can ever find out what's wrong. So yes I believe that most of my pain is due to TMS. I haven't been to a TMS physician since there are none in my state, but I do believe in this work and I have seen it happen and I think I just got temporarily confused and then of course doubts start creeping in and the pain starts again.

Anyway, I think I will continue with the structured program as I am on day 42. Hopefully things will happen in regards to getting the pain back down again. I really wish I was one of those book cure people. But what can I realistically expect, after having had TMS for probably at least two decades now.

Thanks for your assessment.

 

[Ryan]

I can tell you from experience that carpel tunnel, ulnar nerve compression, etc is TMS. My test even showed nerve compression in certain areas, I was never diagnosed by a TMS doc and healed from all symptoms. Its there as a distraction, your body is OK.

Pain getting worse is a great sign, so hold on for the ride. Life is fun and exciting, its all a matter of what lens you are looking through. Hope this helps, that carpel tunnel diagnosis is rampant now a days. Its the new thing along with chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia, the root of it all is fear based for society. You never heard of that diagnosis back in the old typewriter days, so says my grandmother. So can typing really cause pain, its not that strenuous of a activity. Your body is a lot stronger than you think, goodluck your on the right path.

Ryan