Elbe
Peer Supporter
TMS Diagnosis, how important is it? Hello, I am from Canada and new to this Forum. I have back pain for the last 13 rears since I retired. When the back pain started, I read the three Dr. Sarno books. After that, I was quite convinced that I have TMS. I am a mechanical engineer, and have a typical TMS personality. Per the "Healing Back Pain" book, it is quite important to have a proper TMS diagnosis, not just by exclusion. I had an examination by Dr. Schechter in LA, who studied under Dr. Sarno. Unfortunately it was inconclusive. His diagnosis was, I may have TMS. I worked with Dr. Sarno's teaching for a number of years. Even though the back pain stayed with me, I learned to cope with it with the help of strong pain medication. Last year I had surgery with complications for blocked bowels. After that my back pain got a lot worse and is now joined by leg pain, which is diagnosed as venus insufficiency. This can be somewhat controlled with compression stockings. As extensively verified by examinations and scans there are no other physical issues. I am quite convinced that my pains are psychological, but may be not necessarily TMS. Please note, I don't have the tenderness spots in 3 parts of my back, which per Dr. Sarno virtual all TMS patients have. Also heat will not relieve my pain, but rather make it worse. So my brain must use a different strategy than oxygen deprivation. Does anybody in this group has similar experiences? Any help will be appreciated. Elbe from Canada