TMS + non TMS wrist pain? On the brink of deciding to get surgery, but not sure

So ive had this pain in my wrist what i guess is a little bit of both. Ive also asked this in the ask a therapist forum, but im interested as to what non-professional fellow TMS'ers think of this.

In short, ive had moving pains in my arms and wrist, and this pain is aleviated by doing 6-7 months of the mind body approach.

But heres the catch, ever since the pain started, when i flex my hand backwards, or do a pushup, its hurts like crazy. it feels like theres something torn, or that my wrist tunnel is just too small. as long as i dont flex it, i just ocasionally have pains.

So moving pain that comes and goes, i can now easily think its TMS, it seems logical, but this constant fact that whenever i flex my wrist it hurts, makes me think i have a little bit of TMS, and a little bit of a structural thing going on. in those 2 years since my pain started, there was not 1 time where it did not hurt. (if that would be the case it would allow me to think it would be TMS )

the 18th of january 2017 im going to a really high end wrist clinic, they have everything you can think of at their disposal to really see whats going on inside of my wrist. It kind of depends what theyre gonna say, and havent decided if i would get surgery or not. Thats why im gathering opinions to make a informed decision !

Its just really hard to really know wether its TMS or not, i think it wouldnt be realistisc to just assign EVERYTHING to TMS right, there must be some cases where theres just something else going on.

Im really interested on your take on this dilemma.

kind regards, Mike

 

It may still be TMS, conditioned response. I would be reluctant to go to a wrist clinic. Not even a hand, just a wrist!!!! They specialize to the point that person disappeares completely. Good luck with your pain!

 

@MikeTown......I'd have to agree with TG957 on this.

I've had some pretty painful shoulder/arm/hand pain for almost 2 years now from an overuse injury. I've all but banished the problem in the past 2 months with a purely psychological approach. I have a good idea of the wrist pain you're referring to. I myself thought carpal tunnel or ulnar tunnel for mine.

A physio I went to some time ago I think hit the nail on the head when he said that the majority of hand problems stem from the shoulder.

What's going to happen is if they determine you have full functionality and fine motor function, they're just going to recommend PT, and now you've wasted your money. Not all docs want to butcher somebody.

If you want to do pushups get some of those bars that keep your wrist straight. It'll strengthen the wrist. See how that works before going to the nuclear option. You should also just let the pain happen but don't exceed your threshold. I still get an ulnar twinge here and there but I've always had it from all of the racket sports I've played.

Do yourself a favor and don't obsess over it in the meantime.

 

The experience of others who have had the same symptoms is invaluable. That being said, we always advise that you are medically cleared before you ignore any symptom that is causing you distress, and certainly before you attempt physical exercise that causes pain.

THAT being said, these wrist experts will undoubtedly find something - like Dr. Sarno says, there's always something in our bodies that isn't perfect. So the first question you have to ask THEM is whether that imperfection is actually causing the pain? Really. Or are they just making an assumption because they don't really know? The second question, and this is important, is to ask them whether you could damage yourself if you ignore the imperfection and live a normal life.

After you've received your diagnosis and had those two questions answered, let's say that TG957 and RichieRich are right, and your diagnosis is vague, which indicates a high likelihood of TMS. Then, the final question you have to ask YOURSELF is whether you will keep going back to some form of specialist every time your TMS comes up with a new symptom? Or can you achieve 100% confidence in the TMS mechanism, and learn to self-heal?

I would say go ahead and see these specialists. Work on the TMS program in the meantime and, at the least, see how it works for other things in your life (most of us have way more than one symptom). At the same time, make a commitment to yourself about how you will proceed after the diagnosis, in order to really recover.

 

My health insurance covers the stuff so the cost is luckily not a problem, just too bad there isnt a single TMS specialist where i live hehe.

I will do that, i cant imagine they would recommend physical therapy since ive done 3 different one of those already, i will ask those questions janathecpa! Wether if theres something thats causing it. If those questions are answered, i think i would have a way easier time 100% going for the TMS diagnosis., since theres never really been a good look at my wrist..


Thanks for the replies!

 

Hi, Mike Town. I agree with the others and also suggest that while you have medics look at your wrist, you begin the Structured Educational Program, free in the subforum of this web site. It will help you to discover repressed emotions that may very well be the real cause of your wrist pain. And wishing you happy holidays and a pain-free 2017.

 

Can anyone help I'm having a really tough situation here. I have had my scafoid fracture for 15 years I found out a few months ago on an MRI but recently my wrist flared up and it was very swollen but Its been 2 weeks and I ended up icing it and it was getting better a lot than for some reason it's getting worse I feel helpless and I also do for surgery but it's not going to be for a while especially with covid -19. My question is that it feels like it's not getting much better it was for the first week then I think TMS is now suppressing the healing it throbs when it shouldn't. Like I feel like I'm making it way worse than it is. I am getting depressed from all the pain and wish I knew if it was TMS making it feel worse. I used to suffer severe knee pain after surgery I think my body is over exaggerating the pain paralyzing me.

if this is TMS this would be the 3rd-4th time I got it

 

@ericserpa1, how much do you know about TMS? Did read one of Dr. Sarno's books? Did you ever do a program? Our Structured Educational Program or Alan Gordon's Pain Recovery Program? Or Dr. Schubiner's Unlearn Your Pain workbook?

The thing is, TMS is not something you "get", like a cold. It's a normal, but primitive, brain mechanism designed to keep us safe in the primitive world, which has gone into overdrive in our modern world. TMS doesn't "suppress the healing". YOU do that by allowing the TMS mechanism to keep you fearful, anxious, and, ultimately, depressed.

In order to heal from TMS, you need to totally change your way of thinking, and I'm just not sensing that you know this. But perhaps I am misunderstanding.