TMS or Structural pain

Hello,

I'm a new member. I believe in TMS, although I do get my doubts at times. I have the ideal personality for TMS symptoms, I’m a worrier and quite an anxious character. In the past 15 years or so, I have suffered RSI in hands, and experienced hamstring strains and pains in the lower back and shoulders etc. However those symptoms only arise on occasion but they don’t bother me as I feel in control of them due to my belief in TMS being the cause.

For the past year I have cycled 13 miles most workdays, 6.5 miles to work and 6.5 miles back home. I do a 10 min warm up before cycling and a few leg stretches afterwards to release any tension and lactic acid build up.

Last Friday I got home and stretched as normal but noticed my quads felt a bit tighter than normal. That night I had sharp pain in the lower Vastus Medialis Oblique area in my left leg whilst walking up and down stairs, not sure whether it is the muscle or the tendon connecting to the knee. I tried to reassure myself that it was TMS at work and not structural pain. However since Friday the pain has got less and less which makes me think it might be structural and not TMS. I’m now confused and getting stressed and anxious as I don’t know whether to diagnose the pain as TMS or structural.

I haven’t cycled since Friday as I’m unsure if the pain is TMS or not but I’ve noticed pains appearing in other knee and lower back which I’m happy to put down to TMS. Actually I don’t feel those pains today!!

Anyway my questions are as follows;

1. Is it possible to have structural pain but confuse it for TMS as above?
   
2. Should I be warming up before cycling because if I really believed in TMS then why would I do it? The reason I warm up is to reduce the risk of strains in the hamstrings and quads, but does this goes against TMS practice?
3. Should I also be stretching after cycling for same reason given above?
   

Many thanks for reading this.

Kind regards,

Robert Anderson

 

Robert, here are my 2 cents.
Obsessive thoughts about small details defining distinction between structural pain and TMS pain are not unusual. Even now that I consider myself recovered, I get those at every little and not so little pain in my body. I don't think being careful about not straining your muscles is a bad practice going against TMS theory. Just because we accept that we are susceptible to pain, we should not treat our bodies with recklessness. Stretching is good. Warming up is good. It is OK to confuse structural and TMS pain, it is not OK to be stuck on those thoughts. Less worrying is better than worrying!
It is awesome that you bike to work and stay in shape!

 

Many thanks for your response TG. Yes need to reduce worrying thoughts but easier said than done. Thanks again.