TMS temp. relieved by Chiro/PT?

Hey everyone, new here. I'll try to give the brief version of my story:


Perfectionist, type A personality all through my childhood, gymnast, developed eating disorder etc. Became an elite olympic weightlifter in 2008. Had severe TMS symptoms from 2009-2012 that involved fibromyalgia type symptoms, but that started with a shoulder and low back injury that lingered, turned into severe chronic pain, also bad insomnia. Throw in a few sexual assaults and traumas on top of it, and well you have a hurricane of TMS symptoms.

The majority of those symptoms were dissipated when I learned that my mind actually influenced my body (who would've thought?!) I started meditating to Dr. Joe Dispenza in 2012 and a lot of my major TMS symptoms went away, and I have created a great life for myself.

However, since 2014, I've been plagued with injuries that "linger." I strained my rotator cuff weightlifting (during a snatch) in 2014. Then, I strained my rhomboid shortly after that. that summer, my right SI joint was sprained, very similar to my 2010 injury that started my full body MBS symptoms.

Since then, it's been a ricochet of symptoms back and forth, like whack a mole. One thing heals, then the next thing pops up again. I've repeatedly strained my left rhomboid, my right SI joint and had issues with my right shoulder. I never had any imaging done, because there wasn't really any need to do anything since I never had an impact injury, except in 2014.

Last year, I sprained my right SI joint again lifting, and then strained my low back moving a patient (I'm a nurse) shortly after that.

My question is that I see a chiropractor and PT and I do get temporary relief. My chiro says that my right hip rotates forward and needs to be adjusted.

I have seen physical changes in my body, and look lopsided, like the muscles are pulling in the wrong directions. The issue is that NOTHING has relieved the pattern. I've done consistent chiropractic, massage, acupuncture, physical therapy, everything and the pattern still persists. I have been told by multiple people that it's my right hip, no it's my left, no actually it's because of your left foot, no it's because your forearms are too tight, and most recently because my left molars don't touch in my mouth. Whatttt.

The point -- even though I can see structural changes, are these still likely TMS? If I get temporary relief from treatments but it comes back, is that still likely MBS? And, if they are TMS, would seeing practitioners actually reinforce the fact that I think something is wrong, and continue the pain in my body?

Also to note -- I had a TREMENDOUS amount of stress and trauma from 2011 through last year -- 3 sexual assaults, one that ended up in 2 legal investigations, made front page news in New York, and ended in a lawsuit that kept the trauma in the forefront of my mind for 3 years. I also went through nursing school during this time (stressful) and had other major life stressors (meaning that these were emotionally traumatic years as well as physically challenging).

On top of it, I was an elite level athlete in 2009 before the root of my TMS started, and I want to get back to that point and be even better. Because a lot of my emotional trauma started with abuse from a lifting coach, I think there is a lot "stuff" there that needs to be worked through. I also am afraid to lift because I have injured myself so many times. Ironically, occasionally I will do gymnastics (I used to be a gymnast) and can tumble and flip with no fear.

Thanks for reading!

 

I'm always amazed at the folks who will offer up such personal things here -- I couldn't do it. But it also makes me wonder if there's a lot of disassociation going on. I know that's a real psychological term, so I hope I'm using it correctly. Some very intense things like low self-esteem, depression, deaths, assaults are described with all the gravity of a bad hangnail. And it's a lot to take on by strangers on an internet forum -- in fact it really shouldn't be.

But, I'd offer that one of the things that was a big revelation from Dr. Sarno and TMS for me was that I could dispense with all the nonsense of the chiropractic world. For decades I thought my back pain still had something to do with weak abdominal muscles. Nope. And it always seemed like nonsense: uneven legs condemn you to lifelong pains? Tight forearms and non-touchy molars? They're grasping at straws.

Good luck. You didn't mention if you've had any psychotherapy, but even people who do not have such a traumatic history have needed it as part of their TMS healing.

 

Oh I’ve completely overcome those traumas, they don’t define me at all anymore and I have no problem talking about them.

 

Okay, but you can understand how red flags go up when you mention things like that. And if you have these mysterious chronic ailments and you think it's TMS, we're going to point you to your emotional stresses. It might not be related, but something is going on.

 

Lol. I get that. But, I have done a TON of emotional work on all this. I’m not asking for help on that; I was asking about specifically the Chiro and the PT. Obviously there are emotional component if it’s TMS, but you’re making an assumption I’ve just ignored these things and I never said that. I was specifically asking about the legitimacy of what the Chiro And PT have said, and then if continuously seeing those people would reinforce something is wrong.