Day 4 What doctors tell you

[Dan76]

This is day 4 of my SEP. I cannot say that my pain has remarkably reduced yet. But I'm feeling that I'm on the right way and that I'm developping a more relaxed attitude towards my pain.

Today's question to ponder was about what doctors tell you about your symptoms. I remember the first orthopedist I went to about eight years ago. He told me that playing Basketball (which is my favorite sports) would make my symptoms get worse. And it sounded logical for me having in mind that my "weak" spine has to stand all that running and jumping. I was totally conditioned by that thought. I continued playing anyway the first time, but I always had in mind that I'm doing something very bad when I played. And consequently pain rose after playing. At some point the price I paid for playing was too high and I eventually quit playing basketball.

I'm not yet ready - but I can't wait to resume playing...

 

[Walt Oleksy (RIP 2021)]

Hi, Dan76. I'm sorry you were given that bad advice from that orthopedist who told you to stop playing basketball. It just conditioned you to expect pain when you played it. On the good side, it's great that the pain led you to discover TMS and this web site and that you have begun the SEP.

Dr. Sarno and other TMS therapists recommend physical activity as part of the healing process. One of the strongest advocate of this is Steve Ozanich who writes in his book THE GREAT PAIN DECEPTION that continuing to play golf despite the pain helped him to recover.

Many people have been asking when to resume physical activity. It can be different for different people, and they may fear that activity can cause more pain. The following not only may be of interest to and apply to you, but it is good for everyone to read who wonders about when to resume physical activity and exercise:

Dr. Sarno says in his TMS book, THE MINDBODY PRESCRIPTION, "If the pain disappears but you are still fearful of physical activity, recurrent pain, injury and progressive degeneration of spinal elements, the battle has not yet been won. The pain will return unless you overcome those fears. So patients are advised to resume normal, unrestricted physical activity once the pain is gone, or nearly so, and when they feel confidence in the (TMS) diagnosis.
Don't worry if you exercise too soon and experience some pain. You cannot hurt yourself. Continuing pain with activity means the brain is still in the process of changing its programming (from thinking structural to thinking emotional causing the pain. Stay secure in the knowledge that you will prevail. This has proven to be the case for thousands of patients."

Dr. Scott Brady agrees, in his TMS book, PAIN FREE FOR LIFE, saying "Confidence is huge in the process of (TMS) recovery, and your subconscious knows it. So when you begin to engage in those activities and exercises you once did, you can expect the subconscious to turn up your symptoms in a last-ditch effort to keep you away from the dangerous emotions you've started to explore... emotions that the subconscious is trying so hard to protect. Be ready to fight with your subconscious mind!"

You are progressing very well, Dan. Soon you will be sinking baskets again.

 

[Dan76]

Thanks for the quotes, Walt. They encourage me and hopefully the other readers as well.
Actually I started reading The Great Pain Deception today. Reading Healing Back Pain already helped me a lot. And I'm sure this one does as well.
And now I'm going to do my "Day 5 - journaling"...