Q&A: Should my daughter try physiotherapy first?

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Question One of my daughters, who is 35 and living in Sweden, is suffering from low back pain and thinking of asking her doctor to prescribe physiotherapy. As I am benefiting from following the Sarno approach for my backpain/sciatica, I have discussed this with her. She isn't averse to the idea of a Mind/Body connection but says that she is sure that her pain stems from lifting her youngest son, who is now quite a weight at nearly one year old and her somewhat slack tummy muscles. She has five VERY lively children (11, 9, 6, 3 and 1) and lives in a small first floor flat with the washing machine in the basement, so she does a lot of carrying - of children, shopping, washing etc! Like me she is quite tall and a little bit 'droopy' in posture, which I don't think is helped by the fact that she is constantly looking downwards to 'put out fires' amongst her little ones! She gets very little time to herself and I think is obviously quite chronically tense. She also seems to suffer from a lot of sore throats, just as I did when I was her age - until a GP threatened to take my tonsils out next time! I had previously noticed that amongst my large family of siblings, those of us who had 3 children or more had back problems while the others didn't and this seemed to be a pattern amongst women I got to know when I was involved in a back pain self-help group. So, it seems likely there are physical reasons for my daughter's back pain - but also some pointers to TMS! I doubt whether she will be able to find a TMS doctor in Sweden so I'm wondering whether someone is able to advise us. BTW she says her current pain is less severe than when she was expecting her fourth baby but it is making her miserable nonetheless as she dreads taking the children out because of all the lifting, fitting into car seats etc involved.

Answer by Howard Schubiner, MD

Howard Schubiner, MD Dr. Schubiner's Profile Page / Survey Response / Bio / Psychophysiologic Disorders Association (PPDA) Board Member / Website

Without having your daughter see a physician or a physiotherapist, it is impossible to know if she has TMS or not. For people with mild low back pain, physical therapy is often recommended as a way to strengthen the back muscles, relieve muscle spasm, and teach healthy methods of using the back. From a TMS point of view, physical therapy can have a positive benefit of giving your daughter some time for herself, which it sounds like she desperately needs. This may be helpful in and of itself. However, if the physiotherapist makes a diagnosis of some back disorder, when in fact, the cause of the pain is actually TMS, this information can be counter-productive to healing and well being. I don't mind if my TMS patients get physiotherapy as long as they view it as helping them get stronger and more flexible, rather than fixing some back problem that does not exist. -- It is important to recognize that no information on this wiki can be considered a specific medical diagnosis, medical treatment, or medical advice. Reading information here does not create a doctor/patient or other professional relationship between you and the answering professional. As always, you should consult with your physicians and counselors regarding new symptoms and any changes that you might make in medications or activities.

Answer by Georgie Oldfield, MCSP

Georgie Oldfield, MCSP Georgie Oldfield's Profile Page / Survey Response

You certainly mention a number of issues that could point to the fact that your daughter's symptoms may well be TMS. It is important however that she sees a medical professional who can rule out anything more serious and an MRI scan would be worthwhile. Physiotherapy can obviously help her to tone up her core muscles and may or may not help with her pain, depending on the cause. There would be no harm in your daughter reading one of the books on TMS to learn more about it, but it is always wise to rule out anything else being the cause of her pain. If the diagnosis is just poor posture, or muscle weakness, then this would indicate that she may well have TMS and certainly reading about TMS would be a good start in understanding it and maybe even in making a difference. Dr Schubiner's online programme is also a great asset for people unable to gain access to a TMS health professional face to face. -- It is important to recognize that no information on this wiki can be considered a specific medical diagnosis, medical treatment, or medical advice. Reading information here does not create a doctor/patient or other professional relationship between you and the answering professional. As always, you should consult with your physicians and counselors regarding new symptoms and any changes that you might make in medications or activities.

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