| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| stevep |
Posted - 07/19/2012 : 00:15:00
I bought this book a while ago when I first learned of TMS. After thumbing through it, I saw that there were stretching exercises that it shows people to do. So I immediately threw it in the bookshelf without giving it another thought. I thought to myself that this must not be a true mind/body book.
Now after all this time, I picked it back up tonight. My hamstring has been so locked up lately, it is starting to drive me up the wall. Now I have had my ups and downs with TMS and I still wholeheartedly understand and accept it. There is absolutely nothing wrong with my physical body aside from chronic tension and muscle spasm stemming from my internal conflicts and anger. I know this. But I figured "you know what, I am gonna do some of these stretches just to get some flexibility back." I have been so afraid to do forward bends over the past few weeks due to the sharp as a nail pain in my hamstring. So I look at it as me telling my brain that there is no need to be afraid of the stretch if I want to do it. So I did it. Slowly. And I actually got further than I thought I would. It didn't erase the pain or anything, nor did I think it was going to. But I think I am gonna keep doing them daily until I can touch my toes again. Is any of this a bad idea in your expert eyes (any of you)? I mean, looking through some of the chapters, it is indeed a true mind/body book. And they include stretches. So there must be something to this. Any feedback is appreciated... |
| 16 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Hillbilly |
Posted - 07/20/2012 : 17:44:36
steve,
I wouldn't know about youtube stuff because back then there was no youtube. I ordered the materials I listened to on some website that was started by Thomas Hanna's widow. Several years ago, so I couldn't tell you its name. I'm also not advocating you go out and purchase anything. I am simply making the point that stretching won't hurt you or send any messages to your unconscious. I don't understand what that could possibly mean in practical terms. What you have to do now and forever is to stop thinking you are broken, and if it requires proof, do something supervised if need be so that you gain confidence. That's really all there is to it.
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"Failures do what is tension relieving, while winners do what is goal achieving."
Dennis Waitley
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| stevep |
Posted - 07/20/2012 : 17:18:31
It is a good post and I didn't see it before somehow.
But yeah, I have not been doing yoga for a while now because of that exact reason. Every time the instructor would mention that this or that pose is good for your lower back, my mind would automatically get excited for the relief that it would bring. So I'm definitely hesitant about yoga at the moment.
As far as "just relax"......I'm trying my friend. I'm trying. |
| tennis tom |
Posted - 07/20/2012 : 17:05:19
Nice post Oneorbit! |
| stevep |
Posted - 07/20/2012 : 15:39:42
Do you happen to know the name of the program you used? I'll look and see if there are mp3's for sale. Or I bet there are youtube vids even huh? |
| Hillbilly |
Posted - 07/20/2012 : 15:31:44
steve,
The book I got was nearly useless because of the wooden figurines they used for demonstrations. I purchased some audio recordings and followed them. They were far easier, and I put them on my ipod and played them. I did them not for any other reason than they challenged me to move in ways I dared not before. Did it have the miraculous effect advertised? No. Did it help me build my confidence? No question. That's what it boils down to. Changing your beliefs about what you can and can't do.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
"Failures do what is tension relieving, while winners do what is goal achieving."
Dennis Waitley
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| balto |
Posted - 07/20/2012 : 14:51:37
quote:
Originally posted by Hillbilly
I stretched and also did a movement therapy called Somatics every day when I was in recovery. I can't tell you for certain that there is a scientific benefit to doing it, so I won't. I can only say that I felt better from doing it, and it certainly didn't do any harm. Also, I never felt like I could send a wrong message to my unconscious because I didn't and still don't believe that we have three or four minds. I simply thought fear of movement was standing in my way, and any type of supervised activity, guided by someone with a mind for safety, was a boost to my confidence in the idea that I could indeed recover. And here's the most important part: I did!
___________________________________________________________________________________________
"Failures do what is tension relieving, while winners do what is goal achieving."
Dennis Waitley
Didn't see you post for a long time there Hillbilly. We miss your wisdom.
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No, I don't know everything. I'm just here to share my experience. |
| stevep |
Posted - 07/20/2012 : 14:27:38
^^^^^^^How did you learn the methods for Somatics? Did you go to someone to get the basics and then do it on your own from there? |
| Hillbilly |
Posted - 07/20/2012 : 14:23:22
I stretched and also did a movement therapy called Somatics every day when I was in recovery. I can't tell you for certain that there is a scientific benefit to doing it, so I won't. I can only say that I felt better from doing it, and it certainly didn't do any harm. Also, I never felt like I could send a wrong message to my unconscious because I didn't and still don't believe that we have three or four minds. I simply thought fear of movement was standing in my way, and any type of supervised activity, guided by someone with a mind for safety, was a boost to my confidence in the idea that I could indeed recover. And here's the most important part: I did!
___________________________________________________________________________________________
"Failures do what is tension relieving, while winners do what is goal achieving."
Dennis Waitley
|
| oneorbit |
Posted - 07/20/2012 : 07:57:19
There is a fine line though. I was feeling better finally when I started thinking more psychologically. I abandoned all of my torture devices, foam rolls, back massagers, neuromuscular therapy, chiros etc. I had a good few weeks of less and less pain, I started doing yoga (i think in the back of my mind I thought it was going to help get that last bit of pain out) I told myself I'm doing it for the meditation and the mind-body connection. But after a few months of Yoga, I found myself getting back into the "body" I began focusing on the body and getting better at certain poses. Which is exactly my perfectionist problem. So I need to constantly remind myself to stay present and think psychological. This can be hard in a big Yoga class because a lot of people go there to get rid of pain, so the instructor is always saying stuff like "this stretch is good for carpal tunnel' or 'this pose will help your sciatica'. When you hear those verbal cues from someone in an authoritative position it's like getting a new treatment for a diagnosis. I started going home and working on those stretches slowly I abandoned Sarno's teachings and the pain crept back in. I think I'm obsessive when it comes to trying to get everything just right so Yoga although awesome can me misused to the person suffering from TMS. Just try to stay away of these thoughts and don't get caught up in it. I still do yoga but rather than obsessing on a stretch that I think will help my painful forearms. I'm trying to focus solely on my mind being at peace while I do the stretches.
Just Relax |
| pspa123 |
Posted - 07/20/2012 : 07:01:53
Stevep, I have a similar experience on my indoor bike, where I work out for 30 min. It isn't always perfect, but my legs and knee definitely feel much better during the activity than before or after. No matter how much I may have been limping around, it never seems to be a real problem to ride once I get going. |
| stevep |
Posted - 07/20/2012 : 00:47:31
Thanks guys. I guess it can just get a little confusing. What with Sarno's belief that we need to stop babying our backs (or whatever symptom). I suppose he personally never wrote about much in the way of what we're discussing here. That if you go into it with a different mindset, it is fine to do. Although I will admit, while doing it, it is not the simplest thing to do to not convince yourself that this chronic tension is from lack of flexibility and that continuous stretching will "cure" you. I'm being careful.
In other news, I ran 2+ miles pretty hard on the outside track today. I legitimately feel better while running hard than any other time of the day. Pretty much 100% even. If that does not convince me that there is nothing physically wrong with my body, than nothing will.  |
| TaylorJoh |
Posted - 07/20/2012 : 00:10:24
I'm with Bryan, if pain can be relieved by doing something physical or in your case a goal to touch your toes, then IMHO, as long as you don't intend it to cure you, I'm not sure that there is a problem. I think it is especially good to have goals because you're moving forward and that is an important step in the Sarno protocol.
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| balto |
Posted - 07/19/2012 : 08:58:25
stretching never cure anything for me, but I did lots of stretching before, during, and after my getting rid of tms/anxiety. I did it solely for general health benefit. I never did think it would help or hurt effort to rid myself of tms/anxiety.
My thought is if you expected your physical activities to help with your tms, then it won't. It can even do the opposite if your expectation is high.
Peace of mind and no fear is what I tried to achieve.
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No, I don't know everything. I'm just here to share my experience. |
| tennis tom |
Posted - 07/19/2012 : 08:35:19
I "cured" myself of an L4/L5 "pinched nerve" dx'ed by a chiroquackter years ago by doing a three day intensive yoga back-bending workshop. Going into it, I had doubts about the health of my back, after making it through and doing every conceivable back-bend, I had a new confidence in the strength of my back. This was certainly stretching. The confusion over stretch or no stretch is in the intent. If the cause of the pain is TMS then stretching will only give short term symptomatic relief. The source of TMS pain is in the mindbody, so the emotional causes will need to be met head-on--maybe headstands would help.
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DR. SARNO'S 12 DAILY REMINDERS:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0dKBFwGR0g
TAKE THE HOLMES-RAHE STRESS TEST
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holmes_and_Rahe_stress_scale
Some of my favorite excerpts from _THE DIVIDED MIND_ :
http://www.tmshelp.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2605
==================================================
"It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society." Jiddu Krishnamurti
"Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional." Author Unknown
"Happy People Are Happy Putters." Frank Nobilo, Golf Analyst
"Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint." Mark Twain and Balto
"The hot-dog is the noblest of dogs; it feeds the hand that bites it." Dr. Laurence Johnston Peter
======================================================
TMS PRACTITIONERS:
John Sarno, MD
400 E 34th St, New York, NY 10016
(212) 263-6035
Here's the TMS practitioners list from the TMS Help Forum:
http://www.tmshelp.com/links.htm
Here's a list of TMS practitioners from the TMS Wiki:
http://tmswiki.org/ppd/Find_a_TMS_Doctor_or_Therapist
Here's a map of TMS practitioners from the old Tarpit Yoga site, (click on the map by state for listings).:
http://www.tarpityoga.com/2007_08_01_archive.html |
| Ace1 |
Posted - 07/19/2012 : 07:55:03
Everyone who has been cured on this forum has said the same thing about this subject. So if that Is true, then I would go with that advice. I will also throw it out there as a question. Is there anyone out there that considers themselves cured that did stretches in the process of healing when they were in pain? Balto I would like your input on this too. |
| bryan3000 |
Posted - 07/19/2012 : 01:08:05
I personally think people take the "no physical" concept too far.
Stretch if it feels good. I rub my temples when I get TMS headaches. Why? It feels good. I know it's just anxiety. (TMS). I also exercise because that helps my body ward off the stress of anxiety and TMS.
As long as you recognize the source, there is no harm in seeking physical relief, IMO.
It's your body. Make it clear to your brain that you'll do what you want with it.
My two cents. |
