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 Help requested (Upper back/neck)
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Bob Ash

USA
2 Posts

Posted - 07/18/2005 :  11:53:07  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I had excrutiating back pain for a couple of years before I found out about TMS, and I have now been relatively pain-free for two years. My condition was herniated disc in my lower back. My current girlfriend is suffering a lot of pain in her upper back and neck and has had a couple of surgeries to try and help the pain. She has not really considered TMS as a possibility, but I was wondering if anyone has had a situation similar to the one she describes below. Does anyone have any comments as to the possibility of TMS being the cause of the pain. She has had a pretty traumatic upbringing and TMS seems logical to me. She just had another MRI this morning because the latest surgery did not help the pain. Here is her response to me asking the specifics of her condition:

"The original condition that I had my first of two surgeries for was very similar to my condition now only I also lost the use of my left arm. I'd tried everything else from pain meds, chiropractor visits for extened periods, epidural injections, core strenghening and massage. Nothing fixed it so I had a cervical foraminotomy two plus years ago. (that's when they drill holes in the bone where the nerve leaves the spine to releave pressure on the nerves) That one seemed to work for a little while but then after a year or so the pain started coming back slowly. Again I tried everything I tried before the last one and again it didn't help. The only difference was that I hadn't lost the use of my arms and I think the reason for that is because I've managed to keep them moving despite the pain. Last time I began cradling and protecting my arm because of the pain and that caused it to lose strenght but also the nerve problems made it lose more strenght. I lost the use of it in about a month total. Not complete use, I just had no muscles left and the arm looked shrunken like a voodoo head. Anyway that's why I went my current doc, the neurosurgeon, and he did another MRI and could see where the disk was herniated and pressing on the nerves. After suregery he said he removed a lot of disk that was outside of my spine (trying to escape perhaps?) only he said it in more medical terms."

Thanks for any input/help you can give me.

Bob Ash

marytabby

USA
545 Posts

Posted - 07/18/2005 :  12:48:10  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Bob,
I can't speak to the surgeries she's had but I am a neck/upper back sufferer. Extreme muscle spasms in the traps, scapula, rhomboids muscles and lower back and buttocks as well. Most of my spasms prevent me from tilting or turning my head even an inch due to the extreme pain. This is all TMS. I have seen a doctor to confirm it even though MRI's show all kinds of arthritis in the neck and back, spinal stenosis (thus the lower back/butt pain). I was also told I have protruding disks. All this scared the heck out of me and made me WORSE. Chiro said cancel my gym membership, don't run, etc. PT did nothing, chiro did nothing, pain meds and anti-inflammatory meds did nothing. When I found out about TMS and got going on the reading, etc. my wrists started going out. I was scheduled to have wrist surgery last week. I canceled it a month ago knowing it's TMS. Wrists only hurt when I'm stressed out. Neck and back also only go out when I am emotional. Feel free to email me.
mary
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Dave

USA
1864 Posts

Posted - 07/18/2005 :  13:07:27  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
In all likelihood its TMS. Stories like this make me cringe. Stop the unnecessary surgeries and give her Dr. Sarno's book!
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Albert

USA
210 Posts

Posted - 07/19/2005 :  10:29:53  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I recently had some upper back and neck problems (the symptoms moved around in these areas for a few days), looked real hard to find some psychological issues that were bugging me, and the problems went away. The symptoms weren't that bad though. Since I first got better new symptoms are never that bad. Just an annoyance that can be gotten rid of after I find the psychological culprit. I found the above culprits mainly by paying attention to my dreams. I've found that if you make an attempt to understand your dreams, they'll tell you things about yourself/life. But you have to be willing to listen to what they tell you.
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