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Back2-It
USA
438 Posts |
 Posted - 10/23/2010 : 22:45:55
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I know that DrS has said that the brain causes the pain, but does it manifest in physical deformities?
Meaning, whenever any medical pro has palpitated my back there is a difference from the left para-spinals to the right. The right is tight, and the tightness can be felt all around to the front.
My MRI shows a protruding disc T-7/8. Was taken last year. No imaging since. My muscle tightness in the para-spinals has decreased, but the right side is still a knot. It has decreased and is not as bad as last year.
I'm working under the belief that the decreased blood flow can do this, but I'm hard pressed to find information in Dr S's books that it does. My botherment never moves around and has been consistent, though lessening in pain and discomfort over the last year.
Am I doing this to myself from the brain? I'm thinking yes. But when I reach back and feel a knot on one side that is not there on the other, I wonder.
For back people out there: did you have noticable knots and muscle spasm with TMS? Or was there no physical evidence of a "structural" defect?
Thanks.
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Darko
Australia
387 Posts |
Posted - 10/23/2010 : 23:54:54
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I still continue to have knots.....and I get pain in one side and not the other. I also wake up with spasms, and have been told my spine is fusing together. I also have a slight curve.....and despite all of this have had long periods where I am pain free.........sadly not at the moment! The pain will begin to move when you start to challenge it by looking at your thoughts, right now the condition is physical for you so it makes sense to remain static. What you refer to is muscle tension, I get loads of it and it's based entirely on my thought patterns.....chiefly anxiety! In addition to all of this Sarno has evidence in the book "healing backpain" that there is no direct correlation between physical deformities and back pain. quote:
I know that DrS has said that the brain causes the pain, but does it manifest in physical deformities?
If you have tension mostly on one side then I'm sure you'll start to see weird things. I wake in the mornings sometimes and can hardly reach past my knee, by the end of the day I can touch my toes.
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HilaryN
United Kingdom
879 Posts |
Posted - 10/24/2010 : 04:46:33
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Hi Back2,
Welcome to the forum.
No-one is perfectly symmetrical.
Obviously you should always get yourself checked out by a doctor in case of anything serious, but once you've done that it's best not to get too hung up on the physical details.
Remember that all emotions have a physical counterpart, e.g. muscle tightening, some obviously noticeable, others more subtle.
btw TMS is REAL.
All the best,
Hilary N |
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Back2-It
USA
438 Posts |
Posted - 10/24/2010 : 06:57:56
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Darko:
My pain and anxiety is caused mainly by walking and standing. At one time it felt as if there were a giant c-clamp around my right side and it hurt to inhale, even. The doc's said because the nerve was inflamed. Mid-back never gets a rest, I guess, because of the diaphragm. I'm working on just pushing through it and attributing it to what I know was my initial emotional state when it came on (which continues to today) and things which are currently happening.
HilaryN: Thanks for the welcome. I really have nobody to discuss this with, because, I have found, that after awhile nobody cares or can care or knows what to say when the pain is chronic.
I was checked out by the docs last and found to have a protruding disc, T-7/8 by MRI. But I am positive my discomfort came on prior to feeling the telltale "clunk" in my back when I bent to plug something in. The mid back is the scare ground of doctors. They don't deal with it that often and will communicate that fear unconsciously and overtly. One doc just looked at me, shook his head, said he couldn't help me, and shook my hand. I picked up on all of that, plus playing doctor on the internet just made things worse.
My life was a cluster-bomb of sick relatives, friends, stress from constantly traveling for work and then having to care for them when I did get back in town. Get them stuff, drive them places, take them to hospitals and ER's. Not to mention I was sick myself with an undiagnosed, inflected gallbladder, which had grown to take over my entire right side. When it finally came out it was the size of a summer squash. I was sick physically and an emotional wreck. I was angry, knew it, but didn't know how angry. The "rage" thing.
This is what has brought me back to Dr. Sarno and has me working through it all.
Thanks. Didn't mean to be so long. Actually, I did, I guess. It's a relief to even just spill it all out to strangers. |
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Forfeet
USA
40 Posts |
Posted - 10/29/2010 : 02:29:31
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Back2-It,
When I was in my 20's a couple decades ago I used to get terrible muscle spasms in my upper back, particularly the left side-sort of in the triangle area around the shoulder blade, neck, etc. I took numerous days off from work as a waiter at the time, often had difficulty driving, used heating pads regularly, along with anti-inflammatories and muscle relaxers. I used to enjoy running back then and would refrain from doing that also.
I never had an MRI but the rheumatologist I went to at the time suggested rest and the medicine. He also said an X-ray indicated my spinal area in the neck was a bit different than that of most people but didn't know if it had any effect on the issue or not. Tried a chiropractor but felt worse. I don't remember if I ever read Sarno at the time but believe I did although it seemed that most of the pain he dealt with was of the lower back (obviously not so, but my perception at the time).
At some point I chose to not believe anything was wrong but stress and just made a decision to act as if everything was OK. I did take anti-inflammatories when needed, but got out of bed and was as active as I would have been without pain. Eventually it went away. It was at its worse for about 6 months after my father died when I was 27 but it did pass. Has not been a significant issue for me since. At this point in my life, I believe a bit more psychological work is necessary to help my other TMS issues when they arise (journaling, etc.). Hope this provides some hope. |
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Back2-It
USA
438 Posts |
Posted - 10/29/2010 : 08:00:13
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Thanks Forfeet!
It's encouraging to see that you made your early problems vanish. I have been reading all the Sarno lit and, at first, everything seemed to be focused on the lower back. Reading more has shown me that it really isn't.
I've made my other problems vanish over the years by ignoring or distracting myself, but this one has got a grip on me. 
I'm not sure what the MRI really proves now as I'm becoming more educated on TMS. The injury I relate it to happened in summer 08, and there was no immediate pain, nothing. When my stress reached a peak in fall 08 I started to feel the slightest twinges. The muscle spasms started in earnest when I bent over and felt/head a "snap" in my back. So much like the TMS descriptions. I am going to get more education on the back and exactly how it is put together. I think this will help me.
I've been working on emotional causes and even had a dream this morning which provided some real insight, I think, as to where my subconscious anger might be.
I've also learned that anxiety, which I have in the form of health anxiety, is a TMS manifestation.
Forfeet: Thanks again for your comments. You can't talk to most people about this as they think you are crazy. Good luck with working through the other TMS situations.
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Edited by - Back2-It on 10/29/2010 08:02:13 |
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Muscle spasm, muscle tightness -- Real or TMS?
