6 tender points...

John Sarno identifies 6 tender points that are present in almost all TMS patients. These occur on the upper buttocks, low back and trapezius muscles on both the right and left sides.

My pain fits all the criteria for TMS, except I can't seem to locate these tender points. Does anyone else experience this problem?

 

Are you asking if anyone else has the problem of not having a painful spot? : )

I never had any tender points (TMS vortex) either. I asked the TMS docs early on if you had to have them and they all said "no."

Sorry! You may be one of those unfortunate folks that doesn't have a painful spot. But I've noticed that people have "tender point equivalents" in other ways. It's the SI again manifesting in any manner the brain desires.

 

Thanks Steve. It always struck me as odd that all people with psychosomatic pain would exhibit these very specific points of tenderness...

 

It is a mysterious thing to have tender points. It's most likely the indicator of blood flow reduction, as all the studies prove. A 49% oxygen reduction in the cells of patients in pain, aka, fibromyalgianianites.

 

Agreed. Some people have these tender spots, some don't. Many TMSers have a lot of general muscle tension, so not surprisingly many of them are sensitive when you push on certain muscles. Definitely not a prerequisite for having TMS.

To truly attack your symptoms, I'd suggest you address the fear. Even this question alone can be seen as a psychological form of TMS: "Oh shit! I don't have the tender points, what if I don't have TMS?!"

When you alter your relationship with fear, you're ripping the heart out of the symptoms. The only power the pain has over you is its ability to scare you.

Alan

 

I don't have tender points. I do have a general feeling of being terrified, shitting myself, worrysome etc etc etc about my pain at the moment and am CONSTANTLY thinking about it.

Trying so hard with mindfulness. I was extremely curious about the other cars lights, how they work, where they were made, making rhymes out of number plates this morning on the way to work......

 

I have a long history of this type of fearful "what if" thinking. The thoughts tend to come on very suddenly and the fear they create is instantaneous. Unfortunately I've spent a lifetime buying into these bullshit thoughts, so learning to resist them has been tough. It's like the story of the boy who cried wolf, except I never seem to catch on.

I'm working hard to simply let these thoughts pass by rather than becoming too preoccupied with them. It is very difficult but I certainly get a lot of practice.

 

Please do let go of the "what if" thoughts. That only increases our worry. You can do it if you live in the present,
not the future.

For help on mindfulness, I found good advice here:

http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20669377_18,00.html