Am I suppossed to just workout with this pain?

Went to see Rashbam yesterday after staying off my left shoulder, which has been bothering me for four months.
I had the same problem in my right shoulder last year, got an MRI and was told I had a minor cuff tear.
The Doc told me that my left shoulder is TMS and told me that the pain is likely coming from my Trapezius muscle, which is the second most common place for TMS.

So, Rashbaum said I should go back to the gym.
Do I just work "through" the pain?

Cant help but think that I am going to make something worse being that ive always been told (relative to weightlifting) that when a muscle hurts, you leave it alone.

 

Hi Avik, this isn't really an answer, but I just remember back years ago when I had horrible right shoulder pain and I went to get an MRI of my right shoulder. The orthopedic surgeon took a look at the MRI and said I had a mild to moderate torn labrum, I elected for surgery, but before the surgery they took a look at my left shoulder too to see if I had something degenerative going on, anyways it turned out that my left shoulder had more tears than the right did! I didn't have any pain in my left shoulder though. I never got surgery on my left and I never have any problems with it.

I know you've been at this TMS thing longer than I, but maybe you should build some more evidence against the fact that you think it will hurt if you lift. Personally I've been working through the pain but I don't push it to the absolute max. I'm just trying to practice not caring about the pain more than anything else. If the pain happens, keep lifting to whatever you feel is right (little more by little more) and know that you're eventually going to get better (with minor setbacks of course). If you have to rest because of the pain, just smile at the pain and say you don't give a damn about it. You don't have to worry because in time the pain is going to fade away. Think of it like winning mindbody points when you're in pain and you truly practice not caring about the pain. So don't look at it as points if you feel good after a lift sesh, think about winning points by not caring either if you get pain or you don't. You won't damage anything structural by lifting. You won't damage anything structural by lifting.

P.S. after I got the surgery on my right shoulder I still had problems with it afterwards, that is until I started recovery through the TMS approach. The pain that I had in my right shoulder is almost completely gone and I even started lifting with it.

 

I can totally understand your concern.

Normally when someone develops pain by going to the gym, it's sensible to rest and let the muscles mend and strengthen.

However, since your circumstance is quite different:

A) you have had your injury over 4 months (and given the body time to heal)

B) a Dr has confirmed it's TMS

I would have confidence that the pain is lingering on due to TMS and not a structural abnormality.

That said, the only way to overcome these pain pathways is to eliminate fear, think psychologically and challenge the pain. So in short, yes, work through the pain.

Best regards

 

Thats quite the thoughtful and thorough response for a self-proclaimed "newbie"
Great advice GiantsFan-will take all into consideration.

Now all I have to do is convince myself that I can actually take advice from a Giants fan...

 

Thanks for the good advice Mike.

 

Thanks for posting this, Avik.

Have you listened to the clip Alan Gordon recently posted, "How to heal yourself in 7 minutes"? If not, scroll down, listen to this clip and imagine how you could apply this same self-talk while working out at the gym.

I just re-listened to the clip and my favourite quotes are--

-It's JUST a sensation!

-The goal is not to prevent the pain from coming on; the goal is to change the way you respond when it does.

-We know with 100% accuracy that these sensations are JUST a learned neuropathway in the brain.

-The goal is just to change your relationship to the pain.

So, when you are at the gym and doing your upper body exercises, when the shoulder pain comes on, move from being mad and frustrated and irritated that the pain is there (likely this will be your knee-jerk response), to NOT GIVING A #$%^ if the pain changes whatsoever, and work on changing your relationship to the pain. Don't try to make it go away, that's just more tension and pressure, and have total, complete confidence that the shoulder pain is TMS and not causing you any structural damage at all. Imagine Dr. Sarno is there in the gym with you, telling your with 10000000% confidence that it's all TMS and you aren't doing any damage!

 

Also wanted to add that I wouldn't think of it as working "through" the pain, as that implies that you have the goal of it going away if you move through it somehow...you need to literally not give a #$%^% if the sensation of pain changes in anyway, all you need to care about and focus on is your reaction to the pain. Have total confidence in the TMS diagnosis, and don't have a goal of the pain going anywhere. Again, make the goal psychological---> change your relationship to the fear and frustration.

 

Great advice Dexy-thank you!

 

Dexy-I cant seem to fin this video you are referring to.
Can you share a link for it?

 

I have been running and working out for over a year with pain ....the funny thing it's mainly gone when I am working out ....but it likes to come a knocking after I work out. So I say listen to the dr . You went to him for advice he gave u a tms diagnosis know move on ...be gentle at first with that side but slowly progress everyday

 

Avik--I'm not sure how to attach the link but I just bumped the thread

 

WOW! Can I trade DX' with you! I would have loved to been told it's TMS! I was told by two TMS dox, it's NOT TMS, mine was arthritis and to get a THR sooner then later. That was about 15 years ago. I plan on getting as much mileage out of my tire until I'm down to the bone. OEM equipment is the best. Sorry I can't elaborate more or I'll be late to play 4-6 hours of tennis today on my BAD hip--I've always been a hippy since the summer of love, hanging out at the PsychOdelic Shoppe on Haight St. scrounging for rock posters. Since this IS the TMS Wiki, I'm betting that Rashbaum is RIGHT! And, all the TMS literature says to use it or lose it--"If it's too heavy too lift, you wouldn't be able to lift it." If your shoulder hurts too much, do leg presses until it doesn't. Read and re-read the TMS literature--you aren't brain-washed enough. Sarno says hypnotism works too--you first, I'm afraid I'd be running around like a chicken afterwards.

g'luck!
tt/lsmft

 

Is it on Alan Gordons website?

The TMS Wiki website?

 

It's herebon this site:

http://www.tmswiki.org/forum/threads/how-to-get-rid-of-your-pain-in-7-minutes.11437/

-Daniel

 

Thanks.

 

You know what thought came to my mind when I read the this?!...when you're working out or running you're about you and doing something positive for you. Allowing yourself to be good to yourself can do wonders.
BTW I hope you got a good night sleep last night!

 

Avik I don't do weght training my exercise of choice is Pilates. I also saw Dr Rauchbaum back in Nov and got a TMS diagnosis. One of my issues is a clenching in my mid to upper trapezoid on the right side. One day I was about to start my workout and the pain appeared. The first exercise called The Hundred is vigorously pumping your arms from your upper arm/shoulder area yes 100 times...I had avoided this exercise for quite some time as I feared the area. On this day I said to myself there is nothing physically wrong with me and did that exercise! That's the attitude I work on keeping.

 

As an addition the above was one example one day but I had been avoiding a mutitude of exercises even if not in pain because I didn't want it to come back so I consciously actively avoided that area. I don't any longer. I take a deep breath and do it!

 

I am brand new to this site and just coming around to my TMS diagnosis but I just wanted to say that I ran a marathon in January, after my TMS symptoms started. I had paid for the race a year prior and there was no way I was missing it! I came out of it with no more pain than I had started with, except for a few days of tendonitis in my feet - totally understandable given that I had just run 26 miles. However, I stopped running after that race in the belief I needed to "heal" but haven't gotten anywhere with that. I am going to try to run again tomorrow now that I know my pain is not caused by anything physical.

 

Yes run!!! So glad this thread helped you.