Carpal Tunnel/RSI

Hi all,

Hope you are well! It has been a while!

As a quick summary, around 6 years ago I developed Carpal Tunnel/RSI in my right wrist from playing far too many PC games with admittedly shocking ergonomics. I went to the doctor after pushing through the pain (at this point it burnt quite severely without moving anything). He did a quick test for Carpal Tunnel (With a pen from memory, I assume seeing if I had numbness/tingling) and said that I do not have that and it was likely an RSI and to do the usual rest and Ice it.

Since then I have been up and down with it but never 100% recovered. I have tried reading Sarno's books before but struggled massively with 2 things. 1 because I feel doctors nowadays (especially in the UK with the NHS) are just programmed to say Ice and Rest for stuff like RSI I have a small doubt there could still be something physically wrong with me. 2 because I don't personally feel that I have any deep down repressed emotions. I journaled about the ones I could think of though but they didn't seem to help.

In the past week I have had a bit of a flare up. I have been pretty good at work recently and I lift weights frequently. It has ironically come at a time where I am on holiday for a week (more time to dwell on things) and when I have a karting race (which will use a lot of my wrist)

Is it possible that I do have TMS and it is just brought upon by certain things that are stressful to me deep down? I fit the description and I am quite anxious in general. For example on Sundays I get quite anxious for the Monday morning meetings at work which include all the higher up employees which I think affects me in the fight or flight. I have also noticed that during the flare up this week my wrist is better when working out (I know you have adrenaline but it is still odd) having no pain, only a weird tendon plucking type feeling at heavy weights which I had previously but has not been present for about a year.

I am starting to work on some of Alan's work as I find it more relatable for myself. I personally feel my anxiety is a key factor. In parallel I have started taking cold showers and I am consider something like CBD Oil to help take the edge off of my anxiety to see if that has a positive effect on the pain (I am not sure if doing things like that in parallel is frowned upon in this community?)

Is it possible that my symptoms are due to my anxiety of various situation and I do not have many repressed emotions? I am also working at continuing with my work and gym, telling myself all is well, however it is hard not to have doubts due to what I mentioned earlier with the doctors.

Thanks all!

Edit: I have just been doing some more reading into what I think my issues could be, I think I fall into these 4 main categories

- Anxiety about many things in my life, be it big or small which causes fear in the brain.
- Fear of the pain getting worse and stopping me from doing things
- Fear that there is genuinely something wrong and I am just doing myself more damage.
- Pressure that I put myself under to be successful in life. I understand I have high goals/expectations but I need to approach them in a more sensible manner to stop my brain interpreting them in a danger sensing way.

 

Hi:
Great for you being open enough to consider that RSI may not be a physical injury!
Your “injury” has not fully healed in 6 months, which in general is nice long time for small “injuries” in the body to fully heal. Even broken bones are healed well before 6 months. The body is amazing!
The brain, however often keeps us thinking pain can only be physical. Sarno teaches us it can be psychological. I suggest you re-read one book by Dr. Sarno and carefully note any of the described personality traits you identify with. Note what he says to “do” - eg. Think “psychologically” vs physically. Just work on accepting the fact that your “injury” may have more to do with emotions you find difficult to acknowledge. So far in journaling you have only examined your conscious emotional state: what your mind is allowing you to write about: what is safe.
TMS is about the emotions in our subconscious that we do not allow ourselves to feel, and this is the tricky part. It is admitting to ourselves that we have consciously present a face to ourselves and the world that may not be 100% true. It’s often part true and part coping mechanisms. Learning to accept this is a huge part of willing to become vulnerable enough to explore the things we push away, or find difficult to explore - often called resistance.
How can you see if this is happening? Try the POD Association TMS quiz: https://ppdassociation.org/ppd-self-questionnaire (Self Quiz — Psychophysiologic Disorders Association)

You might also try the Ace’s childhood adversity quiz. When you do this, try to answer questions as if you were still a young child.
https://www.npr.org/sections/health...e-quiz-and-learn-what-it-does-and-doesnt-mean

See how these work for you.
If journaling is difficult right now, there are other methods including Alan Gordon’s Pain Reprocessing which can work for some people or try to use the SEP free program on this website tmswiki.org (scroll down to find it) that will hide you through journaling and many other techniques.
Let us know what you think!

 

Thank you. It does definitely add up that it should have been healed by now. I am working on accepting that it can indeed be psychological and not physical. Reminding myself that these are safe sensations and that there is nothing wrong.

I do think my issues lie in the 4 areas that I suggested in my edit section however I will try to do some subconscious journaling too, which I think these will be involved with anyways.

I had just reviewed this page and it seems to reflect quite well with me - New Program - Day 7: Pressure and Criticism | TMS Forum (The Mindbody Syndrome) (tmswiki.org) - it is early days but after reviewing that it felt like my pain was reduced slightly so that is a good sign.

 

I also forgot to ask here. The plucking/elastic band type feeling I get in my tendon in my wrist. Is this something that can also be TMS? It doesn’t hurt it just feels extremely unnatural which is why I get uneasy when it occurs

 

Thank you, can this also include physical things like clicking?

I have noticed my wrist start to physically and audibly click more since the flare up.

Since earlier it seems less painful but more of the nerve/plucking feeling so it has definitely changed to an extent! I am continuing to reinforce that all is well and working through the programmes available

 

thank you, I will take a look.

I should note I have had this clicking many times through my journey before, it just only seems to happen in tandem with the plucking feeling during flare ups. It seems to be quite a common thing due to tension it seems.

on a more positive note I seem to have made progress with pain today. That seems to be similar to where I was prior to this flare up. I am finding some of the resources more relatable this time around and I trying to work deeper into the thoughts and feelings around them!