Looking for some advice...

Hello! I'm a newbie to this site and was wondering if you could tell me if it sounds like I have TMS. I have found a doctor that specializes in TMS about an hour away, but I'm anxious to get started now. Please bare with me, my story is lengthy.

If I recall my chronic pain started last July 2014 with an annoying right low back muscle pain (concentrated in one area) that just wouldn't go away. It would get better with exercise , but then would immediately tighten back up afterwards. This annoying persistant dull pain turned into months of anxiety that at one point kept me in my hotel room while on vacation with my husband. The pain that was always in the same spot then turned into chronic widespread back pain And some times tight glute pain that would change locations. One day it would be in my shoulder blades the next day in my mid back. It's been a year and after X-rays, back strengthening exercises, and chiropractic care I still have chronic low back pain (no longer the persistant muscle pain on just my right side) and I am on Cymbalta for pain, anxiety, and slight depression (happy to say that I'm slowly tapering off). This chronic achy pain comes and goes. It isn't debilitating, but I find myself fixated on it. I'm 39 years old, not overweight, eat healthy 80% of the time and exercise. Perseverating on why I'm not getting better isnt healthy for me bc it heightens my anxiety and causes me to be depressed temporarily.

After reading Dr. Sarno's book I started thinking maybe my back pain is all in my heAd. My back pain started at the end of July but at the beginning of June I had a major setback at work that devastated me. This setback was actually the icing on the cake after a very tough year of smaller a
Setbacks. Is it possible that I repressed those feelings for 7 weeks and then the back pain started bc of it? Most scenarios that I 've read didn't have a time gap between the trigger and the onset of pain. Also, I can't think of anything from my childhood that would be affecting my current situation. Is it possible that there Aren't any childhood triggers? However, perhaps I need to see a therapist to help me dig deeper?

I took a 6 week period off from all forms of exercise just to see if my running, stair climbing or volleyball was causing my pain. Nope....and I won't be doing that again!

Other things I've noticed...crying temporarily makes the pain go away, I'm usually only in pain during awake hours (thankfully it doesn't interrupt my sleep), 1-2 cocktails makes the pain go away, sitting is better, whereas standing/walking aren't (or is that just in my head?).

I'm making an appointment tomorrow and hoping I can get in soon, but in the meantime can you tell me your thoughts about my situation? Does this sound like TMS? If so where do I start with treatment until I can get into a TMS specialist? Thank you for listening and your time responding.

 

Hello Lilac,

Welcome to this site. You are asking some good questions.

I think seeing a TMS specialist is a great decision. You've checked out the conventional treatments, which haven't worked. You suspect the pain is connected to stress. For me, getting official confirmation from a TMS specialist was very helpful.

TMS does not always come from repressed childhood emotions. Sometimes the cause is more recent stress, which you can resolve without therapy. For many people, knowing they have TMS, and understanding the condition, are enough to get better. Others need to do a lot of digging.

 

I agree with David. Also the stuff about childhood - it doesn't have to be necessarily bad - it is just how YOU felt and responded to it. There may have been a situation in which you felt angry or desperately sad. The death of a pet, moving from a loved house, there are all sorts of scenarios. As children we don't really have a 'scale' of what is bad or good - it is just how we feel in that moment.
The crying temporarily helping could be a clue to TMS - the emotional release - 'releasing' the pain. Try undertaking the Structured Educational Programme on the TMS wiki main site. It may give you more clues to what your ain is about and how you an deal with it. I think it is a good programme for anyone to complete anyway - a good way to find out stuff about yourself that is tucked away.... good luck