Numb penis after I threw out my back

Apologies for the explicit nature of this post.

Last week I lifted a couch using poor form (bent over, lifted with my back) and felt a huge pop/crunch in my lower back. It was sore and stiff immediately after. I didn’t think much of it initially, figuring I would just be sore for some time and eventually get better. I’ve learned through past experience with TMS that’s the best way to deal with back issues. However, a few hours later I discovered while going to the bathroom that my penis felt somewhat numb.

Was told by a nurse over the phone that I should go to the ER. MRI showed slight herniated disc at L5/S1, with the disc touching but not compressing the nerve. They could not determine if this was the cause of my symptoms and discharged me with a referral to get a pelvic neurogram next week to look at the nerves in the pelvis.

List of my symptoms:
-Almost total numbness on the underside and sides of my shaft, parts of the perianal area, and parts of scrotum. The numbness does not come and go, it is constant. Have some feeling on the dorsal side of my shaft.
-occasional pain in these areas
-burning feeling in shaft
-occasional pins and needles and pain in feet, especially the right side.
-difficulty achieving an erection

I doubt this is TMS but I hope to god that it is. I’m a man in his late twenties, kind of a critical dating period, and this could have a very significant impact on the trajectory of my life.

I have had TMS issues in the past that I’ve treated successfully, and am usually very able to distinguish between what is and is not TMS. What makes me doubtful here is that the numbness is constant, totally unchanging. I had an entrapped nerve in my elbow that caused constant numbness in my hand. Tried TMS approach and it didn’t work. Surgery worked and I got feeling back 100%. That’s a common surgery with a high success rate. Unfortunately the surgery for pudendal nerve entrapment (what I may have) is rare and has a low success rate.

If anyone has specific experience or knowledge around pudendal neuralgia or experience with TMS and male genitalia I would be very grateful. Also, I am curious whether anyone has cured constant numbness of any part of their body through TMS. I don’t think that’s a common manifestation of TMS.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

 

This is all tms and super common. You are fine and all is well!

 

Future Canadian, I am new to using this forum, though I have read it for quite some time and have had experience with TMS myself. I hope you are planning to go ahead with the pelvic neurogram. It could certainly be TMS or not. I have known two people who had experiences where they heard a loud pop in their back. One needed surgery. One did not and after quite some time, eventually recovered from her back pain and is doing well. I certainly don't want to be a voice that causes fear. I know how I cling to hope wherever I can get it when I have new physical symptoms. Yet - I think since you have a precipitating event that could cause serious injury - it is in your best interests to get the test. If it all comes back good, then you know where you stand and can apply the TMS approach with confidence.

 

Hello @Future Canadian,

A few parts of your post really stood out to me--reminded me of some things I have been through with TMS. Please take these comments as just me relating what happened to me in similar circumstances (not telling you it's an exact match or tellin' you what to do, at all!).
I wish you well in getting through all this, quickly and with ease...

When I struggle with whether it's TMS or not, at first I often focus heavily on the physical symptoms and possible diagnoses and far less on my stress level/emotional state/recent difficult issues that I have had to contend with/issues that remind me of some of that difficult childhood stuff I went through.
Focusing solely on the symptoms can keep the pain loop going...

I totally get why you're posting this. I've seen similar cautions by women posting about feminine health issues. Make sense.
There's just this part about how (if we go too far with this), our brains can see our case as 'different.' I've had this thing running around in my head in the past: Instead of back pain, my situation is so different, so worse. It doesn't match what others on this forum are usually dealing with.
That kind of thinking was a step AWAY from the solution for me.

Dr. Sarno talked so extensively in his writings about herniated discs.
Doctors can then send someone for all sorts of tests based on herniated discs. One doctor wanted to do surgery immediately on me, and it was all TMS.

The fact that you worked through TMS issues in the past is huge! How did you do that? What readings/practices/routines worked for you?
Also, Ruling out a structural issue with a doctor is one clear way to distinguish between TMS and not TMS.

 

Dude, I've had so many issues with pain, tingling, numbess, etc with my manhood. Every time it has been a simple TMS manifestation. I've had issues with the testicles and the penis. Sharp, crazy pains that I've never felt before that scared the shit out of me. Our brain is constantly trying to find new ways to distract us, and if it can convince us that something is REALLY wrong this time then it can have the perfect distraction.

I found in my experience that groin pain was caused by sexual shame for me. I went through a lot of bouts with groin pain when I was still a virgin in my early 20's and beat myself up a lot about it. I also had a reoccurring groin pain issue when I blacked out in a strip club and was peeing blood a few days later. I convinced myself that I had had sex with a stripper while I was blacked and caused all kind of tingling, numbness, pain down there. All was simply TMS in the end (I think even the blood in my urine was, because it never happened again).