Running - TMS getting worse

Hi everyone!

I posted my introduction here and was proudly telling how I started to run again.

I am still running but my TMS is getting worse now. It moved from the calves down to the ankles. And the TMS in the calves gets reeeeeaally bad on the last stretch of the run.

I just want to get fit and be able to run for fun again but with this TMS it is super hard.

I feel like I am only making it worse because I am wishing for it to go away, I am in resistance, frustrated. And I know that this only makes it worse.

I don't know what to do: stop running? Find something else I enjoy doing more..? Or try to run less and walk more? But with all these things I would only play into the TMS symptoms.

Is it worse to say no and go easy on myself or to push through and go through that TMS everyday?

My outcome independence is not on point either..

I am really not sure what is the best action to take and I would be super grateful for any input!

 

Moving pain is pretty typical TMS.Basically you have been able to run through your old pain messages without fear.. and as it typically does, your tms has upped it’s message.
Why not ask it exactly what the message is, as you run? Ask without judgement, just curiosity. Try a run without any pain anticipation and see what happens?
Increased symptoms often mean there’s more work to be done in some area like around fear, or internal negative dialog, or some unconscious emotional thing.. both Steve Ozanich and Tamara Gurin’s books speak of their having to really hold out and power through their physical goals.. without fear or negativity, only self celebration for each amazing step!
Good luck!

 

I think a run without any pain anticipation sounds like a dream for now lol I always expect pain when I run. But yea I will try to get there for sure, and I will also try to ask myself these questions as I run.

I guess I just need to be patient with the process..

Thank you!!

 

My therapist gave me a brand-new technique to harness the well-known phenomenon of the symptom imperative and its cousin, the extinction burst. You're suffering from either or both (they are almost interchangeable). I've been doing this work since 2011 and I understood immediately what this technique is designed to do - I'm just kind of amazed that I'd never come across such a simple thing.

Here it is: our brains are designed to be negative, and when we are uncomfortable, our response is "I don't want that! Get me outta here!" The reverse of this fight/flight/freeze response is to replace "I don't want" with "I want". "I want" forces you to visualize or imagine a positive and constructive outcome, rather than focusing on the negative now. It also forces you to stop and think, which, if you are mindful about it, will give your nervous system a chance to calm down.

Just a little something to try - it certainly can't hurt.

 

Thank you! I do want to try and focus on that. Much like the wanting the onset of pain so as to do some somatic tracking when it's there.

 

Thanks Jan. So if you have pain, replace "Ugggh, no, not again", with "...." - can you give some specific examples that work for you?

 

Just the act of making the statement "I want" creates a moment in which you can change your internal dialogue, stopping the downward spiral of negativity. Use this moment to say something constructive, to set a goal, to visualize a different outcome, or any number of options. Open your mind and get creative.

If I'm out walking and I feel dizzy and off-balance, I'm learning that I can stop my fear thoughts by saying "I want to walk confidently with a clear head and steady feet" - also taking the opportunity for some deep breaths.

In the past I realize I have used a related technique for arm pain, by concentrating on the arm without pain, and then visualizing the painful arm feeling like the pain-free arm. Very effective for pain that I knew had no reason to exist.

There are probably tons of different ways to do this.