sunburn and sore muscles

Interesting experience. Because moderate anything is usually a foreign concept to me - I was gardening over the weekend with a vengeance and then experienced appropriate soreness (legs, arms, back) and a pretty decent sunburn (yup - no sunscreen) on my back right around the same area that the latest TMS pain is (T6,7,8). I am happy to report that lately I go for big chunks of many days without pain several times a week. Pain flares up for me in clear connection to a) skipping the daily practice of education/journaling/meditating and b) emotional triggers. But this sunburn threw me into a pain loop that I wasn't prepared for. One of the back symptoms that is really lingering for me is tingling, numbness, itchiness and an insane sensitivity to any texture touching the skin (labels, straps, basically anything that isn't baby's ass soft/smooth). Enter the sunburn combined with appropriate muscle soreness. My brain registered these two sensations and kicked into high survival mode and by the time I realized what was happening I was in such a fear/pain loop. What is great is that giving voice to it, identifying it, calling it out, allowed for a crack so I could start applying the practices I have learned here and break the cycle. Pretty interesting experience to witness. I would love to hear from others. Is there a proactive practice when you go into an activity that may cause physical symptoms to prepare the brain? How do you get better at sorting the appropriate physical feelings that are clearly cause and effect and the brain initiated feelings that are TMS? What are some other things besides sunburn that you've experienced that took you by surprise? So grateful for this forum! J.

 

Yes. This is what it is about. Not about any specific body part or symptom, but OUR REACTION to the pain, our emotional state early in life and when the pain started, our level of belief in our safety in the world.