TMS or Ankylosing Spondylitis?

I know this is not a place for medical advice.

When I first started getting back pain around 30 years old (4 years ago), I remember the day. I was play-fighting with my wife after a hike while we were on vacation, and my entire back seized up. I had to lie down, for nearly 30 minutes, on some big rock in the wilderness. I couldn't even talk. That whole vacation, my sleep was horrible, my whole back ached throughout each night.

I thought it was the mattress I was sleeping on at first. I went through 8 mattresses! I tried to change the pillows, tried elevating my legs, a whole bunch of exercises, sleeping on the floor, nothing helped.

Then I googled my symptoms. It seemed to be a textbook case of Ankylosing Spondylitis:

Pain that moves from one buttocks to the other? Check.
Pain that worsens in the second half of the night? Check.
Pain that gets better with movement? Check
Back spasms? Check
History of psoriasis? Check
Pain that responds to NSAIDs? Check

I fell into a serious depression after that, even contemplating suicide, because that's a pretty serious disease. I went to a spine doctor, and to my amazement, he said there was no way I had Ankylosing Spondylitis. He said it was likely a herniated disc, and gave me a back brace.

But a lot of things didn't make sense to me. Why did my pain move around? Why was it shooting up my leg one day, and shooting up the other leg the other day? Then to my lower back, then to my upper back, and then even my KNEE started flaring up. Also, why did all of this start as soon as I became a Christian and devoted my life to God?

Still, Google seemed to want to CONVINCE me that it's AS. Still does! Every medical article has a link to AS in the text.

Anyway, I was hoping from some insight from this community. My pain seems to get better with movement, is the worst in the morning, and I wake up several times throughout the night with an aching back and need to stretch it out. Sometimes its my upper back, sometimes my mid back, sometimes my lower back. A hot shower makes me feel better, and even FOOD makes it feel better (that serotonin release). When I was a teacher, I hated my job, and standing still for even 20 minutes made my lower back feel like it was on fire.

Thoughts? Thank you all in advance.

 

You might find this success story enlightening: https://www.thankyoudrsarno.org/billys-thank-you (Billy’s Thank You - Thank You, Dr. Sarno)

 

Thank you!

 

I had a similar experience with the sudden onset of my back pain 25 years ago. Pain was so severe, I slept on the floor in child's pose for 3 nights and had a hard time walking for about a year after. Driving was hell.

I was told that I should never:
1. lift anything without holding it close to my body
2. cross my feet
3. sleep on my side
4. bend too much

The best thing I did was ignore the doctors and - very gradually and slowly! - resumed my normal life. So far, I have backpacked in the mountains lifting and carrying a 30+ backpack, I climbed very tall mountains (up to 15,000 ft), I dance, exercise with weights and do whatever I wish to. My back flares up a little bit here and there, but calms down a day or two later. Back then, I did not know about TMS. Now I know it was TMS. Back pain is a classic example of TMS. Get checked out by the TMS specialist and start your TMS recovery program!