What do new symptoms mean?

Hello,

After I discovered TMS as a treatment method for my chronic widespread muscle, nerve and joint pain I began to vigorously return to physical exercise working on my fear of symptoms. I noticed during my workouts that all my symptoms would drastically reduce or go away. It appeared the more vigorous the activity, the more of a decrease in symptoms. For example, during intense cycling classes the pain felt when pressing on muscles would go completely away no matter how hard I pressed on them. Several weeks into this I started to develop new symptoms such as foot pain in both feet to include color changes in my feet and feelings of cold. Could this be because of the exercise or the pain strategy in TMS. Interestingly enough, this new symptom popped up around 1 year after the emotional event that preceded the onset of my initial unexplained widespread pain. Lastly, since the onset of my unexplained pain I was always fearful of developing foot pain, which led to me becoming inactive for 8 months and even afraid to walk long distances for fear of developing really bad foot pain until I had discovered TMS. I'd appreciate any person's opinion on this.

Thank you.

 

Hi Ashley,

I'm fairly new to TMS myself, but from what I know and from my own experiences, this sounds like your TMS is trying to take on a different approach to distract you from your emotions. When my TMS started, I had widespread nerve pain and muscle pain, mostly centered around my arms and hands (I'm an artist and writer), and it took me a few months and medical tests to realize it was TMS. When I realized I wasn't going to hurt myself by using my body again, I started to exercise, and I started to absently worry that something would happen. Well, a few weeks into my exercise, I started getting muscle pain in my legs, and foot pain and tingling and numbness. I was terrified until I remembered that TMS tends to attack you where you're most afraid of it attacking.

I'd say that if your foot symptoms aren't constant, it's definitely TMS trying to find a different approach. As always, if you're super concerned, you could ask a physician. But in the last 3 years of my pain journey, I've had my pain migrate. And now when my TMS flares at random, just knowing that it's TMS tends to help. New symptoms can crop up all the time, especially if you're afraid of them or you're worried something will happen.

Wishing you the very best!

- Jewell

 

Yes, it's very common for new TMS symptoms to arise when you start challenging the old ones.

When that happens, it's actually progress. It gives you some important information. The symptoms are certainly TMS, because structural pain doesn't move around like that. And the new symptoms tell you that something is out of balance in your life, something that needs attention and yet is scary to face. Your unconscious is determined to distract you, and since you've challenged the old symptoms, it comes up with something new.