1. Alan has completed the new Pain Recovery Program. To read or share it, use this updated link: https://www.tmswiki.org/forum/painrecovery/
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AllPgy
Last Activity:
Dec 28, 2022
Joined:
Jan 5, 2016
Messages:
7
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6
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Gender:
Male
Location:
London
Occupation:
Project Manager

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AllPgy

New Member, Male, from London

AllPgy was last seen:
Dec 28, 2022
  • My Story

    My back pain started January 2015 so at the time of writing I am a year in pain. I've always been active doing mountain biking, swimming, badminton and weight training. I got the pain (Sciatica type pain from my buttocks down my left leg) about a day after doing Deadlifts in the gym and immediately thought I'd done some significant damage - a bit of history in that I've ruptured knee ligaments twice before and had over 8 knee operations to fix so I'm a very nervous type about injury.r

    It was very sore for a few weeks, the GP said I had pulled a muscle with possible disc damage, the local PT said unlikely Disc damage but then changed her mind after second treatment. I was already getting different views and the third person I saw a Mctimminey (spelling?) specialist said she thought my hips were out of alignment!

    You can see how these diagnoses make you then start fearing the worst.

    Anyway, things continued that way for a while slowly improving and I ventured back to the gym after about 6 weeks only to cause more pain and increased panic about the state of my back. I then got referred via BUPA to a specialist privately who to be fair didn't think too much was wrong and my pain was gradually reducing so suggested no further treatment needed...

    I can't recall exactly what happened next but within a few weeks the pain had escalated significantly, the specific trigger could have been exercise it's hard with all the setbacks to recall but I remember then being sent for an MRI and getting the dreaded diagnosis of a "moderate" l5/S1 disc herniation or bulge. He proposed I then saw a pain specialist who recommended the Epidural.

    I decided to see a Spine and Wellness specialist instead who I really liked and trusted immediately, under the weekly manipulations and cracking I gradually started improving to nearly 80% pain free....all good right? Well, he then proposed we go and work out at the gym together...I was scared and fearing the worst but trusted him and worked out with minimal weights and pain.

    However, the next day, the pain increased hugely so that I was eating my breakfast lying on tummy like a dog from a bowl!! From here, my life changed dramatically, I couldn't walk, stand or sit and spend long hours lying on my back on the lounge floor. I continued to weekly manipulations and then started deep tissue at the local PT. By November 2015 I'd lost most of my confidence and ability to play with my kids. I resorted to having the epidural and had high hopes of success as my colleague at work had the same procedure a year ago and immediately fixed her.

    However, it just made my pain worse! I was stuck on the sofa for nearly a week and spend time crying and telling my wife I'd lost the will to go on living in this much pain and needed desperate help. My boss was very cool and was letting me work from home most of the time but the lonely hours spend on the floor trying to work from a laptop just made me feel worse.

    .....I was just googling about surgery options when I discovered a link on a Forum to Dr Sarno and healing back pain. I downloaded and read that afternoon. That was late November. I had a nerve block injection booked for January and decided to cancel and go "all in" to TMS.
    I'm at 7 weeks at the time of writing and started the Structured education Programme on the Wiki early January.

    I've been dealing with allot over the last year and when I reflect I can see everything starting to make sense. A terminally ill father who is losing all his faculties, an ill mother who is not coping and putting extra pressure on myself and my sister. A new job in January 2015 and 2 young kids to bring up. Add to that a dosage of perfectionism and people pleasing plus anxiety, rage and separation issues and you have a TMS'er (to quote SteveO) who has been cooking on gas mark 6 and ready to explode!!

    I've come along way in 6-7 weeks. No more pain killers, a growing understanding of the current life/emotional triggers, my personality type and child/early life drivers. More than anything reading Healing back pain, getting the audio book and then reading Steve O's book (particularly pages 120-150 which is me!!) are a great help.

    I've started weight training, swimming and mountain biking again and today I did my first 10 chin up in over a year. This was a significant milestone. I'd also fallen of my bike on black ice and got up and dusted off with no extra pain. In the words of Neo from the matrix...I am starting to believe.

    The pain however is relentless and continue although fluctuates on intensity. I also had my first pain walk about today where it started hurting in my knee, wrist and elbow (all old injuries). I will keep you posted. My favourite quote "Dr Sarno saved the world, the world just doesnt know it yet".

    Richard 19-1-2016
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  • My Story

    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    London
    Occupation:
    Project Manager
    Diagnoses:
    Herniated L5 S1 disc
    My back pain started January 2015 so at the time of writing I am a year in pain. I've always been active doing mountain biking, swimming, badminton and weight training. I got the pain (Sciatica type pain from my buttocks down my left leg) about a day after doing Deadlifts in the gym and immediately thought I'd done some significant damage - a bit of history in that I've ruptured knee ligaments twice before and had over 8 knee operations to fix so I'm a very nervous type about injury.r

    It was very sore for a few weeks, the GP said I had pulled a muscle with possible disc damage, the local PT said unlikely Disc damage but then changed her mind after second treatment. I was already getting different views and the third person I saw a Mctimminey (spelling?) specialist said she thought my hips were out of alignment!

    You can see how these diagnoses make you then start fearing the worst.

    Anyway, things continued that way for a while slowly improving and I ventured back to the gym after about 6 weeks only to cause more pain and increased panic about the state of my back. I then got referred via BUPA to a specialist privately who to be fair didn't think too much was wrong and my pain was gradually reducing so suggested no further treatment needed...

    I can't recall exactly what happened next but within a few weeks the pain had escalated significantly, the specific trigger could have been exercise it's hard with all the setbacks to recall but I remember then being sent for an MRI and getting the dreaded diagnosis of a "moderate" l5/S1 disc herniation or bulge. He proposed I then saw a pain specialist who recommended the Epidural.

    I decided to see a Spine and Wellness specialist instead who I really liked and trusted immediately, under the weekly manipulations and cracking I gradually started improving to nearly 80% pain free....all good right? Well, he then proposed we go and work out at the gym together...I was scared and fearing the worst but trusted him and worked out with minimal weights and pain.

    However, the next day, the pain increased hugely so that I was eating my breakfast lying on tummy like a dog from a bowl!! From here, my life changed dramatically, I couldn't walk, stand or sit and spend long hours lying on my back on the lounge floor. I continued to weekly manipulations and then started deep tissue at the local PT. By November 2015 I'd lost most of my confidence and ability to play with my kids. I resorted to having the epidural and had high hopes of success as my colleague at work had the same procedure a year ago and immediately fixed her.

    However, it just made my pain worse! I was stuck on the sofa for nearly a week and spend time crying and telling my wife I'd lost the will to go on living in this much pain and needed desperate help. My boss was very cool and was letting me work from home most of the time but the lonely hours spend on the floor trying to work from a laptop just made me feel worse.

    .....I was just googling about surgery options when I discovered a link on a Forum to Dr Sarno and healing back pain. I downloaded and read that afternoon. That was late November. I had a nerve block injection booked for January and decided to cancel and go "all in" to TMS.
    I'm at 7 weeks at the time of writing and started the Structured education Programme on the Wiki early January.

    I've been dealing with allot over the last year and when I reflect I can see everything starting to make sense. A terminally ill father who is losing all his faculties, an ill mother who is not coping and putting extra pressure on myself and my sister. A new job in January 2015 and 2 young kids to bring up. Add to that a dosage of perfectionism and people pleasing plus anxiety, rage and separation issues and you have a TMS'er (to quote SteveO) who has been cooking on gas mark 6 and ready to explode!!

    I've come along way in 6-7 weeks. No more pain killers, a growing understanding of the current life/emotional triggers, my personality type and child/early life drivers. More than anything reading Healing back pain, getting the audio book and then reading Steve O's book (particularly pages 120-150 which is me!!) are a great help.

    I've started weight training, swimming and mountain biking again and today I did my first 10 chin up in over a year. This was a significant milestone. I'd also fallen of my bike on black ice and got up and dusted off with no extra pain. In the words of Neo from the matrix...I am starting to believe.

    The pain however is relentless and continue although fluctuates on intensity. I also had my first pain walk about today where it started hurting in my knee, wrist and elbow (all old injuries). I will keep you posted. My favourite quote "Dr Sarno saved the world, the world just doesnt know it yet".

    Richard 19-1-2016