A Physician's TMS story - RSI, Hyperacusis and much more.....

Thank you North Star, is Daniel Lyman a TMS therapist? I will look him up because there's no one available in person in Vancouver Canada where I live...

 

Way back in my pre-Sarno days, I was sent to a neuro for an EMG, he told me I had to stop playing tennis for a month--or--HE WOULD BE SEEING ME FOR SURGERY!--and prescribed traction to stretch my spine out. I see medicine has advanced since then, skipping traction and going right to the surgery.

MTHFR??? That's an acronym for? Glad to see someone in "alternative med" has a sense of humor, I think I'll start telling people I have MotherFR's dis-ease.

Cheers,
tt/lsmft

 

Alexandra, Yes, Daniel is a TMS therapist and works through the pain psychology center in Los Angeles. There's several therapists there that were trained under Alan Gordon, a leader in TMS. The "ask a therapist" section will allow you to meet some of those therapists via their answers to questions. It's a wonderful resource.

Anyway. Daniel works via Skype as do many of the therapists.

Tom, your comment cracked me up.

 

I had the same thought about MTHFR, but figured if I waited, you'd say something about it. Thanks for not letting me down, Tennis Tom.

 

Barb,
Though I'm not able to comment on your symptoms or test results not knowing your full history and not having seen you in person, I can say that if you have doubt about the etiology of your symptoms, it would be wise to see a TMS-trained physician who can review your history, test results, do a physical exam and offer you a second opinion. Dr. Hanscom who is listed on this website is a spine surgeon and might be a good one to see for you. Surgery should always be a last resort. It may be worth the time and money to travel to see him or another TMS physician. Best, Alicia

 

Thank you North Star, what joy to learn that TMS therapists can work via skype! Travelling to Los Angeles is easy for me as well so this is great information you have provided me! I really appreciate it, Thank you!

 

just little boost I needed, I am 5 months post Sarno HBP reading and the biggest skeptic about. slowly but surely a lot of what he said about my different pains turned out to be true and my world has been opened up once again.

 

So glad to hear that IrishSceptic. It's a beautiful world when you can finally see it.

 

Dr Batson,

I notice tinnitus on your list. Did it go away? I have it and although other TMS symptoms have gone away, this one remains. It's usually a baseline ringing that I usually don't even think about, but it's there. Sometimes it does get louder.

 

Hi Enrique,
While hyperacusis was the life-altering ear symptom for me, I developed tinnitus at the same time which compared to the hyperacusis, felt mild. It was never to the point that it bothered me during the day. It was only ever loud enough for me to hear when I was in a very quiet place - for example, awakening in the morning in a quiet space. After about 2 years, and just in the past 6 months I think, it seems to be mostly gone. For awhile, it seemed to come and go. Sometimes, it seemed positional. And I think most of the time now, it isn't there at all. I just went to listen for it and it isn't there now, so I think it is really gone now. I also found it to take much longer to resolve that most of my other symptoms - even despite the fact that it never really bothered me - my third to last symptom to resolve. I always thought this was interesting and wondered if the ANS just has its own healing trajectory - mine was very activated when my symptoms were at their worst. I practice some breathing, meditation and yoga and work on staying calm and centered (and feeling joyous) most of the time which I think has helped calm my ANS. My audiologist says that mild tinnitus in your ears in a very quiet setting can be normal.
So glad all your other symptoms have resolved. We are so fortunate to have found the TMSWiki and community.
Hope this helps in some way.
Alicia

 

Thanks for the reply. I focused on my tinnitus a few years ago and as soon as started, I got other symptoms which I turned my attention to. Kinda weird. But now I will turn my attention to ridding myself of tinnitus again. It's great to know of people like you who have overcome it.

 

Hey there Dr Batson! Ive actually looked into your practice as Im moving back to Nashville next month. I have a long history of intense low back pain, and a laundry list of other "mysterious" chronic pains that Ive recently come to accept as TMS. I read Heal Your Back Pain, and then watched as the pain jumped around my body after I discovered it. I then went an saw Dr Sklar in Ft Worth Texas, who is a TMS doctor, he did some physical (and mental and spiritual) tests....and then confirmed the I do in fact suffer from TMS.

Long story short....Im just now beginning my recovery. Im reading MBP, but was wondering if I am still having issues as time goes on, should I come see you? What do you offer with your practice?

Im interested in seeing a psychotherapist or anybody that can help me along, but I know that can get really expensive....and I don't come from money. What would you recommend for someone like me that doesn't have the finances to see a professional?

Im going to work on myself, and Im going to be patient and give it some time...but Im just wondering what my options are down the road if I am still struggling.

Thanks and good luck to you.

 

As an MD I'm curious as to those ear conditions you describe Dr Batson.
Does Tinnitus have an underlying pathology or are both those conditions based on description of symptoms?
It seems there's are hundreds if not thousands of ways to describe these pain syndromes and I can't help wonder if there is a lack of a physiological foundation?
I would have assumed these all had physiological underpinnings in order to allow the Dr to make the diagnosis.

 

Dr. Batson,
I looked at your site and I feel like I am on that merry-go-round of hope and discouragement. I've been at this for about 3 years but honestly I've gotten discouraged at the length of time it's been and I'm still in pain. I previously suffered from anxiety, but now it's just pain pain pain...and I'll admit I've tried deep tissue massage (I know, focusing on the physical) but that massage therapist hurt me more!!! Can't go back to that...and I admit I'm feeling a bit discouraged that I can truly heal...I tend to be perfectionistic and high-strung anyway, so I'm sure this is my issue. I'd sure like to know what your best tools for treating TMS looked like for you personally. Thank you, Stayfit

 

Hi Beezy,
While I can't recommend anything to you directly since I haven't evaluated you myself, I can offer some general advice that I would offer to anyone considering treatment for TMS with limited financial resources. If you feel you have been evaluated by a qualified physician, had serious life-threatening conditions ruled out and TMS ruled in, then there are several resources available to you. I always recommend reading at least one of Dr. Sarno's books since they are mostly fast reads and offer good overviews of TMS. After that, I generally recommend the following resources - Dr. Howard Schubiner's workbook or online program which can be found at www.unlearnyourpain.com . The workbook is $25 and the online program $100. In addition, I would carefully read and put into practice Alan Gordon's TMS Recovery Program which can be found on the TMSWiki site. This is free and has what I consider to be essential recovery tools that I haven't found in such a concise form anywhere else.
I would be happy to see you in Nashville. My program generally consists of a thorough history and physical exam with review of past evaluations and tests. If it is determined that you likely have TMS, my recovery program consists of education about TMS, how it works, techniques to break the pain-fear cycle and conditioned responses and psychotherapy to understand traumatic experiences and the repressed emotions that may triggering the pain symptoms. There may be other aspects of the therapy which are patient-dependent.
If you would like to schedule or have other questions, just give me a call. My number is on my contact information page on this site and on my website.

 

Thanks for posting this.

I have been suffering for some time now and I'm actually becoming deeply cynical about all this. It seems like everyone has a book to sell. Maybe it's all a sham. I know from my experience of the past year and a half in near constant pain, I would do anything and spend any money to heal myself. I am desperate. I worry that all this mind-body stuff is just opportunistic exploitation of the desperation of people like me. Snake oil, if you will.

It occurs to me that chronic pain has an ebb and flow to it. Sometimes you feel a bit better, then later feel worse. I am fearful that all this "testimony" is just people writing when they're feeling a little better. Then later, when they are worse, they write about how they've "relapsed." Maybe it's all bullshit and we're just on this rollercoaster of pain no matter what so why bother investing emotionally in all these "cures." It all is just starting to feel like religious fanaticism to me. I like to think you are a real person and not just selling something. Perhaps Sarno himself has just built a fortune out of realizing that a huge percentage of the population would throw down $15 on a book if it sounded like a somewhat plausible solution to this terrible pain.

It just doesn't stop. It doesn't stop because you realize it's psychological in origin. It comes right on back. I am tired of throwing money down a pit on massage therapy, acupuncture, doctor visits, MRI's, chiropractors, etc. But it's not any better to just close my eyes and pretend that it fixes it all to think nice thoughts either. It's just got the best of me and I'm not sure how many more years I want to go through this.

EDIT: I realize this reads as harsh. I am just frustrated. I am still open to TMS theory and trying to make it work. It's just hard to be in pain and feel trapped.

 

Hi Mirepoix,

I really get what you are saying. It is not "harsh" and don't feel bad about expressing how you feel, above all else. All of your experiences you have had and feelings you are feeling are real and valid.

I spent approximately $15,000 - $20,000 on alternative treatments before I found the TMS community. After that, I spent a few thousand more on TMS psychotherapy, but I knew at that point I was headed in the right direction as the return came relatively quickly - every 2 months, I could definitely say I was better that I was 2 months prior - I had measurable progress.

Having said that, TMS treatment is not a quick fix. It is also not a passive treatment, like swallowing a pill or lying still for surgery. It requires a whole-hearted commitment to belief in the diagnosis and the willingness and frankly, passionate desire to work the program with courage and persistence. Sometimes the acceptance, courage and persistence come in small increments over time as one learns new skills and unlearns old habits. Everyone has their own healing trajectory. It can take weeks to over a year to recover - a wide range.

Everyone also has their own path to recovery. What works for some may not work for others. Some people found healing in journaling as one finds in Dr. Schubiner's program. Others find healing in Dr. Sarno's books. While others, like myself, found the most healing in working with a TMS trained therapist and in Alan Gordon's recovery program which is on this TMSWiki site here, http://www.tmswiki.org/ppd/TMS_Recovery_Program . And by the way, while reading the recovery program is free, one may need some therapy assistance to really grasp and practice all the concepts since our subconscious is so tricky and it is very difficult to view ourselves, our thoughts, emotions and behaviors objectively as we work through the program. It is difficult to catch how we may be unintentionally perpetuating our pain responses without someone there whom we trust to compassionately point it out to us and show us another way.

In specific response to some of your comments, TMS treatment/therapy is definitely not about "closing your eyes and..... thinking nice thoughts". That definitely won't work. I don't know what you have tried regarding TMS recovery, but assuming you have had serious medical conditions ruled out by a qualified physician (and if not, I would do so), I would recommend seeing a TMS physician to rule in the TMS diagnosis, beginning therapy with a TMS-trained therapist and reading Alan Gordon' recovery program. Because of your expressed doubts, this might be a better course for you than simply reading a book.

Also, TMS symptoms do "ebb and flow", move around, as one pain goes away, another crops up; there are reasons for all of this that you learn in treatment.

I hear your exhaustion and frustration. I have been there. I hope something I have said gives you hope and encouragement in your journey.

Alicia

 

Thank you for your response.

I am definitely learning that TMS treatment is not a quick fix. It is frustrating because it makes me feel like a failure. It feels like if only I would believe better or understand more then the pain would turn off.

It is not surprising that my pain is stubborn. I have very deep running history of depression and a couple years of anxiety and panic attacks before my body chose the pain instead. (On the plus side I haven't had a major panic attack since acquiring my pain.) It was easy for me to accept the TMS self diagnosis on an intellectual level, even though I would probably benefit from the authoritative official diagnosis. I happen to be in NYC, so at least I have the access to probably the most TMS doctors of anywhere.

I have gone through mainstream medical channels already, with disappointing results. Lumbar x ray, then MRI. Mild degenerative disk disease with associated facet arthrosis. Pretty mild, no one recommended even considering surgery. But they also don't seem to understand how much it hurts and how it has affected my life. I now believe the abnormalities on the scans are nothing but incidental. Of course my pain have moved mostly to my pelvis, since that area has not been scanned or examined and is still "fair game" for possibly being some horrible disease as far as my mind is concerned. I am going in for rheumatoid arthritis bloodwork, since I'm scared that's what it really is. My mom has it bad so it makes sense the fear is effective there.

Also tried months of physical therapy, several office visits to different doctors, acupuncture, chiropractics, massage therapy (which I still do, as it is comforting at least). Got a talk therapist, but not a TMS specialist. About a year and a half and around 8K (although most of that massages and therapy admittedly).

I have found the most help honestly from this forum. Just talking to strangers who understand. That and journaling. I hope to keep at it and continue making progress. (I have at least made some, so there is that. It is more of an annoyance and frustration now whereas before it was more of a life-destroying suicide may be the only way out type of deal.)

 

WARNING: I just wrote a small novel below. I did it for you....I hope it helps. Feel free to ask me any questions.


I hope you can find your peace. I am about two months in to the TMS thing, and I am just now into day 3 with noticeably lowered back pain....nearly gone but still there. But even this improvement has blown my mind and shown me that I am no exception to TMS healing, because I was worried about that after two months of no progress. I am still not going to get too excited until at least a month has gone by and Im still doing good.

I do get what you are saying about people posting on here about feeling good, and then wondering if they were just having a few good days and then either don't get back on here to post that they relapsed, or get back on here to post that they are having a few bad days. This TMS thing is truly hard to believe....but ironically enough.....fully believing is the only way you can heal yourself and end the torture of chronic back pain.

My story: Im a normal dude, 36 year old male living in Austin TX. I grew up playing sports my whole life, hockey and soccer mostly. Ive been dealing with chronic back pain since I was 18....18 years now, which is half my life. It started when I was 18 one day when I was helping a friend move, all I did was twist to the left to set down a light box....and felt a sharp pain in my low back that progressively got worse throughout the day until I could hardly stand up and was in a lot of pain. That was the start of my downward spiral, filled with "flare ups" (what I call those painful swelling episodes that would last for a week or longer, after feeling like I had pinched a disc or something and included a lot of swelling). Flare ups have been causing me much fear throughout the years, because if I get one, it means that I will be in immense pain for at least a week, can't get off the couch, and having to miss work, pissing off my boss, coworkers....causes my wife and I to get behind on bills, etc. I work in restaurants as a server, so you can't just call out sick...the place depends on you to be there. I can't count the times I have missed work....it is embarrassing too to be known as the guy who is always in pain. Your coworkers don't care what you have going on.....nobody understands.

I used to get so mad and jealous when I would see a fat person outside running or getting exercise. How can that person with all that weight move like that, yet here I am a relatively fit guy suffering so much?

My back pain progressively got worse over the years, flare ups started happening multiple times a year instead of maybe once a year, and the pain would be worse and worse and would last longer and be harder to get over....until my back would just hurt all the time. Chronic. No more exercise. Just miserable.

I developed plantar fasciitis in my right foot 5 years ago and that flares up here and there. Ive had acid reflux problems for about 10 years that comes and goes.

The worst thing that has ever happened to me happened about 3 years ago when I developed prostatitis, inflammation and swelling of the prostate. Very very painful, and it wouldn't go away. Ive had minor pain there before, but this time it just came on strong and wouldn't go away.....nonstop suffering. I didn't have insurance so I would just go the ER. Their stupid decisions revolved around me taking very powerful antibiotics that absolutely destroyed me from the inside out....even though all of my bloodwork, CT scans, MRI's, every damn test showed no sign of infection. I was going to the ER about every 3 or 4 days, begging them to do something, but they had no idea what was going on. Sometimes I couldn't pee, I had to have a catheter for a little while....torture. I racked up over $30,000 in hospital bills......and still couldn't get an answer. The doctors were scratching their heads.

One of the strangest things that I noticed was that the pain would jump around...it was mostly in the prostate area, but would travel all around my abdomen, up to my chest where I had to have tests done for heart issues (always came back normal). Pain was always somewhere in my body but never in multiple places at once. I asked the doctors so many times about this....it was the question I asked more than anything else: WHY IS MY PAIN MOVING AROUND???

Never got an answer. The doctors were stumped.

I suffered all day and night for 3 months....eating antibiotics which destroyed my insides. I thought that if I died then it wouldn't be so bad. I would never do anything to hurt myself, I love life, but the thought of living in endless pain just becomes unbearable. It was terrifying. I was a mess. The only time I got some form of relief was when I took a scalding hot bath.......and funny enough those baths would eventually lead to the answer of what was going on with me. Let me explain.....

A friend of mine down here studies Oriental Medicine. I was talking to her about my problems one day and she asked if anything gives me relief....I mentioned the hot baths....and she said if the heat helps then it must be a MUSCLE problem. I started searching online for answers to that. My investigating led me to a whole underworld of guys who were suffering from chronic prostatitis, and there were these two doctors who had been studying this mysterious problem for a while, Dr Wise and Dr Anderson. The even wrote a book on it called A Headache In The Pelvis. Their conclusion: some guys just happen to store their stress and tension in the network of muscles and ligaments that make up the pelvic floor. These muscles constrict around the prostate and cause prostatitis. Some people store stress in their shoulders, Im one of the guys that stores it in his nether-regions. The pain started to go away about a month after my discovery. It was the sweetest relief ever. I was terrified that I was going to be like that forever. Thanks to my friend who said that heat helps muscle pain.

Ive seen multiple urologists since then who have backed this dignosis for me. I saw a urologist just a couple months ago who said that only less than 1% of guys who have prostatitis actually have a bacterial infection......the other 99%+ have a chronic stress-storing problem down there. Unreal.

Also worth noting that throughout this prostatitis episode I remember thinking how my back pain had pretty much gone away.

But as always the back pain continued.....

I had an MRI done about 5 years ago for my low back....it showed a couple herniated disks, and my L5-S1 had some degeneration. I saw one of the top spine surgeons in Austin and begged him to operate on me so I could finally lead a somewhat normal life. He showed me the MRI and said that although I do have some herniated disks, none of them were touching a nerve. He didn't know why I was in so much pain. I left feeling so depressed that I couldn't get this surgeon to cut open my spine and pull some stuff out or fuse something together....anything! Thank god he didn't.

I continued to suffer. The surgeon prescribed physical therapy which didn't help. I did acupuncture, ice, heat, blah blah blah....you know the drill. I even used some student loan money to do the Egoscue method, which is an expensive form of physical therapy where you see a therapist who studies your posture and gives you exercises that you do every day that work the muscles of your body into shape and fixes your posture problems. Egoscue helped, and I haven't had a flare up in the past year of Egoscue.......but it could never get rid of that one painful spot on my low back. That one damn spot. To the right of my spine on my pelvic bone. That damn spot that would never go away no matter how good I was feeling.

Im in school for computer programming, Im on the computer a lot. I developed a pain in my right hand last January (5 months ago). That pain spread all over my hand, to my wrist. I diagnosed myself (correctly) with having a Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI). I started using the mouse with my left hand.....the same pain spread to that hand and all over that wrist. The pain would move up into my forearms and would hurt so bad that I would go get massages just on my forearms alone. My masseuse was puzzled.

I saw an orthopedic doctor, he gave me a cortisone shot in my right wrist.....didn't help. Saw him again and told him the pain was in both hands and would move around and back and forth but never really in both hands at the same time. It would take turns. This animal of a doctor was like "well, lets just shoot up the left hand with cortisone". Yeah asshole, lets just shoot up my whole body. He was your typical American doctor, didn't think or listen, ready to just shoot anything up with a needle full of drugs. He probably kept a needle in a holster on his hip, at the ready. I refused his shot but did try out a strip of Prednisone ( a steroid).....didn't help.

I got really depressed about it. My future as a computer programmer, the thing I had been studying and racking up student loan debt for was now going to go to waste. I need a job that is easy on my back, sitting and/or standing hurts it, and one that I don't have to use my hands. Hmmmmmmm..........I got nothing.

ENTER SARNO.

In my desperation, I googled "RSI hand pain that moves from hand to hand". I found the blog of a guy who worked for Google, and had the same exact story of mine. Programmer, hand pain started in right, moved back and forth to the left, moved all over. He saw some of the worlds top surgeons, tried every treatment possible to no avail. A friend suggested the MindBody Prescription and his 2 year RSI was gone in 2 weeks.

I found my answer.

Now, I had heard of Sarno before, and had seen numerous posts in forums throughout the years from my numerous health issues, stories of people who were claiming to have been cured of this or that after reading Sarno's books.....and I always just thought it was bullshit. How could you not? I had accidentally even bought Healing Your Back Pain about 7 years ago, before getting home and reading the first chapter and putting that bullshit down. MY PAIN WAS REAL. Not in my head.

It took me reading that Google guys story (and no other option left) to realize this could be the answer to my problems. His page also had a link to Harvard's study of RSI's and Sarno's work....on it was a 10 question quiz to see if you could have TMS....one of the questions: do you have a history of prostate issues or prostatitis?

DING DING DING! WE HAVE A WINNER!

I was finally convinced that I had my answer. I stayed up all night reading success stories, I found the TMS wiki. I laughed and cried at the same time, as I had finally found my damn answer. It had been there all along. I fit the personality type for TMS perfectly....it desribes exactly who I am. In April I made an appointment with Dr Sklar (a TMS doctor in Fort Worth TX, who worked for a while under Dr Sarno), and he confirmed that I have TMS through a series of physical and mental tests. I knew it. Still somewhat hard to believe.

My 5 month long RSI hand pain was reduced by 50% in a couple days. It went completely away until the stressful end of my school year in May, which coincides with the busiest time of year at my work. Super stressful. After that was over though it kept getting better. I have been writing this story now for maybe an hour and a half, I have a little bit of pain in my right hand. If I had tried this 2 months ago, I would've been able to write for maybe 5 minutes tops. Back then, the pain would start as soon as I touched my keyboard. So things are definitely improving, and up until I discovered Sarno things were getting progressively worse and worse. Im feeling great in my hands, but not at 100%......I would say 75% better though. I don't expect it to go away overnight.

The main problem is the back pain. After reading Healing Your Back Pain, my back pain was unchanged. I started reading the MindBody Prescription a couple weeks ago, and again no relief in back pain.

Today is Tuesday, I finished reading The Mindbody Prescription late last Saturday night. I woke up Sunday and throughout the day I noticed that I pretty much had no back pain.....90% pain free. I told my wife about it and said I wasn't going to get to excited yet, but thats what was going on. How funny it would be, I thought, that my back pain waited to go away until I finished reading the book. How ridiculous. But thats what happened. I thought that pain free Sunday was a fluke, a good day, but I don't have "good days".....as in ever. That one spot, that one damn spot....was always hurting no matter how good of a day I was ever having.

But that one spot, that one damn spot, is still hardly noticeable and its been 3 days now. Its only 3 days, but for someone who has had chronic low back pain and specifically that one damn spot for as long as he can remember......3 days is an eternity. Ive been running a mile a day for the last 3 days. Before, if I ran for two minutes then I would be hurting for a week. I don't run.....until now, that is. If I want to run then I am going to run. I know what is going on and Im not scared anymore. Ive been lifting weight the past couple of weeks, pretty intensely too, and even that would have been impossible in the past. This is the greatest discovery of my life. It's still early, so maybe I will keep posting an update to see how I progress....or you can feel free to hit me up if you need a confidence boost. Im a normal dude, and my story is real. I almost can't believe it, and I won't be able to fully believe it until enough time has passed. I was excited when these books and stories helped my RSI, got worried when my back pain was still there, but now that my back is seeing improvement......I am utterly blown away that it is happening to me. If this fixes me, I will make it my life's mission to spread the word in hopes of saving others from misery and depression.

MY ADVICE TO YOU

First, and most important, you have to fully 100% know that your brain and psychological issues are causing your pain. The pain is real, it's just being caused by unknown forces. YOU HAVE TO KNOW THIS IS WHAT IS GOING ON.

The thing I read that changed my mind on this, and I can't remember where I read it, is that stress and tension narrow your blood vessels, this is scientifically known, and that when your blood vessels get narrowed, not enough blood is getting to certain parts of your body....this causes pain. Stress is dangerous. Stress causes heart attacks. Stress causes a certain someone to suffer chronic prostatitis. Stress causes people to have a mental breakdown. Stress is a killer....and if stress can cause all this, its not far fetched to think that it could cause some back pain.

Our bodies are amazing, and they are amazing at healing and regenerating....it's just what it does. If you break a bone in your body, it is healed in 6 weeks, and the pain only lasts a couple days. Why would some mysterious back pain, that doesn't show anything on MRI's and CT Scans, cause pain for 18 years????

If its nerve pain, then the nerve would've gone dead a long time ago. It just doesn't keep going. Something else has to be going on.....and it's called TMS. Im convinced of it.


Dr Sarno says that knowledge is the penicillin of TMS. That means reading about it, and reading about it, and re-reading about it. Learning and learning and having this knowledge become part of your being. THIS IS VERY VERY IMPORTANT. I cant stress this enough. You have to immerse yourself in this culture. Have no doubts that it is anything else but TMS. You will not get better until this happens. You can't get better until this happens. Judging from your post, you haven't fully accepted this. You have to stop all treatments for back pain too....acupuncture, physio, etc.

Just read and read and read. And when you're ready, start a journal and try to discover what repressed emotions you might have. This is where I am at....I just started journaling last night.

You just have to believe. Everything depends on that.

Im done here. Hit me up if you need support....we can work on it together. Good luck.