Day 5 challenges con't

one of my biggest challenges is the fact I have only had the current pain/symptoms for 8 weeks. it was precipitated by playing 2 intense hockey games straight, through an already sore hip. couple of mornings later morning I awoke and when I went to get up I felt an intense burning pain in my high butt area and all of my butt and leg muscles went into extreme spasm, and the nerve pain down the leg also began. I went into a severe lateral shift position to hobble around on a cane, and basically sat all day for a month in an awkward hunched relief position, as standing and walking were too painful. I had actually had similar pain to a lesser degree after golfing 6 months earlier, but began swimming every day and it went away almost 100% hence back to playing 1 or 2 hockey games per day.

the doctor put me on pills for the severe pain (esp bad at night) and I finally got to physio after about 5 weeks. she diagnosed me w a herniated disc, and a perfect candidate for the mckenzie method (you use a side and back extension stretch to 'move' the pain from your leg to your lower back area). it was working, but the stretches were so painful my body began to rebel against them, w/ muscles spasming before I even would try them (brain signals!). and then 5 days ago I discovered Dr. Sarno's audiobook, Healing Back Pain. even though I am early in the pain/symptoms I totally fit his assessment for TMS. there is still a small nagging part of my mind that still wonders if this could actually be just a structural injury. but I have a lot of evidence otherwise that fits TMS, just the lack of time causes the minor doubt.

I really have to work on my anger / frustration as I am definitely a person that strongly (and wrongly) believes they can think their way out of or control any situation/issue/problem/outcome. Today I am working on just observing my thoughts and anxieties, not trying to stop them or control them yet (per Alan's Day 5 pain prgogram).

 

Hi myjourney,
Knowing this about yourself, and allowing this and being present with yourself around this are all powerful medicine --which you are giving yourself! The things which need to change will change in time, as you see more clearly what does not serve you. Give yourself time and patience to work through the program. Given a little time, I think you'll see how your personality and symptoms support your self-diagnosis of TMS. Observing patterns, observing pain without rejecting or getting swept away is a long-term learning process, and hugely powerful. Good luck!
Andy B

 

I know it’s difficult, but we must try to think about this logically: how in the world could a herniated disk cause such horrible pain? I know exactly what you’re talking about, the trunk tilt, unable to sleep, excruciating pain standing and walking.... it is illogical that a disk touching a nerve would produce such extreme symptoms. Sarno points this out time and time again. We are not that fragile - evolution would not make our spines to behave as such, it makes zero sense. I’m saying this as much for you as I am for myself since I’m recovering from a flare up. It helps to remind one another that we are ok and safe.

 

Hi myjourney,

Sounds like you’ve had quite the experience with pain! Sorry to hear it. It’s very likely that your pain from golfing went away when you began swimming because it subconsciously taught your brain that your body was ok, causing it to release the neural pathway it had created for the pain. I also tried the McKenzie method before discovering Dr. Sarno. Thankfully there is solid scientific evidence that herniated discs don’t cause pain (for the vast majority of people):

MRI of the Lumbar Spine in People without Back Pain:
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199407143310201 (NEJM - Error)

The Pain May Be Real, But the Scan Is Deceiving:
https://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/09/health/09scan.html (The Pain May Be Real, but the Scan Is Deceiving)

It is incredible the amount of scientific evidence there is for mind-body health. Here are some other resources that have been immensely helpful to me:

Alan Gordon - We’re All Just A Bundle of Neural Pathways (Like Mind, Like Body Podcast)
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/were-all-just-a-bundle-of-neural-pathways-alan-gordon-lcsw/id1265323809?i=1000401313878&mt=2 (Like Mind, Like Body by Curable: The program for chronic pain recovery on Apple Podcasts)

The Psychology of Back Pain:
https://www.menshealth.com/health/a19537865/chronic-back-pain/ (Chronic Back Pain: Men's Health.com)

Hope you’re continuing to feel better!