Conditioning, with regard to RSI (TMS)

Hi all,

I have a question please with regard to the concept of Conditioning regarding my RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury) which affects my arms typically and hence limits my computer use. In summary, previously this year (before I had read The MindBody Prescription and learnt that my symptoms are likely to be TMS), I had some pretty full-on physical therapy for a long period of time. At the end of the physical therapy, the physical therapist said that my body was 'now in very healthy shape' and that I just need to 'build up my resilience at the computer' and 'let my autonomic nervous system adjust over time'. My physical therapist and I deduced that 20 minutes using the computer is a good (i.e. safe) amount of time (for the time being) and that I should then take a 10 minute break before resuming computer use for another 20 minutes.

The thing is, when I try to work for more than 20 minutes and hence ignore the pain whilst using the computer (as per Dr Sarno's TMS rule: 'I will not be concerned or intimidated by the pain') which typically starts creeping up at the around the 20 minute mark, the pain just gets worse and worse (almost exponentially!) over the next 10 minutes or so and then it just spirals out of control which then leads me to be in pain for sometimes a good few days before I can use the computer at all again! It really freaks me out!

I know that to me, the above sounds like conditioning i.e. I've been conditioned to feel more pain after 20 minutes at the computer but could someone please, please clarify if this is indeed what is likely to be going on in my scenario? Could someone please point me in the right direction of what I need to do to be able to spend longer at the computer without feeling pain? It's hard for me to understand whether I'm dealing with just repressed emotions, conditioning... or both.

Grateful for your views please.

Many thanks indeed!

Paul.

 

Hi Jan,

Thanks so much for getting back to me with such useful links and what a fantastic podcast! Thank you! (For info: I think it was called The Mind and Fitness Podcast).

I just wanted to clarify that although I have only recently started the SEP (I am still on Day 2 unfortunately, since my arms freaked out for 3 days!), I have actually been fully engaged with the TMS theory and practice for a while now, as I have been jounaling for well over a month (as instructed by Nicole Sachs, from watching her YouTube videos and listening to her Pod-Casts). I believe that my mind is therefore not being thrown into TMS practice now, as I have been Journaling for a while now and I feel like I have a good baseline for how my body responds when using the computer. The problem came when I tried to challenge the 20 minute marker at the computer.

From everything that I've read and listened to now, it looks like it's likely to be fear that drives my pain up but as yet I'm not clear whether it's conditioning or as Dr. Schrubiner would describe, it could be the concept of neural pathways.

When you say that I'm "going into the details of my symptoms", please could you let me know what you were referring to, as I just said that my symptoms shot up when I worked at the computer for longer than the 'safe'/agreed time (i.e. 20 minutes).

Again, I thank you so much for your help here!


Many thanks,

Paul.

 

Thanks very much Jan. That makes sense. Thanks so much for clarifying that.

Paul.