Day 8 - TMS Treatment

This was a difficult post, as I guess it is for many. I tried to be brief, as the SEP suggests.


My wife works in a physiotherapy department in the local hospital where they run a pain management course. She noticed that there were lots of people with fibromyalgia going on this course, which is what I have. I managed to get referred to the hospital and selected for the course. This process took over two years, and in that time, I saw a rheumatologist and had an MRI scan which showed – you guessed it – degenerative discs in the lower spine and arthritis in the middle of the spine. What confused me here was that I’d never experienced discomfort in my middle back apart from the occasional muscle spasm and one spell many years ago when I had to see an osteopath for several sessions which did nothing. I was prescribed strong painkillers by the rheumatologist. She also diagnosed me with fibromyalgia due to widespread pain and many other symptoms.


Whilst I was being told this, I totally dismissed the arthritis because it had never bothered me so far. I was totally unaware of it. So, to this day, I have only taken five or six of those tablets for my pain. Medication has always been a last resort for me.


When I read Steve Ozanich’s and John Sarno’s books, I realised that this whole back pain thing was exactly what was going on with me. I was told that I had problems, but I wasn’t getting pain where they said I should be, and I still haven’t had any. Yes, I have trouble with my lower back, but never in the middle. I had several sessions of physiotherapy, but I really didn’t feel that they did anything. I was already doing yoga (online) three or four times a week, from home, and felt that this had really helped and many of the exercises were identical to moves I was already doing in those yoga lessons.


Now, of course, I know why. I understand.


I was finally selected to for the pain management course and started the first week of 2020. The course had elements of TMS to it. We were taught how the brain perceives pain, and how the brain can also help reduce pain. I also learned about pacing, which was extremely useful as I have never understood it for the last fifteen or so years. We practised mindfulness and covered several subjects like goal setting, etc.


The course finished in the last week of February and I couldn’t wait to get started on the SEP, so here I am. I could have written much more about this subject, about the lack of support that I have been given form health professionals over the years, but I tried to keep it short and to the point and base it on the last couple of years. I haven't had much professional help until this point apart from the odd counselling session, antidepressants for pain relief, but it's been a tough fight to even get onto the course that I have just been on. There hasn't been much there for us in the UK, I'm afraid.

 

It's a bit of a weird thread because the SEP suggested posting on the subject, but it doesn't really require a response from anyone, but thank you for reading if you have.

 

Haha! Yes I agree about it being weird posting and not getting any response on my Day 1, I posted and nobody responded. That felt weird lol. But if you notice, there are numbers beside your post, that show how many people read your post, that helped me. Now I look for others who post and get no response and try to pop in and greet them. So...hi . Keep posting, people do read it.
Blessings
Good luck in your recovery journey