Disc Herniation

Hello, today is my day 3 and I’m already seeing improvements! I went ice skating with my 5 year old yesterday and couldn’t believe it! Last night was the first night I slept in over a month without the pain waking me up. I’ve been carrying my one year old. So I’m definitely confidant I have TMS. I also have tingling in both my hands which doesn’t make sense for a left L5-S1 disc herniation. I have had a lot of emotional stuff the past few years (death of my mom, loss of a pregnancy at 12.5 weeks, then fertility struggles where I was told I most likely couldn’t conceive and IVF wasn’t an option, i didn’t give up and now have a 1 year old which is AMAZING and stressful). One thing that keeps coming back to my thoughts is how I do have a disc herniation which presses on the nerve which causes my sciatica symptoms. That makes sense to me and I don’t want to get stuck on this thought bc I definitely believe I have TMS, so I would like to turn to you for input. Thanks.

 

Question? Do you know how to read an MRI? Have you visually seen this disc herniation? OR is it a STORY you got told ... to explain your symptoms.

Then you learned about TMS. During your education you must have heard and read about countless stories where people with the same diagnosis became pain free. That is also a story.

Which story makes more sense? Which story would you rather believe?

We who are recovered all went through phases of development where we felt some doubt and thought about scary "what if's". Screw 'em. Keep doing the work, moving forward and you will be healed. Your concerned pondering will turn from thoughts about structural mythology BS (e.g. Disc herniation) to metaphysical pondering of "I wonder what's going on inside of me that's making me need this symptom right now? Is it Anger? Am I merely manifesting conditioning? Does it have to do with My Child? Work? Partner? is it mortality? economics?...."

Than you'll look up and notice you're not in pain anymore. It's that simple.

 

Thanks, I did see the MRI, can see the bulge but don’t know how to fully read it. I also heard the dr and chiro day it’s a “large” herniation which creates fear which i know leads to TMS.

I read the SEP day 3 article and it mentioned that if the bulge was hitting the nerve it would cause tingling and weakness and NOT pain. As an OT who worked in rehabilitation this resonated with me.

Thanks for your reply, I choose the TMS story. I’m feeling better already today and just cancelled my PT sessions and upcoming epidural.

 

Hi JDR,

Just wanted to chime in here as a fellow therapist (PT!) who had a very similar diagnosis. I have 2 disc herniations (L5-S1 and L4-5), and was told I had a compressed S1 nerve root. After TMS healing I have zero symptoms...just putting that out there. No tingling, no numbness, no pain. Before, I had the classic sciatica as well. As an OT you probably know, a truly damaged nerve (think traumatic injury, not common at all) will result in no sensation or strength- probably what the article was referring to. Good that you cancelled PT and epidural given your situation! Feel free to message me if you want to chat further since we had similar situations

 

Thanks so much!! Yes, that’s what I was referring to. I appreciate your comment, hearing it again helps make it stick. I think our “therapist mind” doesn’t help in the beginning, but I know eventually I will be pain free like you.

 

Here is a quote I found soothing from Dr. Hubert Rosomoff (Sarno mentioned him in HBP). Hope it helps!

P.s. only read 1st paragraph. He says "nothing can be further from the truth" regarding nerve compression causing pain.

 

Thanks for the info!

 

Sorry to hear it. Check out this podcast interview, I talk a lot about what you're going through. Hope it helps!

https://audioboom.com/posts/7173184-057-kevin-martillo-viner-phd?fbclid=IwAR0vSXw6MfXJZx290rxvJTLrZiCdjTxsk-ItAbRQ9xOSNG68C_U-oCd5aHE (Audioboom / 057 - Kevin Martillo Viner, PhD)