Is it TMS (again)?

Hello everyone,

I started getting pain in my lower back/glute October 2023 when I started training for my first 1/2 marathon. After PT not working, I miraculously stumbled upon tons of information about TMS and through awareness, meditation, journaling I was able to curb my pain/symptoms and successfully started training for my race at the end of December. My father passed away in January and the symptoms started to resurface a few weeks later, but I worked through it and finished my race with a better time than predicted. To this day, I know that I have chronic proximal hamstring tendinopathy that is highly linked with TMS and it's under control with mind body awareness, sleep, strength training and just a combination of everything.

Fast forward to today. I'm running another 1/2 marathon August 25. I've respected the training program. My hamstring flares up a little at the end of each long run, but that's totally normal because I'm adding load to it and the pain goes back down the next day. A week or so ago after my 19km (11.8 mile), I felt some tenderness in the muscle (the squishy part) of my left shin, but no pain. It was just tight. I was still able to do my training runs with zero discomfort and did another long 17km this past Monday. When I walked, it felt tight and not completely mobile, but no pain, just annoyance. I'm used to walking a lot, I'm a very active person. So, when my partner and I decided to do a long walk last night to see the Olympic flame (I live in Paris) which equaled about 15,000 steps round trip, that is nothing compared to what I usually do.

My outside shin area remained tight but no pain. My kids are getting older, one is leaving home and the other just turned 20 and my youngest is 16. My relationshp with them is changing because they're getting old and more independent, and I'm having a very difficult time with that. During our walk, all the places I used to take them when they were little were right in my face and all the regrets resurfaced, all the things I didn't do with them this summer as their "last" summer maybe at home, all the regrets I had and grief for their chlidhood.

Then the weirdest thing happened. Towards the end of our walk, my OTHER leg started actually hurting a little on the outside above the ankle while the original shin that was bothering me had zero discomfort anymore. By the time we went to bed, I was probably at a 5/10 pain and wondering if I could even run today.

I don't know where this pain came from as I was having zero problems in that leg! I did my long run with zero problems on Monday and felt great. I did do some strength exercises yesterday but nothing I haven't done before and I didn't even increase weights this week. And how could this be brought on by walking? I've walked so much more than that! I did almost trip over something on my long run on Monday and had to catch myself, but I felt fine and could continue my run.

Today, I woke up with a 2/10 pain and decided to run. By the time I got home, I was in quite a bit of pain. It's subsided since, but I don't have full mobility of my ankle. The pain isn't on the tibia directly, it's on the muscle or maybe tendon close to the tibia and I can feel a few inches of painful spots.

Also, I should add, I'm SUPER fearful of getting injured and not being able to run. It's always in the back of my mind.

Does anyone think this could be a TMS flareup? The context just seems so odd for it to be a "real" injury.

 

It sounds like TMS to me. TMS tends to move around. If there was a structural problem, the pain would be consistent.

I think you may be focusing on your body too much. What techniques are you using to treat your TMS? Journaling about the issues you raise would likely be helpful. Have you read TMS success stories? If you do a search, you will find some by runners, and they may inspire you and help ease your fear of getting injured.