Day 1 Mysterious Moving Pain and other Assorted Ailments

After years of back pain and other pain that I could find some relief for, only to have it move, or a different pain start up, I'm relieved to find out about TMS. From what I have read so far, I fit the profile quite well. I have been unpacking all sorts of emotions and beliefs with spiritual philosophies and experiences (ACIM and Way of Mastery), and this seems to link all this to the physical and give me even more motivation to go deeper into repressed, suppressed and unexpressed emotions, especially. My pain has definitely been worse at times of stress and in difficult situations. I have had complete relief at times. And I have had a laundry list of symptoms and pains. I'm a believer in healing. I was diagnosed with chronic depression and psoriasis when I was younger, both of which are completely gone now (and have been for more than 10 years). I have spent lots of time with chiropractors and now an osteopath for back, neck and jaw pain and tight muscles. I had one surgery on a herniated disk in my neck about 15 years ago.

Recently, pain that radiated down from my hips into my legs, accompanied by a weird numbness or tingling and some loss of sensation and control of my legs (one or the other, rarely both at the same time), prompted me to see a GP (MD) for the first time in seven years. I would be in so much pain, especially in the morning, that I could hardly stand up straight and walk. At times it would hurt to sit. Then after sitting it would hurt to stand. I started taking ibuprofen just to get through the day, and would find that by about 10am it might clear completely, and I could walk about and do what I wanted for five or six hours. By evening I was getting stiff and pain was returning. I started doing less and less, hoping to have the energy and strength to do my work and keep others from noticing how I struggled to walk at times. It seemed strange that the pain could go so completely at times, and then be so intense and debilitating at other times.

My osteopath (in the UK) agreed it would be good to see what the GP would say. I took along a summary of symptoms from the osteopath to help describe what was happening. The GP looked at that and said she would order blood tests and xray, looking for rheumatoid arthritis and inflammation. I went away and started reading. I've been told I had arthritis starting in my neck years ago, but I wasn't thinking that this kind of pain was arthritis. When I started reading, rheumatoid arthritis sounded like a real possibility. It also got me thinking about other symptoms, like fatigue. When I rang for the results, I was told I had RA and inflammation and I made an appointment. However, when I got there, the GP said, no, I was told wrong, there was no inflammation, no RA, just osteoarthritis in my hips. I should take painkillers, Vit D, exercise and lose weight. That's it. She sent me off with that. All that I was experiencing didn't seem possible from a bit of arthritis in my hips.

I continued to read about arthritis, including Healing Arthritis by Susan Blum. She prescribed a gut healing program for all types of arthritis, and that resonated with me. I started that about 6 weeks ago. I'm also taking the Vit D the GP recommended. About that same time, a friend showed me a book by Anthony William, Life Changing Foods. I ended up getting that book and his other book Medical Medium: Secrets Behind Chronic and Mystery Illnesses. From this, I think the fatigue and some other things might be linked to having had Epstein-Barr virus when I was younger. His healing program is very similar to Susan Blum's, and I have been using many of their recommendations.

I went back to the osteopath a couple weeks later, and while I was feeling a bit better for all the fruit and veg I was eating and all the sugar and other things I wasn't eating, and all the rest and sleep, the pain was still there. That day, the osteopath asked if I had heard of Dr. Sarno's books. I hadn't, but I was intrigued, so I got The Divided Mind and started reading. It really made sense, and one evening I sat with all those areas of life that can cause stress and strong emotions. I wrote 13 pages about my life experience and how I felt (but mostly never expressed). I have had no ibuprofen since then. It's been about three weeks now. The pain is mostly gone. I am back to doing yoga. I have had the energy to do some gardening after work this week. I'm thinking about some strength training. I'm not hobbling about hardly at all. The pain has popped up a bit now and then, and a bit more today, so I decided to come back to Dr Sarno's book and maybe get another one. In looking on Amazon to help me decide, I read a review that mentioned this site and these forums, and here I am.

 

Hi Aimee

Welcome. It’s wonderful that you have had such a clear indication from your body that you are on the right track. And so great to hear you found an enlightened osteopath here in the UK.
Don’t be too disheartened by the pain pinging back - it happens to most of us and you’ll come through. Healing is a spiral, not a straight line...

Wishing you continued strength and inspiration along this life enhancing, life expanding path.
Rx

 

Thank you

 

Thank you for this. I was starting in the SEP, but I like the sounds of emotionally deeper. I'll have a look there. Yes, I can commit to self-honesty, and not skipping anything.