New, and struggling to understand

Hi there - so helpful to explore the big questions here. I am struggling with sciatica and am currently in PT for it. I have been recommended to get an MRI for a likely herniated disk but I am very skeptical, as I fit well into the category of a person likely to have TMS - all the typical frightening host of symptoms that never amount to a serious illness and tend to come and go. The sciatica is really giving me a run for my money though. My question is - since this has not become a chronic problem yet, and has "healed" before with PT, should I pursue the medical treatment for now? In other words, can a herniated disk actually cause sciatica and be worth a serious course of PT and perhaps a confirming MRI? Is it only when symptoms seem to become chronic for no medical reason that one should get on board with the TMS approach? I am fairly convinced that if I get an MRI and am told I have a herniated disk, that I run the risk of never getting better because I will become too attached to the idea of having something "wrong" with me. Thanks in advance for any thoughts. I am a psychologist and am thoroughly open to the likelihood that my mind is creating symptoms, but don't want to give up on (medical) treatment that may actually help.

 

Hi, Bettina. You are among others who are conflicted between wondering if the pain is structural or from TMS emotions. The pain will persist until you deal with the indecision. Dr. Sarno writes in Healing Back Pain
that herniated discs don't cause pain. It's there because of some repressed emotions.

I suggest you start the Structured Educational Program, free in the subforum of this web site, if you haven't done it before. It helps in discovering those harmful emotions. I would do anything to avoid an MRI or serious physical therapy. TMS would be my choice of how to proceed.

 

Hi Bettina,

One question, which may help you relax into embracing the TMS approach is "Does this condition require immediate procedures or therapies in order to prevent serious injury?" It sounds like the answer here is "negative," but you can ask this of your physician.

As you surmise, putting efforts into the "physical approach" will only distract you from the TMS approach. You're at a fork in the road, at least for now. Good luck in your decision. I had 8 physicians willing to do surgery on me, and none of that was needed. I suggest you investigate/engage/inquire Dr. Sarno's approach, and do this without urgency. Observe the pain, the fear of the pain, the fear of structural damage, and "don't believe everything you think."

Andy B

 

Thank you so much for your replies. Will take your thoughts deeply into consideration. It's fascinating to observe my own mind - some moments utterly convinced it is as described here, other moments sure there is something wrong with my spine and that I am a fool not to follow the doctor's orders! I guess the question that also holds me is this: is it perhaps both? An injury for sure, but much less severe than the orthopedist or physical therapist would have you believe, who recommend such extreme caution in movement that you begin to think of yourself as someone in medical danger and the less you move normally, the more you focus on your pain as an example of injury, the more it hurts.

 

Yes, this is true!