New to TMS - Question about excercise

Hi everyone.

I have only learned about TMS in the past week. I have had chronic pain for the past 20 years, and my scans show a normal spine. I am certain it is TMS.

When I read Dr Sarno's book, I started to exercise like nothing was wrong with me and ignored the pain. I took it pretty easy on myself really. Then I got this really bad pain in the middle of my chest and around the ribs. It's on the surface, and not in my heart. I stopped the exercise when I read the normal activity should start after the pain goes.

My question is, is this normal? Activity creating additional TMS, when exercising too early in the process?

I would love to hear from anyone who has had a similar or contradictory experience.

Thanks.

Dave

 

Hi, Dave. Dr. Sarno says start normal activity after the pain goes away, but it sounds like you did some physical exercise and
may also have overdone it. Sarno means normal activity is standing, sitting, walking, doing the dishes, cleaning house, etc.

On the other hand, Steve Ozanich says in his excellent book on TMS healing, THE GREAT PAIN DECEPTION,
that he got over his back and other pain by believing it was caused 100 percent by TMS repressed emotions and,
before he healed through that knowledge, he played golf despite the pain and just ignored it.

Those two theories are at the opposite ends of TMS healing, but I suggest you go easy on the physical exercise until
you fully believe in TMS. I urge you to begin the Structured Educational Program in that free subform on this web site.
It is a daily exercise to help you learn about TMS and how to heal from it.

 

Hi Walt. Thank you for the reply. It's funny. On a conscious level, I think I fully believe. It must be a matter of getting that belief deep down into the unconscious. I will have to take a look at the Structured Education Program and Steve Ozanich's book. Thanks again.

 

Hi - when I first started the recovery process and using the techniques my pain began to lift but then I had a series of strange symptoms including strange and sharp head pain, and gall bladder pain that was severe but finally fleeting. This is TMS on the run. A common series of distraction. Whenever I have strange sensation or a reawakening of my original lower back pain I ask myself: When did this pain start? What was i doing? AND what else was I feeling at the time.

I would not say personally to "ignore" the pain but rather let your system know that the pain is psychological in nature and nothing to be concerned about or pay much attention to (that is if you've had it checked out). Then go in and do the deep work - in journaling and meditating to find the repressed emotions, concerns, or deep anger, or loss that may be the underlying root of the pain.

Welcome to the forum! you are doing a great job job by reaching out and sharing

 

Hi Dave,

Welcome to the forum.

It's part of the process that when you challenge the pain in one place, it moves somewhere else. It's called the symptom imperative. Almost everyone here has long a long list of symptoms that turned out to be TMS. The fact that the pain moves is strong evidence that it's TMS, since structural pain doesn't do that.

You don't want to be stopped by the pain, but you don't want to ignore it either. Treat the pain as a message from your unconscious that something needs to be attended to. What feeling is the pain distracting you from noticing? It could be anything from a current emotional conflict to childhood trauma that is still echoing in your life today.

You're at the very beginning of the process. Sometimes it takes living with the knowledge of TMS for a while. Try different things. The ultimate goal -- getting better at letting your feelings into your awareness -- can be tough to achieve, but it's a source of peace and strength.

David.

 

Thanks David. I constantly try to think psychologically, but it is still new to me - as you said. I have become really conscious of any changes and how they link to my emotions though so that's a good thing.

 

I some symptom imperative today. Head clogged, feeling a little jumpy.
I feel this every spring and have tought it's from pollen, mold, etc.
But since learning about TMS I think it's really some repressed emotions resurfacing.
Maybe they have to do with spring. I'll do some journaling about that.

Spring always makes me think of the old song that Ella Fitzgerald sang...
"Spring Is Here. Why isn't my heart dancing?"
Why didn't she feel good? Why don't I?
Does spring trigger TMS in you?

 

My worst season is winter, but I think its just that the cold contributes towards making my muscles tenser. I hadn't thought of a psychological connection to the season. Hmmm.

 

For me, the exercise helped a great deal. You just have to make sure you're doing something that you enjoy, for enjoyment, rather than something that focuses your mind on the pain.

Could the pain in your chest be a result of the TMS moving now that it realises you're taking control. This seems likely, especially if you've never had this pain before?