Newly diagnosed TMS - help

Hi I’m Claudia I am 31 years old…I have been suffering with chronic lumbar/sacral back pain for nearly 2 years now, 9 months in to these 2 years the pain started in my right knee then more recently my left shoulder and now my left knee also. I have seen every doctor/surgeon/consult/physio/acupuncturist/chiropractor/osteopath/neurological consultants I can physically get in front of…all of whom can’t find anything wrong with me or give me any sort of advice as to how to heal, no consultant understands why I have this pain as structurally there’s nothing wrong and after 4 MRI’s of my entire spine, just lumbar spine and 2 MRI of my pelvis, several blood tests, EMG test, MRI scan of my brain, over the years still nothing shows, no disc herniation no inflammation of any sort (same with my knees), each time I see someone I am left so deflated because I know there is something wrong, I am loving in constant pain. I have spent £1000’s seeing different people, buying medication, trying new gadgets


My whole life has been turned upside down, I used to be so active, gym 6 times a week, long walks/hikes at the weekend with my partner and our dog - non of which i can do now and that was such a huge part of mine and our lives. It’s affecting our relationship so much. I had to give up work last summer for 4 months due to the pain and I haven’t been able to work again for the past 7 weeks. I’ve not been able to drive since last November - I feel I am a prisoner in my own home! I am living on pain killers knowing these do nothing but they give me some sort of placebo affect for a short while.

Then last week I can across a pod cast that spoke of John E Sarno and I immediately brought his book and I finished it in the day! I read myself on every single page, I found myself getting so emotional reading it as I truly believe that this diagnosis is what I have! But I now need help/the tools to understand how to retrain my brain and get in to my subsoncsios mind to understand/access and deal with my repressed emotions/anxiety/anger I know I have them all - I feel it.

Can anyone help me? I am so lost and felt so alone for so long that I would have to live like this forever…can anyone recommend anyone they’ve seen in the UK who specialises in TMS treatment - I am willing to travel anywhere in the UK!

 

Contact or look at Georgie Oldfield's page, https://www.georgieoldfield.com/ (Georgie Oldfield - Your Pain Specialist)

She is a TMS practicioner in the UK. She also created an organization called SIRPA which has links to other TMS practioners. I think most are also in the UK. There are a bunch of encouraging success stories posted there as well. She also has a book "Chronic Pain: Your Key to Recovery", which has tons of info and practical help. Hope it helps!

 

Thank you so much! I will contact her today.

I have looked through the SIRPA page and found jt white overwhelming as a lot of the clinicians appeared to be physios (from what I could see) I don’t know if I was hoping there would be specific TMS clinicians - but I guess because it’s quite complex that’s not the case. So thank you for recommending Georgie to me - because I want to start my recovery journey off with the people who have had success with the clinicians available to us here

 

Yes I think Georgie Oldfield was originally a physio, and I know some others were as well, like Jim Prussack in the US. But I think it was a progression for them: i.e. over and over they had patients who did not respond to physical treatment and/or they had TMS themselves, and thus they saw that it was a mental/psychological issue and not a physical one. So I would not let the fact that someone was formerly a physiotherapist deter you.

Also, while it might be reassuring to have a TMS doctor or clinician examine you physically initially, once you are convinced the issue is TMS, the process of getting better is entirely in your mind, ie. you do not necessarily need to see someone physically. But from what I have seen Georgie Oldfield is a really kind and caring person and has helped many people and she can guide you.

 

Hi ClaudM -- what a relief for you to have found the answer at last! You don't necessarily need to be "treated" per se.
While you might find it helpful to have guidance from a professional, you are not sick. You are not ill. You do not require a treatment after all you've tried.
The great news. You are healthy!! You don't feel it yet, but you are. All those doctors confirmed it.
And once you are able to trust that and stop thinking and worrying about you are going to be tickety-boo!

Forget being a prisoner in your son's house. You're not sick, so there is no worry of that happening.
Hikes with your partner and your dog -- Sure, you'll be back to them.

What's going to be interesting for you is understanding and recognizing whatever kind of emotional pain, hidden anger or other that has had you shrink into yourself. It's really not surprising when you think about it. Our hidden scared and angry bits of our mind are protecting us from what it erroneously sees as the big bad world. The beautiful part is that those are parts of the brain (my theory, I dunno about Sarno) that are small and little and can only try and keep you down by throwing symptoms out. Your higher thinking part of your brain is actually well equipped and it's the one that controls and decides whether you go and enjoy the world.

Wishing you the best of luck as you shed the old and recognize your power and strength and that you are healthy and good.

 

Oopsie, I didn't catch that. I'm glad she doesn't have a son keeping her prisoner.

 

Thank you! Sorry my typo.

Thank you so much for your reassurance and guidance - I can feel like a real lonely place

 

Thankfully not! Just me in my own home haha!

 

Thank you so much for these kind words! You don’t realise how much I needed to hear this today.

I am going to take all these words and guidance and start my recovery journey! Like you said I think initially it would be helpful to see some one in person to just confirm this diagnosis. But from everything I have read I believe whole heartedly this is what I have. I found myself journaling for the first time ever when I read someone saying ‘they write their thoughts down’ and I did think I felt a weight lift and my pain ease slightly! Which I don’t know if it’s psychological because I’ve read it cured someone or wether the release of these thoughts and anxiety’s on to paper relieved me slightly?

How long did it take you to recover if you don’t mind me asking?

 

I'm glad my message helped! It's all true.

Personally I don't think there can be such thing as a professional opinion on this. There can be a professional opinion that you don't have anything medically wrong with you. That all your body parts are working properly. That your shoulder, your back, your knee, your spine, your tendons, your muscles are all perfectly fine. You've got that. That's all you need to know. Everything is physically good. Yay! That's all you really need to know.

To me anyone "confirming a diagnosis" of TMS would not be worth the salt you pay them. There is no test. There is no evidence to point to TMS.
The evidence you need you already have. All your body parts are in good shape! That's all you need to know.

Now it's a simple matter of rejoicing in that.

Yes, get that paper and pen and write, write, write. Let it all out. Cry if you want. Find that old anger. That old feeling of not being loved or whether or not you were good enough or whatever it is that's tucked away. Let it out. Write. Write. Write.

You're going to feel better in no time. I feel sure of it. After all, there's nothing wrong with you!

 

>>>Which I don’t know if it’s psychological because I’ve read it cured someone or wether the release of these thoughts and anxiety’s on to paper relieved me slightly?<<<

Yes, and Yes.
It's psychological because the whole condition is!

 

You are on a very exciting journey. I feel like a book such as Sarnos comes along when our mind is open enough to accept something that will truly help one heal on a deep level and evolve in their life. It may seem hard now, but one day you will look back on all this and smile. What you learn during this time will benefit you and probably those around you for the rest of your life. If you devote yourself with love and ease this process can be very beautiful and life affirming, albeit challenging at times. Let your heart crack open my friend, it's time to feel.

If you would like some help in the process feel free to reach out

www.thetaowithin.com [moderator edit: Unauthorized anonymous self-promotion]

thank you