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TMS & low cognitive skills

Discussion in 'General Discussion Subforum' started by Neil, Jul 10, 2020.

  1. Neil

    Neil Peer Supporter

    Hello everyone,
    Im a 32 yrs old guy & i have AS & lumber stenosis, inflammation & instablity thruout spine, incontinence & bloating since an injury 8 yrs back. Im listening & reading abt tms approach & feeling better on & off... however... my concern is abt the sideeffects this chronic pain has had on my overall personality. Im always at loss of words, have low receptivity, concentration probs, dizzyness, mild disorientation, communication probs, low confidence etc. Its like i have lost my personality & magnetism(no history of drugs/alcohol). I feel lost & difficult to communicate. I remember i was a very articulate person & ppl just loved listening to me. Now vocabulary & ppl both have disappeared from my life.
    Is this too a part of TMS & can this be healed thru tms approach along with chronic pain? Is it a sideeffect of yrs of chronic pain? Is it due to tightness of spinal nerves & muscles caused due to repressed emotions that has an effect on cognitive skills or above problems? Has anyone with lumbar stenosis or AS experienced the same?
     
  2. Marls

    Marls Well known member

    Hi Neil, there is interesting information on the Neuroplastix (Michael Moskowitz http://www.neuroplastix.com/styled-2/page150/styled-48/expandingthepainmap.html (Expanding the Pain Map | Neuroplastix)) which might answer your question. He says "When the wiring is happening because of persistent pain signals, the same processes form new synapses dedicated to pain, while breaking other less active synapses in brain areas that process pain" and "The expanded pain map causes more pain and loss of other functions processed in these pain processing regions" and "Due to the Rules of Neuroplasticity as pain processing areas expand the number of nerve cells dedicate to these other regional functions contract. The result is that by the very experienced persistent pain, pain circuitry is kept active, taking over more brain real estate. By counter stimulating these other functions that process can be reversed. The more we stimulate these other functions, the more they will "steal" nerve cells from the excessively expansive pain circuits. The result is decreased pain and restoration of normal function". I get all of the confusing stuff as well, as you have described, so I find this interesting. Might be worth a look. cheers, marls
     
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  3. fishy

    fishy New Member

    Hi,
    I have pretty bad PTSD and I am here to tell you that mental stress alone can cause parts of your brain to slow down or shut off completely. Stress and pain can definitely overload your circuits. Calming the mind/nervous system should help with this, though it takes time and practice.

    I have at times lost the ability to read, write, do math, remember short term, remember long term, recognize faces, and on and on due to extreme stress. My hair has fallen out, I've fainted, gone catatonic, the list is endless - just from internal stress...and that was all before the pain started. It's amazing and terrifying and also completely empowering to realize the power of the mind to break and to mend itself and the body.

    Good luck - I hope you feel better soon.
     
    Neil likes this.
  4. Neil

    Neil Peer Supporter

    Sounds interesting!
    I tried feldenkrais method which is based on neuroplasticity of the brain thru physical movements for a few weeks. I had minor improvements which lasted only for few hrs after the practise. I guess it didnt last bcos it was a physical work & not psychological which is the root.
    I' ll dfntly check this approach you shared. Thanks @Marls

     
  5. Neil

    Neil Peer Supporter

    Thanks @fishy
    Check Marls reply.
    Hope we all totally recover soon. Good luck!

     
  6. plum

    plum Beloved Grand Eagle

    Thank you @Marls, for such an amazing link.
    I’m watching this section while enjoying my morning coffee.

    http://www.neuroplastix.com/styled-99/therapeuticanimations.html (Therapeutic Animations | Neuroplastix)
     
  7. Marls

    Marls Well known member

    I am in the middle of a TriGem type 2 flare and my cognitive abilities are under serious pressure (ie husband now called “what’s his name”). I recently saw a neuro-physiotherapist (took 5 mins to think of that word) and she works with mindbody ideas and said after years of pain of course your body is inflamed and tense. She agreed with all my self work, but added that trigger point work with dry needling can help relieve some physical pressure. SO .... I am keeping up my self work, trialling the dry needling and I am going to make a concerted effort to follow the guidelines offered by Michael Moskowitz to reorganise the pain message departments in my brain.
    I’ve cooked (and eaten) so many yummy fruit cakes in my life and they all have different recipes but taste great. (Mind you lately I think and talk like a fruit cake), so I’m changing my healing recipe to include the brain map idea. I’ve already bought the peppermint oil to attract my thoughts away from pain to olfactory senses. Not too sure about the smell theory but spilling it on your lip certainly takes your mind to a different direction.
    If I feel success you all will be the first to know. Cheers marls
     
    Neil likes this.
  8. Marls

    Marls Well known member

    Hi Neil, I have been listening to a YouTube presentation from the Facial Pain Association, Jennifer Wagner, who follows Michael Moskowitz's theory and although the quality is a bit amateurish, she does provide a great explanation about how the brain gets hijacked by pain to rob you of your regular thought processes and then presents a list of strategies to bush the pain circuits squatting in your much needed cognitive areas and reintroduce the good, happy and positive tenants (who hopefully can help me think of the right words when writing a TMSWIKI reply). Cheers, marls
     
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  9. Marls

    Marls Well known member

    Whoops, I just meant to post the www address!!!!!! Oh well, you've got it now.
     
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  10. Neil

    Neil Peer Supporter

    Cudnt process the second half that is the treatment strategy in one. Will go thru it a few more times.
    Was looking for Moskowitzs proper treatment plan when u shared this. Thank you @Marls
     
  11. Marls

    Marls Well known member

    Hey Neil, yeah it stops halfway and the screen stays stuck, but the voice and info starts again. I can’t find the original Moskowitz YouTube talk either. Cheers marls
     
    Neil likes this.
  12. Neil

    Neil Peer Supporter

    i meant i cudnt process the second half in my "brain" in one go & have to listen it a few more times. lol
     
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