TMS with Ulnar Nerve? Cubital Tunnel? HELP!

Hello,

I am new to learning about TMS and was wondering if this is something I should be concerned about.

Background
I am a 22 year old male. Definitely do not have great genetics but after about 2 years of consistently working out and eating healthyish I developed a pretty decent physique and some okay strength numbers for my weight (155). Long story short, in May 2022 I developed some pretty bad wrist RSI/tendonitis/whatever that I believe was due to my job and rigorous training routine of trying to bench 225 (with my pretty small forearms). This was a perfect chronic pain situation to sprout and I succumbed to it. I have since quit the job a couple months ago, which I do think was a big step for me honestly, as I feel like I couldn't take that initiative to heal. Nonetheless, I went down a big rabbit hole of trying to figure out where the pain was coming from and how to solve it fast. Doctor wasn't too concerned about it but the pain never seemed to go away and I became a perfect candidate for TMS/Chronic pain. I tried everything from peptides, PT, rest, diet changes, etc to get the pain to stop. Nothing seemed to work. It wasn't until I discovered Steven Low on reddit and found out about chronic pain where I watched some lectures on it (not doctor sarno). I combined that with my PT protocol that I had researched and developed myself (basically tying a shoestring to my thumb and doing reps to strengthen my EPL and EPB tendons.) I also started to go back to the gym and do what I could that wasn't severely painful. Within 3 months, I'm back to working out 6 days a week and training decently hard.

The current problem
After a couple weeks of working out, I noticed some intermittent numbness in my left hand (ulnar side) whenever I would sit and play games for awhile or would rest my elbows in certain positions. I immediatley panicked, but was deprived of working out for so long that I couldn't stop again. So for the past 3 months I've been just kind of dealing with it, and after learning about TMS im starting to consider if its just in my head. I have never gotten shooting pains or like any real noticeable pain in my ulnar side. Its basically just numbness and it goes away fairly quickly, but still comes about when I'm doing random things.

Examples of when I get numbness include:
- When laying down on my stomach, elbows bent and im on my phone
- When sitting for awhile (no pressure on elbow, maybe just pressure on the hand)
- Fishing (oddly enough I only experience it when im reeling a fish in)
- Foam rolling my hamstrings (when I place my hands down as a stabilizer)
- When waking up (pretty rare though, it always goes away in less than 15 seconds once I straighten my arm)

Examples of when I get pain:
- Like ive said, ive never gotten shooting pains or like severe pain.
- When doing skull crushers (i avoid these now)
- When doing tricep exercises (has seemed to has calmed down though since I've gotten stronger. I really only do pushdowns with rope and bar)
Other weird things:
- I have noticed a weird tingling sensation in my fingers but it seems to spread in all my fingers and only seems to appear at the tip of them.
- There was one week where I was almost convinced I was developing it in my right hand as well because I woke up with ulnar numbness on my right side for like 2-3 nights in a row.
- When im benching or doing press movements, I can kind of feel the nerve shifting in my elbows but it seems to only be when Im benching heavier weight I havent benched in a while and seems to be getting better as i get stronger. Its almost like I can just feel the sensation in my elbow. Its not painful, just feels weird. It happens in both arms too.
- My left arm has been my dominant arm but my right arm is bigger (literally because I wank with it).
- My left is noticeably weaker than my right arm, but nonetheless it has always been a bit weaker

Why I think it could be TMS:
- I have a bad habit of searching every known possible thing that could be wrong with me and read so many reddit post and forum post regarding this type of stuff.
- Cubital tunnel is one of those easy rabbit holes to go down because theres lots of things surrounding surgery and success/unsuccessful stories.
- In addition to the rabbit hole, I tried to learn about possible TOS (thoracic outlet syndrome) since my feet will often go numb when I sit down on them for not that long.
- These reasons of me doing an excessive amount of research regarding cubital tunnel I feel like could just make the numbness completely psychosomatic.
- I (kinda) try to do PT exercises like nerve glides and farmers carry

My Questions
- I know TMS revolves around pain, but is it far-fetched to say that it could go for numbness too? Could my TMS just have reduced and moved to numbness in my left arm?

- Is it counterintuitive to learn about/practice Dr. Sarno's methods in conjuction with physical therapy?

- Should I just continue to kinda ignore it and genuinely try not to worry about it until it gets worse?

- Should I stop exercising with my left arm and try and rehab it because it could be actual CuTs?

- I also want to try and learn guitar but I know it will be hours of the elbow bent and I am scared it could make things worse. Should I pull the trigger and start doing it anyway? I have resumed most of, if not all of my habits that I restricted during my time in pain.

Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance!

 

Most of these new 'plagues; of the modern world ARE TMS. That is why when you search the internet you will never find anybody who healed from it, or if they did, they have a new problem. Carpal Tunnel didn't even exist 30 years ago...now everybody has it
READ SARNO> Numbness is absolutely part of the TMS palette.
I have had that as a TMS symptom.. the forearm pain/numbness. I play guitar many hours a day besides working out and using my hands to work (paint plaster/carpentry/labor)

Only if you think Physical therapy will heal you. It won't. Hanging out in places with lots of posters of the human anatomy and lots of BS stories about the Medieval medical model WILL prolong TMS and make you doubt the diagnosis

No. When you feel it you should 'go inside yourself' and ask "Why would I need a symptom right now? What Might I be angry about that I am not aware of'...but absolutely keep working out and doing stuff

NO. That will tell your unconscious that something is 'wrong; and make it worse!!

Learn guitar...tell yourself ahead of time. "You will not stop me from doing what I want"
But most important ; get Sarno's books and read them...over and over until you understand it uber well

 

Well said, Baseball. That's exactly TMS. Go ahead with your life, larmy. You have to «convince» your brain your are well, healthy and safe.
But remenber: the brain is very stubborn, and has its habits very ingrained !
Good luck.
M

 

As someone with RSI misdiagnosis and supposedly incurable damaged nerve in my carpal tunnel, I can confidently agree with all the advice you got here.

What you have is TMS, no doubt. Think of your stressors, your emotions and how you deal with them and you will be fine. Good luck!