3 replies to this topic

[docTorpedo]

Hi. Thoroughly enjoy reading this forum. I'm mostly here to read about life extension and human enhancement.

Back to the topic. I suffer from constant tension in my neck and face I was wondering if anyone here have any knowledge or experience with it. From many years of experience, and after countless types of physical and mental therapies I haven't yet managed to figure out a definite cure for it. But I can say with 100% security that the tension is caused by my mind and not a structural problem. And I once lived four months without it, and it felt like heaven. My extreme brain fog totally went away since I was now able to think again.

John Sarno has a theory that repressed emotions is the cause of unexplainable pain in the body. He calls the syndrome Tension Myoneural Syndrome (otherwise know as Tension Myositis Syndrome) and states that there is no correlation between structural damage and the immense pain patients are experiencing. In other words, people with the same structural damage on the spine for instance will either have pain or not have pain at random.

So what are your takes on this?

[pspa123]

I have had excruciating neck muscle pain and tightness for about five years now. There is NO question that it has a psychogenic and not structural origin, but like you, I can't seem to do anything about it. Unlike you, I have not had any period of remission -- what I would not give. I have read a lot about Sarno and TMS. I have my doubts about his Freudian theories; I think the explanation may be simpler -- anxiety and stress can manifest themselves in the body in all sorts of ways and among the most common is tight muscles. According to Sarno, accepting that pain is not caused by a physical problem is itself a cure for most people -- I certainly have not found that to be the case. I continue to struggle.

[docTorpedo]

Yeah, I have my share of doubt about Sarnos theory on its causes. It seems like he just saw the mind-body connection and made the best guess, with patient recovery in mind, on what was causing it. That sounds like shit, what are you pursuing to try to get rid of it? I can get momentarily relief from 5 seconds to 20 minutes every other day, but that is mostly because every day I try to find the process within my mind that is causing it.

[pspa123]

I have pursued all sorts of physical treatments: massage, myofascial release, chiropractic, that whole route seems a dead end. Trying to improve my posture just seems to make it worse. I have been seeing a psychologist who is familiar with Sarno who is trying to teach me to accept and relax, but it doesn't seem to be sticking. No matter what I do, or tell myself, the muscles are just tight and cramped and burning, sometimes to the point where it is just excruciating. I have a very high general level of stress that I can't seem to bring down, and that's probably what's perpetuating it.