Embarking on a journey through the winding paths of physical pain and emotional turmoil, I reveal the intimate details of my battle with Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS). Grappling with the realization that my lower back pain and relentless cough were not just random afflictions but signs of deeper psychological stress, I take you through the transformative process of connecting my emotional state to my physical well-being. Join me as I celebrate authenticity, and the empowering journey toward a chronic pain-free existence.
The Pain-Free Podcast is presented solely for general information, education, and entertainment purposes. Any information presented in this podcast is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional diagnosis. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast or website is at the user’s own risk. As always, users should not disregard or delay obtaining medical advice for any medical or mental health condition that they may have and should seek the assistance of their healthcare professionals for any such conditions.
Embarking on a journey through the winding paths of physical pain and emotional turmoil, I reveal the intimate details of my battle with Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS). Grappling with the realization that my lower back pain and relentless cough were not just random afflictions but signs of deeper psychological stress, I take you through the transformative process of connecting my emotional state to my physical well-being. Join me as I celebrate authenticity, and the empowering journey toward a chronic pain-free existence.
The Pain-Free Podcast is presented solely for general information, education, and entertainment purposes. Any information presented in this podcast is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional diagnosis. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast or website is at the user’s own risk. As always, users should not disregard or delay obtaining medical advice for any medical or mental health condition that they may have and should seek the assistance of their healthcare professionals for any such conditions.
Welcome to the Pain-Free Athlete Podcast. I'm your host, dana Jones. I am a certified personal trainer and I'm here to help you achieve your fitness goals without pain. In each episode, I'll share tips and strategies that will help you stay safe and pain-free while you're working out. I'll also interview experts in the field of fitness and pain management. So if you're ready to learn how to stay active and pain-free, then subscribe to the Pain-Free Athlete Podcast today. Hi everyone, and welcome to the Pain-Free Athlete Podcast. I'm your host, dana Jones.
Speaker 1:
Today I wanted to talk about setbacks, relapses and other struggles that people have, and maybe this particular person has, with TMS. So, yes, this is going to be all about me. So, anyway. So it's been about four years since I started my TMS journey and, for those of you who are joining me for the first time, tms stands for tension myositis syndrome, and that term was coined by Dr John Sarno. It's also known as the psychophysiologic disorder, or PPD, and basically it's a condition that causes real physical symptoms, such as pain, but they're not due to any pathologic or structural abnormalities and really can't be explained by any diagnostic tests. In PPD, the symptoms are really caused by psychological stress, and especially when you start focusing on something that hurts, and then you know you get in a crazy brain spiral around these things. So you know, basically, I guess what I'm saying is that you know it sounds like the pains in my head, but it's not only in my head but it's really in my body and it's real. So, because I know, sometimes when people hear the psycho part of something, they immediately go oh yeah, it's just in your head and it's like no, I can guarantee you, like when body parts hurt, that pain is truly real. It's just our interpretation of the pain that gets us kind of mixed up.
Speaker 1:
So I've done a lot of work to get to where I am today. I am mostly pain-free, especially from migraines. I have to say that I've had maybe about I don't know maybe one this year so far, and it's April. So that's fantastic, especially when I was going a long period of time of having migraine after migraine. But you know I'm a work in progress and so my body still worries about my safety, shall we say. And so I get these little warning shots that are fired, and usually that's my clue to get back to journaling for real, going deeper and not just bullshitting, because sometimes I go through the process where I'm just like oh you know, today was great, you know that kind of thing, instead of saying like today really sucked, or I had you know, this struggle or this is really bothering me, because sometimes I just don't want to do that. But after a while of you not acknowledging what's happening in the real world, you know there's some kind of smack that happens and so I'm getting smacked, so it's been pretty funny.
Speaker 1:
So, anyway, for about the past 10 months or so, I've been experiencing two very interesting symptoms that have come up. One has been lower back pain. My back is really stiff when I sit too long. You know, I don't know. I could blame all kinds of things, right. I could blame it on the chairs, I could blame it on the bed, I can say that I stood too long. I could say that I sat too long, right, there's really no rhyme or reason. There's nothing wrong with my back. Uh, because of all the times that everything's been x-rayed, you know we can say arthritis, and that's great. But that doesn't really mean anything, because there are people who have arthritis that don't suffer from pain. So it's really, especially considering the way it just showed up one day. I'm pretty sure that it's TMSE and that it's stress induced.
Speaker 1:
What I have done in the process is like kind of half the work. So the half that I've been doing is I've been working out right. So I do my workout. I, you know, do all the things right. So I'm doing deadlifts, I'm doing back hyperextensions, I'm doing all the things that you know. Normally somebody may say, oh, your back hurts, you probably shouldn't do that, you should rest it or do whatever. And nothing has changed right. So my back isn't any worse, it's not any better. So clearly it's what's going on between the ears and my interpretation of that feeling that is causing me to be a little stuck in this situation.
Speaker 1:
Symptom number two because apparently I wasn't paying attention to the back. So we decided to throw another thing at me and I have a cough, and it's this stupid little persistent cough. Um, I was trying to blame it on COVID, cause I got COVID in September. But then why would I not have a cough during COVID? And then all of a sudden it would show up two months later or three months later, and then all of a sudden become persistent. So you know, it started with like, oh, I had, you know, allergies, oh, I have this, and so this little cough has been driving me crazy and all of a sudden it decided to up its game and now I'm coughing like through the night to the point where I can't sleep and I have a lozenge in my mouth and all these things. And I've gone to the doctor and I've done antibiotics, I've done, you know, nasal rinses, like all the whole. I everything that you can do has been done in terms of asthma treatments, and I can't remember what was a silent um, I can't remember what the hell it's called. Uh, silent, uh, acid reflux, uh, gerd that's what I was looking for. All those things, right? So I've covered all those and I still have this cough and it's keeping me up, and so I don't know what I was doing.
Speaker 1:
But Saturday and I was sitting there and I went, oh, what if this is not a cough? Like what would be the psychological or spiritual reasoning behind me having a cough? And so I decided to hop on Google and check it out and of course I found something, and then I just kind of laughed. So I am a teacher, that's my main gig and I've had a ridiculously stressful year in terms of budget cuts, you know them, trying to get rid of our school. So literally I've been fighting for my job and, you know, wanting to be heard, you know, and of course add in students that aren't terribly motivated, and this really kind of hits hard. And so what I realized is that, you know, this cough kind of happened as I was finding out about budget cuts in the school not being there, so it's not a surprise that November was the time. And then, yeah, here we go.
Speaker 1:
So of course I hop onto Google and I say you know what is a persistent cough and what are the reasonings behind it, or whatever. And of course you have the normal reasonings, which is all the stuff that I said oh, maybe it's asthma, maybe it's GERD, maybe it's this you know that kind of stuff or post-nasal drip, all the things right. And then I went what is the different one? And so what I found was that there's a spiritual reason behind the cough. And I found this article and I'll attach it to the notes, and basically what it says is have you been experiencing a persistent dry cough that seems to linger, no matter what remedies you try? While it's essential to consult your healthcare provider to rule out any underlying medical conditions, it's also worth exploring the spiritual meaning behind the dry cough.
Speaker 1:
In this article, we'll delve into the hidden messages your body may be trying to convey through this irritating symptom. And then the quick interpretation is a dry cough may have a spiritual meaning related to suppressed emotions, an imbalanced throat chakra. It symbolizes unspoken words, unexpressed creativity and stagnant energy. By acknowledging these hidden messages and engaging in practices like throat chakra healing, authentic communication, emotional release, you can address the underlying spiritual causes and find relief from your persistent cough. So, and then they have questions, you know, because they always start off like are you holding back from expressing your true feelings? Well, yeah, do you find yourself silencing your voice to avoid confrontation and to please others, of course? Are you struggling to speak your truth and stand up for yourself? Well, duh yeah, that's why I'm here, right. Duh, yeah, that's why I'm here, right.
Speaker 1:
So, anyway, the article is pretty entertaining and they go through all the different uh types and I'm not going to read the whole thing to you, but you know they have a mind, body, spirit connection, Um, and it talks into your emotional and spiritual well well being, um, and the idea of the suppressed or unresolved emotions. And then it talks about the symbolism of a dry cough, which, you know, unspoken words, words or truths that have been holding you back, unexpressed creativity, creative ideas or projects that you've been hesitant to pursue, stagnant energy, emotions or situations that have been lingering and need to be addressed. And then it says, you know, by acknowledging these symbolic meanings, you can begin to explore deeper messages behind your dry cough and my favorite and take steps toward healing and self-expression. So, and it goes into all the things about you know, like how you should be using your throat more, like chanting and doing stretches and, you know, maybe, soothing teas like chamomile or licorice root. Make sure you communicate with authenticity and, of course, always, you know, seek medical guidance, because you never know which I'm already doing. And then you know it talks about, like Ken, what is the message behind this right, what is the goal of your body? I guess trying to tell you, and it's really trying to guide you toward self-awareness, right, and your overall well-being is because having the ability to kind of look at yourself and go something's not right and I need to do this. And you know they even say like, listen to its whispers, honor its wisdom and trust in the unfolding of your unique path toward wholeness and wellbeing, right Cause that's what your body's trying to do, you know.
Speaker 1:
And then they have some FAQs in the article that you know can emotional stress cause a dry cough? Of course, how can I tell if my dry cough is related to a spiritual or emotional issue? And they said, well, if you notice correlation between the cough and emotional factors, then it's probably this. What other physical symptoms may be related to this? Right? And they talk about sore throat, hoarseness of your voice, difficult swallowing, neck and shoulder tension, thyroid, and I don't have any of those things. It's really just the cough which could be annoying. So there's different things that they say. Like you know, doing yoga is a good way of releasing tension in your body, and they say specific yoga postures include like neck rolls, shoulder shrugs, body, and they say specific yoga postures include like neck rolls, shoulder shrugs, throat opening poses, like lion's breath, help you release the tension in your throat area, and that's something that like. Really, if I could just go in and scratch my throat where it's itching, I would not cough and that would be lovely.
Speaker 1:
And then you know, how long does it typically take to resolve it right? And the timeline for resolving a dry cough related to this varies from person to person. It depends on the depth of the underlying issues and your individual healing process. Some people may experience relief in a few days and then others may take longer. So you know, it's just interesting, of course, that this is all kind of unfolding and you know what it goes back to really.
Speaker 1:
With TMS, especially with the TMS properties, it's really about getting knowledge right. Is that? A lot of times people are really seeking knowledge and they're saying, oh, I have this pain and it must be this or or whatever it may be. And but once you get the information, a lot of times people don't have that much pain, because then they know oh, I know what's wrong, and so then everything settles down right, your body calms down, all the defenses are relaxed now because we have an understanding, and then you can continue on with whatever process.
Speaker 1:
You know, during this time I have not talked about, like my knee. You know, I've torn a cartilage in my knee but it doesn't hurt. So it's kind of funny that all these other things are kind of showing up for me. So of course my goal is that now that I have this and of course I've discussed it with my therapist, because it's always good to you know, do this. And she even warned me because she said, therapist, because it's always good to you know, do this. And she even warned me because she said, you know, when you go to the doctor, mention that this could be somatic, as you know.
Speaker 1:
And it was funny he didn't hear it at all. He just kind of like nodded and he's like, well, we're still going to, you know, want the chest x-ray, we're going to want this stuff, because he wants to make sure that he rules all the stuff out. Now I know in my heart like I'll do all your things, because I already had the chest x-ray and everything else and everything's clear. He listened to my lungs. I've never been an asthmatic in my life, um, you know. So there's no reason for it to show up now. Yes, I know people can gain allergies and I'm allergic to pretty much everything that blows around, but the cough has never been a symptom I've ever had before. And you know the timing is suspect.
Speaker 1:
And for me now it's really about like, how am I going to honor myself with really digging deep into my journaling and possibly, you know, when I'm dealing with a situation that is in my face, how am I going to acknowledge it? Because I've been doing a lot of um, not paying attention forcefully at meetings that we're having at school because of the fact that I don't like what's being said and I feel like what I have to say is possibly not appropriate because I haven't wrapped my head around it. And a lot of times I have these um, I don't know spontaneous utter utterances that get me in trouble, um, because I just don't want to make it pretty, I just want to kind of throw it out there and let you bat it around and and then we'll get to the pretty stuff after. But sometimes I feel that, and so a lot of times when I'm sitting there, I don't want to share what's going on in my brain because, you know, I don't know if people get it or not or if they have an understanding, and I don't want to sound like a jerk and I don't want to make it about me. But I also think that in that process of putting me on the back burner, my body's saying we don't live on the back burner anymore. You need to step in the front and, you know, acknowledge that you don't like the way things are going or you don't like the way something said and really stand up for yourself as well as, um, my colleagues and um, you know. So I hope that I get that together and I figure it out and I do all the things.
Speaker 1:
Uh, I noticed that, since I've kind of acknowledged that this could be mind-body I, you know, last night was probably one of the first nights that I didn't cough myself to sleep or wake up at all hours coughing and having to sleep with a lozenge. So I think I'm heading in the right direction and I need to work on that. And then the next thing I'm going to work on is the back. Um, cause I think that's something different, but I don't know, we'll have to see, cause it may have to be a change in career or something like that.
Speaker 1:
Because, um, I did notice that when I was in New Jersey visiting my father, my back didn't hurt and typically I always find going back home, especially your childhood home, is always a little funny and it's always given me a little bit of stress to go back and visit. And you know, this time I didn't have any symptoms. So I'm like, hmm, you know what's going on here that is causing these issues. So I guess my ultimate message is look, everything is a work in process. My ultimate message is look, everything is a work in process. Nobody's going to get slapped on the forehead and healed a hundred percent.
Speaker 1:
Um, you know, we are human beings and, um, life is messy and I wish I knew how to navigate every challenge that I ran into, and, um, I usually don't. So, uh, you know, it's all about learning and being flexible and really just understanding how you want to show up, and I think, like I said, I've been dimming my light, I've been being quiet and all the things, and now it's time for me to kind of step into the light and really honor myself so that I can stop freaking coughing would be amazing. So, anyway, I want to let you all know that I appreciate you so much and I know that this is not a I don't have a tremendous following, but I really appreciate the people that do tune in and listen to me, ramble on every week and interview all kinds of different people and, yeah, so I mean spread the word, you know like, share all the good things. And again, thank you so much for being listeners and I will catch you next time.