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==What is TMS?==
==What is TMS?==
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[[File:WomanWithQuestions.jpg|right|300 px|an image of a woman and chalkboard with question marks]]Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS), also known as Tension Myonueral Syndrome, is a condition originally described by [[John Sarno, MD|John E. Sarno, MD]], a retired professor of Clinical Rehabilitation Medicine at New York University School of Medicine, and attending physician at the Howard A. Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine at New York University Medical Center. TMS is a condition that causes real physical symptoms, such as chronic pain, gastrointenstinal issues, and Fibromyalgia, that are not due to pathological or structural abnormalities and are not explained by diagnostic tests. In TMS, symptoms are caused by mild oxygen deprivation via the autonomic nervous system, as a result of repressed emotions and
psychosocial
stress.
+
[[File:WomanWithQuestions.jpg|right|300 px|an image of a woman and chalkboard with question marks]]Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS), also known as Tension Myonueral Syndrome, is a condition originally described by [[John Sarno, MD|John E. Sarno, MD]], a retired professor of Clinical Rehabilitation Medicine at New York University School of Medicine, and attending physician at the Howard A. Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine at New York University Medical Center. TMS is a condition that causes real physical symptoms, such as chronic pain, gastrointenstinal issues, and Fibromyalgia, that are not due to pathological or structural abnormalities and are not explained by diagnostic tests. In TMS, symptoms are caused by mild oxygen deprivation via the autonomic nervous system, as a result of repressed emotions and
psycho-social
stress.
−
This is not to say that the pain is “all in your head” or that it is not real. TMS symptoms are very much real, and we should know. All of the people who wrote and developed this website had debilitating chronic pain and other symptoms. We know, first hand, what it is like to have back pain, Sciatica pain, RSI, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Migraines,
irritable bowel syndrome
, and a wide array of other symptoms. We visited doctors and doctors and were told the same things you probably heard: you have a degenerative disc disease, a herniated disc, you type too much, it is due to overuse, or that you are just aging. Even though we were told this, when we applied the ideas first promoted by Dr. Sarno we became pain free and regained our lives.
+
This is not to say that the pain is “all in your head” or that it is not real. TMS symptoms are very much real, and we should know. All of the people who wrote and developed this website had debilitating chronic pain and other symptoms. We know, first hand, what it is like to have
[[Back Pain|
back pain
]]
,
[[Sciatica|
Sciatica pain
]]
,
[[Repetitive Strain Injuries -
RSI
|RSI]]
,
[[
Fibromyalgia
]]
,
[[
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
]]
,
[[
Migraines
]]
,
[[Irritable
+
Bowel Syndrome]]
, and a wide array of other
[[Success Stories by Symptoms & Diagnoses|
symptoms
]]
. We visited doctors and doctors and were told the same things you probably heard: you have a degenerative disc disease, a herniated disc, you type too much, it is due to overuse, or that you are just aging. Even though we were told this, when we applied the ideas first promoted by Dr. Sarno we became pain free and regained our lives.
==How TMS Develops==
==How TMS Develops==
At the heart of the development of TMS is our desire to be good people, loved by those we care about. This desire leads us to strive for perfection and to have all our actions be considered good. We will cook a three course family meal after working a 10 hour day, because that is what a good mother would do. We will be the first person to volunteer to work on the weekend, because that is what a good employee will do. We will stay up all night making sure our homework is perfect, because that is what the perfect student will do. Our beliefs of what a good and perfect person will do, directly influence our behavior on a day-to-day basis.
At the heart of the development of TMS is our desire to be good people, loved by those we care about. This desire leads us to strive for perfection and to have all our actions be considered good. We will cook a three course family meal after working a 10 hour day, because that is what a good mother would do. We will be the first person to volunteer to work on the weekend, because that is what a good employee will do. We will stay up all night making sure our homework is perfect, because that is what the perfect student will do. Our beliefs of what a good and perfect person will do, directly influence our behavior on a day-to-day basis.
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But sometimes, as more and more external stress is added and our desire for perfection increases, we develop a very deep seeded resentment toward these tasks. There are some nights when you come home from working a double shift, you are angry that you have cook a meal for your family, while your husband has been watching TV all night. Part of us hates telling our friends that we can't go out on Friday, because we have to get ahead on our reading for class. When our newborn baby wakes us up at 3 am for the fourth night in a row, some part of us has rage at the child, for waking us up yet again. These are all normal feelings and emotions to have. However, when a person has an emotion that goes against their belief of what a good and perfect person would do, the only option available to them is to repress that emotion. If we admit that we are angry at our family, we fear that we would be considered a bad person and will be rejected by those we love. Instead of admitting that we are angry at our spouse for never cleaning up or doing the dishes, we repress it deep in our unconscious. Common emotions that we repress include: anger, rage, and frustration.
+
But sometimes, as more and more external stress is added and our desire for perfection increases, we develop a very deep seeded resentment toward these tasks. There are some nights when you come home from working a double shift, you are angry that you have
to
cook a meal for your family, while your husband has been watching TV all night. Part of us hates telling our friends that we can't go out on Friday, because we have to get ahead on our reading for class. When our newborn baby wakes us up at 3 am for the fourth night in a row, some part of us has rage at the child, for waking us up yet again. These are all normal feelings and emotions to have. However, when a person has an emotion that goes against their belief of what a good and perfect person would do, the only option available to them is to repress that emotion. If we admit that we are angry at our family, we fear that we would be considered a bad person and will be rejected by those we love. Instead of admitting that we are angry at our spouse for never cleaning up or doing the dishes, we repress it deep in our unconscious. Common emotions that we repress include: anger, rage, and frustration.
−
As we continue to repress these emotions we create an immense amount of tension in our bodies. In order to keep you from recognizing that you have these powerful emotions of anger and rage, your unconscious creates physical symptoms. These symptoms serve as a way to distract you from the unwanted emotions by having you focus on your back hurting instead.
+
As we continue to repress these emotions we create an immense amount of tension in our bodies. In order to keep you from recognizing that you have these powerful emotions of anger and rage, your unconscious creates physical symptoms
, such as back pain, neck pain, Planter Fasciities, Acid Reflux, Anxiety, Depression, Dizziness, and Irritable Bowel Syndrome
. These symptoms serve as a way to distract you from the unwanted emotions by having you focus on your back hurting instead
of your anger or rage. We develop TMS because we are unable to accept and/or process these emotions
.
==Treatment==
==Treatment==
[[File:StudentReadingInChair.jpg|220 px|left|a student reading in a chair]]No two people are exactly alike, and likewise, no two TMS recoveries are exactly the same. Different things work for different people, and one of the keys to TMS treatment is identifying what techniques work best for you. People have reported using a variety of approaches to get better. Regardless of the specific technique, TMS treatment is based on two principles, which Dr. Sarno stated in [[Healing Back Pain]]:
[[File:StudentReadingInChair.jpg|220 px|left|a student reading in a chair]]No two people are exactly alike, and likewise, no two TMS recoveries are exactly the same. Different things work for different people, and one of the keys to TMS treatment is identifying what techniques work best for you. People have reported using a variety of approaches to get better. Regardless of the specific technique, TMS treatment is based on two principles, which Dr. Sarno stated in [[Healing Back Pain]]:
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# The acquisition of knowledge, of insight into the nature of the disorder.
+
#
''
The acquisition of knowledge, of insight into the nature of the disorder.
''
−
# The ability to act on that knowledge and thereby change the brain's behavior.
+
#
''
The ability to act on that knowledge and thereby change the brain's behavior.
''
All of the standard treatments for TMS seek to address help people address one or both of these pillars. The following is a list of techniques that many people have reported being helpful in their own recovery from chronic pain. As a reminder, it is important to see a medical professional before starting this treatment approach to rule out any serious medical condition.
All of the standard treatments for TMS seek to address help people address one or both of these pillars. The following is a list of techniques that many people have reported being helpful in their own recovery from chronic pain. As a reminder, it is important to see a medical professional before starting this treatment approach to rule out any serious medical condition.