Chronic or intermittent low back pain and other complaints that won’t go away, even with various medications and treatments, could be due to Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS). TMS is a musculoskeletal neurological disorder caused by the mind and emotions which leads to physical pain and symptoms. This relatively unknown health diagnostic category was first theorized in the 1970s by John Sarno, M.D.
The idea behind TMS is that stress and repressed emotions such as anger and anxiety are the leading cause of chronic back pain and other health issues. These emotional triggers impact the nervous system, which in turn affects blood flow to muscles, nerves, and connective tissue. This starves the body of oxygen and causes pain. TMS case studies have shown that once the emotional components are successfully addressed, the physical ailments disappear almost instantly.
Among the other symptoms associated with TMS are stiffness, numbness, and tingling in the body or limbs. While flare-ups from painful to severe come and go at different times, the connection between emotional distress and physical symptoms is noticeable.
Various health issues like chronic pain, tension headache, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), constipation, arm pain, temporal mandibular joint dysfunction (TMJD), and tinnitus (ringing in the ears) might have their root in TMS. John Sarno’s theory of TMS equivalence suggests there may be a common denominator, perhaps anxiety, that could bring on any of these disorders.
When it comes to treating TMS, the first step often requires patient education. They are provided with audio and written materials or recommended lectures to learn about the condition. This educates patients on various aspects of TMS while reassuring them that physical symptoms are not due to typical disease processes, physical injury, or re-injury.
For some patients, keeping a daily journal and writing about circumstances that might have created repressed emotional stress is an essential part of their treatment. Identifying a list of possible contributing factors allows the patient to explore issues in detail and formulate an essay for each. Over time, patients learn to express their emotions instead of repressing them.
TMS treatment also requires that patients live as if symptom-free. When there is no physical reason for chronic pain, patients are advised to stop using conventional treatment methods for pain control and resume their normal physical activities without fear of causing further pain or injury. This change in mindset can be a powerful tool in addressing the emotional components hidden beneath the pain and allow the body to start healing from TMS.
