Check out my FREE ebook "From Chronic Pain to Freedom" to kickstart your journey to a pain free life!

Understanding

the therapy.

TMS stands for Tension Myoneural Syndrome.  TMS refers to chronic tension within the muscle and/or nerve cells which can occur pretty much anywhere in the body leading to chronic physical symptoms.  It is a term coined by it's pioneering founder, Dr John E Sarno.

The SIRPA training (Stress Illness Recovery Practitioners Association), endorsed by Dr Sarno, is a Mindbody approach designed to empower, guide and support people in their recovery from TMS symptoms.  It works by training the neural pathways out of unhelpful, over-sensitised pain responses which, over time, have become habitual and ingrained.  It is founded on the basis of decades of pain science and medical research which has well and truly established the profound impact that our mental, emotional experience (stress, negative mindset, emotional repression) has on our physical experience (chronic pain and other distressing physical symptoms).

With that understanding then, and recognising how woefully absent mental health is in the mainstream treatment of chronic physical symptoms, this therapy focuses on the mind and, in particular, on the powerful influence of the subconscious or primitive brain.  The goal of this therapy is to identify, dismantle and gradually disarm the role of fear, repressed emotions, limiting beliefs about ourselves and the way in which we handle day to day stresses.  With consistent application of practical tools and exercises, we can start to calm the sensitised neural pathways and replace them with healthier, 'pain free' pathways.

So why does TMS happen?

In the event of a physical injury, the body will heal itself.  Broadly speaking it takes the body approximately 6 to 8 weeks to heal major tissue damage.  So why is it for some of us, that the pain lasts much longer and becomes chronic?  Why is it that for some of us, just the slightest movement sends us into a spiral of pain from which we never recover? Because pain/danger signals are not exclusively reserved for physical damage.

Physical pain is generated by the brain as a danger signal.  It’s designed to tell you (scream at you sometimes!) that you are not safe and need to take urgent action.  We know now, from a wealth of research, that it’s not only physical ailments that warrant a danger signal in the form of physical pain but, also psychological ailments caused by chronic stress.  Stress could be:

- lingering emotional traumas in childhood (see details)

- low self-esteem and insecurities (see details), and

- the unrelenting demands and worries of modern life.

Either way, if your brain believes you’re in danger, it will find a way of letting you know!  If the cause of the pain, or the source of the danger, is not immediately obvious and addressed then the physical pain or symptoms will persist.  When the pain or symptoms become chronic, they become part of a maladjusted stress response – often referred to as mindbody symptoms.

Your brain can get very clever with it’s danger signals as well, and can present as: -  Back pain, knee pain, pelvic pain, frozen shoulder, migraines, repetitive strain injury, fibromyalgia, eczema, IBS, insomnia, panic attacks, palpitations, anxiety…see full list here.

Make no mistake that your pain; these symptoms are all REAL. Your pain is not ‘imagined’.  It hurts; it can hurt so much it is hard to entertain the fact that there's no physical cause.  The pain or symptom can be so debilitating and create so much misery by the limitations and restrictions they place on your life, relationships, dreams and aspirations. BUT it need not be forever.  It CAN be resolved and you CAN absolutely get your life back.  I’ve done it, thousands of others have done it, and you can too!

Being SIRPA trained, my role is to teach,  guide, mentor and support you as you work your way toward unlearning your pain.

This approach is considered the most effective method of recovery and can be life changing for those who are open to the possibility of change and are prepared to do the work.  Are you in!?

Mindbody Symptoms

Musculoskeletal:

Back pain, neck pain, hip pain, shoulder pain and other aches and pains throughout the joints or limbs, tension headache, fibromyalgia, sciatica, whiplash, repetitive strain injury (RSI), complex regional pain disorder (CRPD), temperomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ), chronic tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, piriformis syndrome, plantar fasciitis, iliotibial band syndrome, trigeminal neuralgia, thoracic outlet syndrome, sacro-iliac joint dysfunction. N.B. When muscles, ligaments and tendons are targeted this can cause pain wherever the soft tissue is in the body.

Nerve symptoms may include; numbness, itching, burning, tingling, pins and needles, plus muscle weakness, muscle spasms and involuntary movements, restless leg syndrome.

Immune system:

Allergies, hay fever, food intolerances, frequent infections, such as ear, chest, bladder, thrush, cystitis, etc. veruccas, warts.

Heart and Lungs:

(Clearly, as with any other organic symptom, all tests must rule out any other cause first)

Repetitive cough, shortness of breath, undiagnosed chest pain, palpitations, high or low blood pressure, hyperventilation or shortness of breath, irregular heartbeats, arrhythmias.

Gastrointestinal:

Abdominal pain, ulcer symptoms, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, IBS, colitis, spastic colon, hiatus hernia, heartburn, acid reflux, constipation, diarrhoea.

Bladder and genitals:

Spastic bladder, bladder frequency, testicular pain, penile pain, interstitial cystitis, chronic prostatitis, undiagnosed pelvic pain, erectile dysfunction, infertility, impotence, vaginitis, vaginismus.

Skin:

Eczema, acne, psoriasis, hives, rashes, etc.

Mental health:

Obsessive compulsive thoughts, eating disorders, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), Self-mutilation.

Others:

Difficulty swallowing or gagging, chronic fatigue/tiredness, migraines, bell’s palsy, facial paralysis, vertigo/dizziness, tinnitus, changes in voice, dental pain.

Emotional Trauma in Childhood

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are stressful events occurring in childhood, as identified by the CDC-Kaiser study, including:

  • domestic violence
  • parental abandonment through separation or divorce
  • a parent with a mental health condition
  • being the victim of abuse (physical, sexual and/or emotional)
  • being the victim of neglect (physical and emotional)
  • a member of the household being in prison
  • growing up in a household in which there are adults experiencing alcohol and drug use problems.

Extensive studies around the world have demonstrated the long-term impact that traumas in childhood can have on us later in life.  The above list is by no means exhaustive.  If we felt traumatised or neglected as a child, then that is our valid experience regardless of the why or how.

Personality traits & self-esteem

Our personality traits and tendencies often dictate our behaviours and are indicative of the subconscious beliefs we hold about ourselves and our place in the world.

Low self-esteem,  Perfectionist,  Procrastinator,  High expectations of self,  Need to be good/compliant/liked,  Conscientious,  Self-critical,  Analytical,  Overly responsible,  Resentful,  Feeling anxious,  Reliable,  Competitive,  Driven,  Non-confrontational,  Likes to be in control,  Strong drive to be helpful,  People-pleaser.