I'm Having A Really Bad Day With Pain, Do You Find Your Ptsd Is Worse When In Pain

[jo may]

Hi Everyone,
I'm in so much pain with my bones today, and I find my PTSD is worse as I feel so low.
My depression kicks up to 10 and I find myself very close to tears.

My pelvis bone twists and last night I moved to go to bed and my pelvis twisted and locked.
I couldn't sleep very well and today I'm still in a lot of pain and I know my pelvis is trying to untwist so that means even more pain.

I noticed that my PTSD is really bad when I'm in pain, does anyone else find this?

 

[James B.]

I noticed that my PTSD is really bad when I'm in pain, does anyone else find this?

Hello jo may, sorry to hear of your pain. I can relate.

Say, one thought if you have the resources, is to get yourself into a hot tub or jacuzzi. My body pain (mostly muscular) was helped a lot by hot water (103 to 105) and hot/cold water cycles. It really helps flush out the lactic acid, and the heat seems to kill the pain right away also. In general, floating or moving or exercising in water regularly can help w/ pain management, it seems.

And to answer your question, yes my PTSD can be worse when the pain is up, due to the added stress, I believe, of having to deal with/and manage the pain. My left leg is killing me today as well, and have had many bad days with pain. Good luck jo may! Hope you feel better soon.

 

[NutritionNerd]

You might want to look at this the other way around - When your PTSD is worse you are in more pain. When you become aroused and your HPA activates it can knot up those muscles and cause you pain. One way you can get help is find a good chiropractor for massage therapy. Certain muscles will tend to tighten up together causing constellations of problems for your body.

It's worse for older bodies that have been holding the same physical tensions for years. It took a long course of chiropractic adjustments and massage for me to realize how much pain is due to tension and habitual postures. I was very skeptical about chiropractors but that made a believer of me. I was having horrible pain in my diverticulus (left) which radiated down my left leg causing cramps. I thought this was caused by constipation. However it turned out that the constipation was caused by a misalignment in my center back which was cutting off the innervation into my lower bowels - causing them to not move. The misalignment from my center back was caused by hunching over a keyboard and a habitual defensive posture involving hunching my shoulders.

Having had blessed relief once I recognized and stopped the habitual posture and got the misalignment fixed, I now understand the relationship between them all. I figured the connections between this stuff out on my own - it wasn't just what the chiro told me. Really wishing I could afford to go back to him right now.

When you are re-experiencing one or more of your traumas your body will tense up in habitual ways related to the trauma. There may be some people who can treat your physical problems which in turn may help reduce your PTSD symptoms. My doc recommended a book called "The Emotion Code" I haven't read it yet. William Reich pioneered this idea a long time ago and science is finally catching up with him.

Just like your body can be programmed to remember how to throw a baseball or hit a golf ball - it can remember trauma and defensive postures. I'll do some more research to see if I can find who practices this form of healing. Chiropractors and massage therapy is the only thing I can think of for now, but I do believe there are therapies around this idea.

I've attached a paper on Body Oriented Therapy.

 

[Lionheart]

Hi Jo May,

Have you seen a doctor about your pelvic bone? It might be a good idea if it is causing you to lose sleep!

I agree with James that hydrotherapy may help you too, it is one of the tools I use to help manage pain. I have CFS and FMS and I definitely get more stressed and depressed when I am in pain. It tends to start a viscous cycle.

(I once suffered from muscle spasms over my entire body and had to get 4 shots (to the arms and hips) to help stop the cycle of pain.) I can't tell if the stress came first or the pain, then the stress.:confused:

Anyway, PTSD has gotten better though and so have the muscle spasms....go figure, right? Well anyway, I am sorry that you are in pain and I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. I hope you are feeling better soon!!!

sending you hugs,
LH

 

[amethist]

If anyone has muscle aches and pains, adding 6 to 8 drops of thyme essential oil into your bath mixed with a perfume free bath gel can help enormously. You need to soak for at least 20 mins, for maximum effect though.

My husband uses this all the time when his back plays up, does him the world of good. Sometimes adds in 2 or 3 drops of lime too, for the pick me up effect.

 

[jo may]

Thanks Everyone,

I got my depression in December 2002 and my PTSD in 2010, well that's when I got my diagnosis.
But I have had this problem with my pelvis and lower back since August 2008.

When I was pregnant with my youngest in 2008 I suffered from SPD(Sympis Pubis Disfunction) sorry if spelling isn't right.It basically means that when my body was changing as my baby growed my muscles and ligaments were loosening to much so my pelvis would widen to much and twist. I had it with my son in 2005 and it was bad I lived in the hospital for the last 3 months, but once I had him my body seemed to heal quite quickly.

With my youngest I got it earlier on in the pregnancy so I spent roughly 6 months living in and out of the hospital the last 2 months in and it was horrilbe. I was on some really strong pain relief so when she was born we were put on the Transitional Care Ward as she had slight drug withdrawal and they also found a hole in her heart but she healed herself by the time she was 18 months.

I have seen my GP and he's put me on Zapain 30mg/500mg but it doesn't touch it when my pelvis actually turns and twist. As my bones rub against each other and that hurts a lot. I do cope and I have ways of helping the pain but it is a bit of a nuisance I have 1 pillow under my side and another slightly bigger 1 I put between my legs to help keep my bones apart.

But I am grateful to you for the advice and I will definiteny try some of the ideas, if it helps I'll be over the moon.

Jo:)

 

[Michele Janes]

I have found that when my ptsd symptoms are severe, my pain levels also skyrocket. I have intense muscle pain, headaches, back and neck pain and my hips give me problems as well. I try to do yoga, stretch, take hot baths, use a heating pad, etc. to help manage it but sometimes nothing helps. I hope you feel better soon Jo May.

 

[jo may]

Thank you Michele Janes I hope so to as I have work in a couple days.

 

[NutritionNerd]

Could be some of the other muscles are tightening up and causing the twist.

Sometimes when I go to bed at night my legs tense up in a pattern I think of ride em cowboy - like I'm sitting in a saddle - the whole outside muscles tense up. Makes different parts of my body hurt along with it.

The neck/back thing is usually work related kind of stuff.

 

[Srain]

I also think when my PTSD is worse or I'm working in session with my tdoc on some pretty rough stuff the pain is unbearable or can loop into a flare. For awhile it was knifing pains up my arms and in my shoulders but mostly it's my hips and knees. I live, during these times on heating pads. I have multi-layers of comforters under my sheets for added cushion. Mornings I do my best to stretch it all out and go for that walk because the circulation is vital for my legs and feet, I loved the yoga but I find it hard to do by myself, or maybe it's the dogs running up and licking me thinking it's play time :laugh:

I will try the bath oil. I am not always able to get in the bath because of it's so uncomfortable. -

peace and healing,
Rain

 

[Zipperhead]

I find some of my arousal symptoms come out more when the pain gets bad. Especially the irritability. But, then again, pain causes that too, so the two feed off each other. I don't think the PTSD is causing it. It's just that the pain has some of the same symptoms, so they exacerbate each other.

 

[jo may]

I have been tired and low all day and that's my fault, I know i'm not allowed to drink due to my liver etc.Yet yesterday after therapy I was so upset, angry and heartbroken I felt that was the only way to cope.

But I'm paying for it now I've been shooting from hot to cold a lot, I've also not wanted to eat much, I've felt sick and my liver is throbbing so my lower back is not feeling great.

And I've always said drunken sleep isn't the same as normal sleep, so even though I had my first full nights sleep I was completely wiped out when I got up today. I also fell asleep duing the afternoon, which I've been trying to stop and I ended up having one of my nightmares. So I've been jumpy, withdrawn and in pain.:sick:

I really hope I sleep well tonight as I really need it :)