A very strange thing happened to me this weekend...

[MarkJames3]

Hi guys,

So about a month ago I felt like I trapped a nerve in my neck and had always had problems with my neck etc

Went to the docs who just said could be to do with posture etc and said to go for some acupuncture sessions. I never went, over the next few weeks I focused more and more on my back and shoulder, the pain was getting worse and going down my arm, it felt like all my muscles were bruised in my shoulder area and tricep, it was always worse in the morning.

Then at the start of last week I was in absolute agony in the mornings and it got slightly better during the day but was always there pain wise, this made me highly anxious, I went back to a different doc who gave me some tablets and said take these for 2 weeks and if they don't work we can send you for an x ray to see what's going on, this pushed my anxiety through the roof with all terrible thoughts coming into my head and I definitely didn't want an x ray, I started the course of tablets and on Thursday of last week my shoulder suddenly started to feel a bit better, funnily enough I finished work on thurs and knew I had a nice weekend to look forward to as I was going to centre parcs for the weekend, Friday morning came round and again my shoulder felt a bit better, off we went to centre parcs, Saturday my shoulder seemed even better and Sunday morning I woke up for the first time in ages without hardly any stiffness or pain wooohooo. Then Sunday night I started to feel it again, then this morning oh it was back with full force, we left center parcs and I was in pain :-(

All day today it has felt bad, then it suddenly dawned on me what if my anxiety is causing this shoulder pain, all weekend I was happy and distracted and it got a lot better, today I have felt down and anxious about going back to work and reality, and my shoulder pain is back again... Surely it's linked? I have found myself focusing on my shoulder 10x as much today than all weekend .

Sorry for the long story and probable spelling mistakes, I am writing this on my phone

[Andria24]

Mark I'm not 100% on the research but there has been a lot of focus on how the way we think can influence our physical self. Or some such. I know that I can cause what amounts to a self-inflicted enema if I panic about something, that's for sure.

Anyway, it's interesting that you've observed this phenomena from within, and I think that's quite telling. If you've figured that out then the probability of you getting past the anxiety is quite high I'd say.

Here's hoping, and thanks for your perspective

[MarkJames3]

Shame I cant spend every week at Centre Parcs right? haha

I think I have noticed it this time round because of the circumstances surrounding it by being away this weekend, being somewhat distracted and feeling generally happier in myself.

As I say it was only last night and especially this morning when my thoughts started to focus more on not wanting to go home and going back to reality and unfortunately my "reality" these days is a sad and anxious place.

Now I am back home my shoulder is hurting once again and I fear i wont be abel to get back to that happy place again to test my theory out if that makes sense?

[Andria24]

Heck lol I had such a good post typed out (on the ipad here) anyway what I said was this: plan a low cost weekend. Backpack and hill walk with friends. Try wild camping. Poker party. Cinema afternoon then an evening meal with friends at home, of their home. Break out the jigsaw, buy a bit of wine, invite folks round and see what kind of. mess you make.

In short occupy thyself