Strange Response

[Nick]

I had a patient this morning who I have seen several times. This morning she had a very strange response to treatment that occurred one other time with me and 3 or 4 other times in unrelated situations. I was performing Simple Contact in standing to help reduce pain and tension in her legs. Her whole body begins to tremble and than she almost bounces in rhythmic muscular contractions. She appears very much in distress, but carries on normal conversation and says she feels otherwise fine. It has continued for over an hour on several occasions and then stops. She feels incredibly tired afterward. She says that she has recently felt more "sway" in standing, but she is always trying to inhibit movement and has become quite afraid of this response. She has had many medical tests and no one has a clue what is going on. It does not appear characteristic of any neurological tremor I have ever seen and the neurologist agrees. Has anyone else seen anything like this before? Any thoughts on origin? I have read Levine's work and think it could possibly be some kind of response to trauma, but if so, it is accompanied by significant dissociation.

Thanks,

Nick

[Diane]

I've seen patients who do that. Usually they've "learned" it at some "healing" workshop they've been to. Or maybe it's a blood sugar issue or something like that.

[Nick]

Thanks Diane.

I'm pretty sure this is not a learned response. She is very embarassed that it happens and very much tries to inhibit it. She is being followed by an endocrinologist as well so maybe the blood sugar issue will pan out. He feels it is a neurological issue, but the neurologist disagrees. It is very unusual type of tremor. As I said he whole body shakes and in sitting she literally bounces up and down - like a whole body clonus. It seems to be related to fatigue of her legs. She has a long history of spinal pain and her legs are very tight and frequently sore and tired.

Nick

[Diane]

Hmmnnn.... are they looking at the possibility of archnoiditis?

[Barrett Dorko]

Nick,

I saw some similar reactions in my career (now over) working as a clinician.

I was never able to figure it out and I'm pretty sure I never helped any of these patients.

Does that help?

Great to see you here. It always makes me feel a little less crazy.

[Nick]

Thanks Barrett. What do you think that says about me?

Nick

[Nick]

Hi Diane,

Tell me more about arachnoidits?

Nick

[Barrett Dorko]

Nick,

It implies only that you have a way of listening to me that conveys understanding and not fear, astonishment or befuddlement.

Sometimes I get that from others.

Well, okay, more than sometimes.

[Diane]

Here is a link (http://www.arachnoiditis.info/) to a very informative NZ site on the topic. There is a picture (http://www.arachnoiditis.info/arachimage.html) on this site, of the cauda equina glued onto/against the acrachnoid membrane instead of being free to slide. Leads to all sorts of weird pain and motor problems. Here is a list of differentials (http://www.emedicine.com/radio/topic49.htm#targetA). Can be brought on by overly enthusiastic and misguided spinal manipulation. Just google it and start reading.

[EricM]

It must be body hiccups. Seriously though, I have never seen anything quite like what you describe before, except for the twitchy teenager I wrote about a while ago. He was quite embarrassed by it if I recall (no he wasn't taking any elicit drugs either). It resolved as his condition improved.

eric

[Karie]

Hi Nick,

I have seen this reaction before and have been taught that it is a combination of a physical and emotional type of letting go that the body/psyche appears to be at odds with each other so to speak. I don't promote it in sessions but it can appear on it's own (there are some people out there like Diane mentions that have "learned" this response) and I usually engage with dialouge that I've been taught and the person resolves out of it. Usually they have been through some type of trauma, physical or emotional, remembered or suppressed, and you have to be careful if you dialouge not to "lead." If the situation brings out some significant psychological issue, I refer them to behavioral health, or if they already are seeing someone then I have them discuss it with their respective behavioral specialist. Since her legs are so tight and you end up ruling out physical things like what Diane suggests, then a possible cause could be some emotional trigger that when you do simple contact it elicits it. She feels it at other times because her body is engaged in that struggle of letting go or keeping it. It can be very anxiety provoking to the person experiencing it.

Karie :-)

[Nick]

Since her legs are so tight and you end up ruling out physical things like what Diane suggests, then a possible cause could be some emotional trigger that when you do simple contact it elicits it. She feels it at other times because her body is engaged in that struggle of letting go or keeping it. It can be very anxiety provoking to the person experiencing it.

Karie :-)

Letting go or keeping what? Would she not have some awareness of an emotion? How do you see Simple Contact eliciting an emotional trigger?


Nick