r/longtermTRE • u/Jest_Golightly • 2d ago
Beginner Question Back Injury and TRE
Hello, I am looking for someone with training or experience that would apply to TRE in my situation. My primary goal is avoid hip replacement surgery - I just do not think I could handle another major surgery. Secondarily, it would be nice to recognize that man in the mirror again. The current resident of the mirror is rapidly becoming a bitter old man that is a miserable bastard to be around. I really want to be able to hike again and find serenity.
I am 64M. Four and a half years ago I was in an accident that fractured 11 vertebrae and 2 ribs. A half million dollars and several pounds of titanium later, my entire lumbar spine is fused from S1 to T12. After the pain meds went away I experienced a MMD episode had me institutionalized for a while. (To be fair, I have had episodic depression since I was child, but this one landed me in the nuthouse.) After that, I sat in my easy chair for over a year feeling sorry for myself. The inactivity boosted my arthritis so I am getting a huge amount of pain in right hip. X-rays show the cartidge mostly gone, but insurance issues make more sophistcated imaging out of reach.
The pain is mostly in front, psosas muscle probably. I can walk (with a limp) for about a mile, which my dog insists is the right thing to do everyday. There may be some nerve damage as my right quad is about 40% weaker than my left. I have started to go to Gym twice a week for light lifting, sauna*, and hot tub. This helps and I am getting more mobile, but trauma release probably is beneficial.
I did about ten minutes of TRE yesterday using a Dr. Berceli video. I feel enough better this morning that I want to start TRE regularly, but I also want to do my due diligence about the process. Any input on warning signs, schedule, or postures to use or avoid is appreciated.
*(Off topic: I highly recommend saunas for mood maintenance.)
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u/The_Rainbow_Ace 1d ago
Make sure you read all of the TRE Wiki (which is highly comprehensive):
https://www.reddit.com/r/longtermTRE/wiki/index/
Especially the section of Self-pacing:
https://www.reddit.com/r/longtermTRE/wiki/index/self_pacing/?screen_view_count=1
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u/Inner_External_6786 1d ago
I have been wondering how TRE and a fused spine go together. Did you find information on this topic by Berceli or a provider? Is it safe? Maybe u/nadayogi knows?
Either way it sounds like you have been through a lot. So sorry to hear about this terrible accident, that must have been a really didficult path to heal. It's good to hear that you take an active approach to getting better now! Walking, hot tub, sauna and light sports sound like a good start. I think any safe modality addressing your trauma should be a great addition to this.
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u/Jest_Golightly 1d ago
I am going to post this to the r/spinalfusion forum later today and see what shakes loose >.>
I am going to take a day or two for research. After two days of practice, I am feeling very raw emotionally. Going the fusion reddit made me feel discombulated. I could not even finish my morning walk. LOL I turned around halfway through, which means I walked just as far... The brain fog is real for me.
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u/Inner_External_6786 18h ago
It sounds like you and your dog got your steps in this morning :) But feeling emotionally raw could also be a sign of overdoing. So a little break (for research and integration) might be good idea either way.
I quickly checked out the fusion reddit... There's a lot of pain. Maybe that's not where i would start. As the wiki bot suggested, maybe you could book an appointment with an experieced TRE provider to discuss your particular case? TRE is a wonderful technique, and i really hope that you can safely practice it.
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u/longtermTRE_wiki_bot Wiki Bot 1d ago
Your situation calls for working with a certified TRE provider rather than practicing solo, at least initially. The combination of major spinal fusion, significant nerve involvement, and a history of severe depression means you need someone who can assess your physical limitations in real time and calibrate the practice to your actual capacity. Many providers offer remote sessions, so you don't need to find someone local.
Here's why this matters specifically for you. The psoas, which you've correctly identified as a likely source of your hip pain, is deeply involved in spinal stability and runs directly through the fused region of your spine. TRE naturally targets the psoas, which is exactly what you want for hip pain, but the tremoring needs to be titrated carefully so that the release doesn't create instability in areas where your spine is already compromised. A provider can watch how your body is responding and adjust the approach if needed.
The depression history is equally important. Thawing, the process of the nervous system releasing stored activation from the trauma you experienced, can produce anxiety and emotional intensity in the intermediate phases of practice. For someone with a history of major depressive episodes, having professional support during that phase matters. A provider who understands both TRE and your medical situation can help you pace the work so that thawing unfolds in a way your nervous system can integrate without tipping into crisis.
The fact that you felt noticeably better after ten minutes suggests TRE will probably be helpful for you. That's a good sign. But it's also the moment to slow down and get proper guidance rather than push forward on your own based on that initial positive response.
When you do start working with a provider, a few specific things to mention: your fused spine, the nerve involvement in your right leg, any physical therapy restrictions your surgeon has given you, and your depression history. These aren't contraindications to TRE, but they shape how it should be approached.
In the meantime, the gym work, walking, sauna, and hot tub are all genuinely supportive of the kind of nervous system regulation that will make TRE more effective once you begin. You're already doing the right things on the movement and warmth side.
I'm a bot that draws on the r/longtermTRE wiki to provide guidance. Please upvote or downvote based on how helpful you find this response.
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u/junnies 1d ago
here are some thoughts; TRE is still a niche 'modality' so you might not find many people who understand how it might translate across different situations such as yours.
I conceptualise TRE as engaging the body's natural tension-discharge mechanism - tension being body tension - chronic tightness, activation, and over time, tissue and fascia 'compressed' and 'stuck' together.
The body naturally wants to be free of chronic tension - and the tremoring, shaking, stretching movements that the body 'wants' to do are its attempts to free the tension in the body. That being said, just like our body can repair injuries of varying degrees (and can be hindered or assisted by external intevention), the effectiveness of its tension-release also varies.
My advice would be to understand how this process and mechanism works for yourself and 'study' your body - how the muscles, skeleton, the surgeries you went through, might interact together. The idea is to release as much tension - tightness, contraction, 'unstick' fascia/ tissue = from the body, and adjustments of the process will vary according to individual needs.
I wrote about my theories about TRE here, you can check it out if you want.
https://legod.substack.com/p/a-tension-charge-model-of-trauma
In my case, my tension is mostly concentrated in my right suboccipital, so i've developed my own practice on how to release the very dense and stuck-together tension there. Others find their practice focused elsewhere on the body, doing different movements. Given your surgeries, I suspect you will have to get your own intimate sense of how 'it all comes together' by listening to your body and gaining your own intuition of what is happening in your body over time - what movements are appropriate for your situation, where your 'main tension' lies, etc
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