TOS Resolutions for the New Year

* An MRI, to see what's going on since rib resection back in 2008, since my daughters rib entirely regrew and I continue to have nerve/muscle issues.

*Flouroscopy guided injection into spine, C4, to see if that helps

*Try acupuncture

*Work on core strength and stability at the gym, continue with physical therapy for upper body at home

*Meet more of my fellow TOSers, hopefully for a 5K walk/run

*Continue to tweak the TOS diet, more green smoothies, fish, etc...

*Essential oils-research, try.

*Try Biofeedback

*Figure out better, ergonomic seating options, especially for time on computer

*Keep diggin' into this TOS thing, learn more, understand

*Kick TOS in the butt

*Share my journey and encourage my fellow TOSers that even though the pain can be horrible, life can still be good.

*Live well!!

My Physical Therapist Says Part 9

Several weeks ago, I asked my physical therapist for more explanation of how working to improve *strength* will help my TOS situation.

With all the chronic muscle tension and spasm I've had for years, how can I work on strengthening- don't I need to *relax* the muscles?
PT said -"Think of it this way- compare muscle to a rope. You pull on the ends of the rope and the outer fibers are stressed and break.  Over the next couple days, as the recovery and healing takes place, is when you actually gain strength. You don't gain strength as you are stressing the muscle, but afterward, in the repair and recovery. Trust me on this, strengthening and stability are the keys to turning things around for you, but it's going to take time. It took a lot of time for you to get to this place."

I asked about how nerve pain could be reduced by strengthening when I am tensioning the muscle that spasms and tightens its grip on the nerve?!

P.T.'s response-"In a sense, you're right in your thinking; however, your nerve can be hyper sensitive. You use both your arms but the right tires faster and is more painful than the left, (my left arm is usually fine). It seems the nerve is maybe being grabbed by muscle more on the right side.

This journey is about the long haul for you not a quick fix. Keep going. 

You will have days when it flares, and it hurts, but keep going.

You have been very motivated and done the right things to affect positive changes, keep going. 

Things are really very different for you since the time you started here, your tissues have changed. TOS is a really difficult thing for P.T.'s. We have a hard time with that particular disorder, so all the things you have done on your own to change your situation has helped tremendoulsly. Keep going."

I've been trying to sit on my big exercise ball, balancing without touching the floor or the ball with my hands or feet. As soon as my feet leave the floor the nerve pain kicks in and gets worse the longer I stay there.
I asked P.T. why that happens.
"It requires core strength and you're challenging that with what you're doing balancing on the ball like that. Twenty minutes is too much; of course it would cause your pain to flare up." (which is a bummer because it's kind of fun).
I told him the fact that the pain kicks in the second I start balancing makes me think of the muscle that was removed from my neck, and wonder if that pain will ever really go away?
Response-"I dont know, but you are gaining strength, and your tissues have changed so much-keep going."

I hope all my fellow TOSers can glean some encouragement to *Keep Going* on your own TOS journey.

As always, Gentle Hugs~

TOS Walking

I spent a few years being pretty inactive, using TOS as an excuse to not do much.
Seven months ago I began walking a half mile a day. I got increased aching and nervy zappers in my arms, neck, and head from walking, but I persisted and increased my distance slowly.
It felt good to accomplish something, one step at a time, an entire half-mile. It was an improvement. It was a start.

I decided I was going to have pain if I kept sitting on the couch, and I was going to have pain if I went for a walk. I might as well go walk- the fresh air would do me some good and walking might help in the long run.
So I've continued to walk.

The last few weeks I've been logging up to 20 miles per week on hilly dirt roads. With an earbud in one ear, mp3 player tuned to NPR or some peppy music, I take off and aim to complete my walking goal of the day. Around the block (3.5 miles)? To the end of the road and back (2.0 miles)? To visit a friend in town (3.0 miles). As I walk, I remember stories my grandma used to tell me (repeatedly) about walking to school 3 miles one way, uphill, in the snow. Does everyones grandmother tell that story?

Walking with my arms bent helps reduce the hand swelling a bit. I push myself to hit a 4 miles per hour pace. Nervy arm, neck, and head pain still increase after a mile or so, especially if it's colder or windy outside. I try to push through it, sometimes slow down for a bit, let my arms hang at my sides a while, then pick up the pace again.

I googled 'walking and hand swelling' and found it to be common and not just a TOS thing, due to restricted circuation. I open and close my fists a lot while I walk and grab a frozen o.j. can when I get back home.
I've found that if I push too much and walk too far I sometimes get more pain the next day, but if I'm inactive and skip walking a day or two I also get increased pain. Balance is key for me on my journey with TOS.
Some of the benefits of chosing to walk have been stress reduction, weight loss and connecting with a few neighbors I normally wouldn't.

So I'll keep walking, because even with TOS and it's glitches, I can.

*Stay tuned for a post about a walk I'm doing with a fellow TOSer soon, looking forward to that!
I'd love to walk a 5K Spring 2015 with a fellow TOSer...please email me if you're interested!!

Gentle hugs~