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~

How I was diagnosed - A 20 Year Journey

"I can make a diagnosis of thoracic outlet syndrome but the etiological factor can escape at the present time unless there is a severe case of a large cervical rib."
-Carlos A. Selmonosky, M.D

~ ~ ~

I was recently asked how I was diagnosed with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome.
The answer is complicated, as it seems to be for most folks with TOS.

I began with symptoms of Torticollis in 1987, with many repeated rounds of neck-locking up occuring, followed by meds, physical therapy, xrays, MRI's, CAT scans, referrals, chiropracters, at home traction, neck braces, TEN's unit...you name it-I tried it.

I went on living normally inbetween these episodes of frozen neck until 2003.
I was in a car accident and the whiplash stopped me in my tracks.
I was sent for more x-rays and physical therapy.
When three months of that only left me in more pain, I sought out yet another chiropracter, who upon inspection of my xrays, informed me I have cervical ribs.

All those years, all those tests and Doctors and xrays and no one thought to point out to me I have these two extra bones in the area where I have had so much pain.

I began reading and learning about cervical ribs, and continued attempting therapy at home.
The following summer my son went through a growth spurt and his arms began aching terribly. When xrayed, it was noted he has cervical ribs and would need to consult a specialist for possible surgical decompression.



It was in the appointment with my sons surgeon, as he was receiving his diagnosis of TOS, that I knew I also have TOS.
But it would be four more years before I would visit the same doctor for my own symptoms...because my teenage daughter cropped up one year after my son with arm pain and-you guessed it--cervical ribs and TOS!

So eighteen months after my daughter went through surgical decompression, I decided pills and physical therapy, massage and deep breathing were not going to change the situation with these extra bones causing pain in my body.
Besides, if my kids could be brave enough to go through rib resection, so could I!

Once I went to see our family TOS surgeon, I was an easy diagnosis.
My Dr. ran tests-the in office tests-bp, raise hands, twist, turn, strength check, push, pull--then Doppler tests, MRI, x-ray.
Doctor said with my history, my childrens history, and the cervical ribs it was plain as day I have TOS and could benefit from decompression.

And there you have it, my Twenty year journey to a diagnosis.