[hairdresser]

It's Sunday morning, beautiful sunny summer weather, hubby had to work all weekend. I't just me and the boy(dog). My hands, wrists,elbows are burning. My neck is about the usual level 4 pain, and my scpula(in my back) Is starting that weird tingeling, burning,crawling pain. I know from reading all of the posts here everyone says pt isn't suppose to hurt. Well after Friday, and some cervical traction and my arm being raised,, I am hurting since and still. Immediately after the procedure I had increased buring in my neck and in the centre of my spine(never had burning in my centre of my spine??? I told this to pt and I was told you can expect an increase of pain. Although I hate this I think I should increase gabapentin dose. I can not endure added pain. I am wearing down. I am suppose to have an emg(monofuller needle exam) soon, but as to what I'm reading it seems it could increase my pain. I had the last one 2 yrs ago, after which I had bi-lateral carpal tunnel release.P.S I know it hurts having those needles stuck in and trying to move your muscles. I am awaiting another mri. Thanks for letting me whine

[dawn3063]

I know how you feel... I agree it's a beautiful sunny day here in So California too and I feel awful. I had my last SG block on friday and I have had this lingering headache ever since then. I called the Doc and they said it should be ok unless it gets sever again then go to the ER. They think it is coming from the muscle spasms (probley is)... They want me to keep taking meds and take it easy... So, I have been spending most of my weekend in bed.
My hubby is at work too and it's just me and the kids(my mini schnauzers)but they sure try to be great care takers..
Maybe you can try to use some ice and heat on those sore muscles and spots that came from the PT session.. It may help... By the way they don't have you lifting weights do they.. Weights are a "BIG NO" with TOS... I had gone for PT once and the therapist tried to get me to do the weight machines with 40 pds of weight plus and I put a stop to that very quickly..
But I know it sure "Sucks" when it's a beautiful day and it's spent inside, in bed, in pain...
I do hope your pain levels come down soon...
Many Gentle Hugs to you..
Dawn
Whining is allowed anytime.. I sure know I do enough of it...

[hairdresser]

Thanks Dawn I appreciate your support. There is no weight lifting. Cervical traction, left arm raised and moved around, accu check, heat, ice, and taping of my neck to shoulder area. I am getting worried about the traction, what if it's doing more harm than good? I see my Doctor on Monday, and I will ask these questions to her as well. It seems I have some misfiring of nerves. I wonder if it's safe to use ice?? I always have before. I am scared although not diagnosed that I may have rsd, gabapentine (new drug) is helping with the burning really well at first but I think I may need more, not working as well now. These dogs are worse than children!! Thanks again, Your support is really appreciated.

[Jomar]

I can't remember -did you have c spine problems also, is that why the traction? How much pulling is there- does it seem to be too much ?
I'm thinking if you feel you need to resist the pull you may be tensing your muscles unconsciously and getting spasms from that?

If you are wondering about RSD might be best to mention the subject it to the dr.
see what he says.

[hairdresser]

Originally Posted by jo55

I can't remember -did you have c spine problems also, is that why the traction? How much pulling is there- does it seem to be too much ?
I had a cervical spine mri about 2 yrs ago. It showed mild compression.
There is very little pulling, quite gentle. Jo it seems that physio always flares me up. This time it was different, the burning really increased, neck, shoulders, arms,elbows, wrists and swelling, which is usual for me left and right hand. But the burning in the middle of my spine I never felt this before, usually in my back left scapula area and from my left side of neck down into my elbow(well my whole left arm affected).
I'm thinking if you feel you need to resist the pull you may be tensing your muscles unconsciously and getting spasms from that?
Not to sure, maybe,but at the time it didn't hurt or make me tense.
The physiatrist said my nerves are misfiring??


If you are wondering about RSD might be best to mention the subject it to the dr.
see what he says.

Thanks for responding Jo, I will mention this to my doctor on Monday.

[Sea Pines 50]

it sounds like you have very good instincts about what might be going on. i would trust those!

regarding the traction - i read somewhere in my travels that cervical traction is NOT a good thing for a TOS'er in PT. of course, there are mounds and mounds of theories, aren't there, and everyone has his or her own approach to things. the last thing i want to do is step on your PT's toes.

but it's YOU who should be running the show here. if you think it might be flaring you up - even if it doesn't hurt you at the time - then try not having the traction for a few PT sessions, would be my suggestion, i guess, and see if that doesn't help calm things down a bit for you.

part of the nightmare with TOS i think for all of us, is it's so hard to tell, with a delayed reaction time of 12 hours or more, exactly which activity it was that caused our pain to flare up or our nerve sx to sky-rocket so drastically!

but i am suspicious as i think you are, of the traction. i also would want to know more about how your arm is being manipulated in those PT sessions.

hopefully, you are with a good, TOS-savvy PT who communicates well and often with your doctor and of course with you. talk to your doctor about all of these concerns. it always feels better, for me, when adjustments are made in my tx plan in specific response to stuff that's going on with me. then i know my tx team is not only listening to me, but they are talking to each other. so important!

use today like dawn said to rest up, ice ice baby, go easy on yourself. also, it would probably be v e r y helpful for your doc if you were to keep track of your sx over the next several hours. like exactly how the "nerve pain" travels, the pattern, what triggers it, makes it better/worse, etc.

they like that kind of stuff. helps them to help us.

good luck, and i hope you feel better. and do better. soonest.

alison

[Jomar]

Originally Posted by Sea Pines 50

but it's YOU who should be running the show here. if you think it might be flaring you up - even if it doesn't hurt you at the time - then try not having the traction for a few PT sessions, would be my suggestion, i guess, and see if that doesn't help calm things down a bit for you.

part of the nightmare with TOS i think for all of us, is it's so hard to tell, with a delayed reaction time of 12 hours or more, exactly which activity it was that caused our pain to flare up or our nerve sx to sky-rocket so drastically!

but i am suspicious as i think you are, of the traction. i also would want to know more about how your arm is being manipulated in those PT sessions.

hopefully, you are with a good, TOS-savvy PT who communicates well and often with your doctor and of course with you. talk to your doctor about all of these concerns. it always feels better, for me, when adjustments are made in my tx plan in specific response to stuff that's going on with me. then i know my tx team is not only listening to me, but they are talking to each other. so important!

alison

I totally agree!
PT especially must be asking you first thing at every visit and making adjustments to treatments depending on your responses.
If there isn't the open communication like that and they just follow a preset plan - The therapy will most likely not be of much positive help for you.

The place that did the best PT for me - always went over a quick check off sheet as to how I was feeling since the last visit and what my pain level was on avg. After 2 weeks {of improvement} they would take new measurements - ROMs , pinch grips, strength.

[hairdresser]

Hello to all; thanks so much for your replies, went to the doctor and basically she said to tell the therapist that it has created more pain.My gabapentine is upped, and my doctor says the specialist has booked the mri for plexus. I am having sooo much pain today. I had to drive about 15 min. to go to the doctor, couldn't get home fast enough.I feel like I can hardly hold my neck up, even feels like burning in my throat?? I feel so sick to my stomache from pain. For a long time I denied my pain, disability and truly thought I could resume my life, now I am face to face with all of this, being in pain, no income,a trade I loved that I am unable to work at and absolutely no help from wc except for a small care allowance and physio, and medications. I feel ashamed as I know of lots that never got any help at all. I am grateful to my hard working husband, my family, and to all my friends here that help more than they know(crying), I am such a sapp. Just can't be strong today.

[tshadow]

Annest told me (in the diagnosis phase) to go home and try some traction to rule in or out TOS, and to rule in or out cervical issues. IF the traction caused any discomfort, stop immediately and it was basically a confirmation of TOS causing my pain. If it helped, then my diagnosis would include cervical issues to be further explored, while we delayed TOS surgery. OR something like that...I am not quoting here. (And not waiving my medical privacy by sharing a small bit of my understanding of traction on TOS.)

So in my understanding, the traction should not by used if it causes any discomfort, and if it is beneficial, I understood it would be somewhat immediate. This was also confirmed by a neighbor who had similar symptoms to me, but she immediately benefited from traction and w/in one month all symptoms were gone, and she returned to a highly physical position in medicine / emergency.

I cannot, I repeat, I CANNOT tolerate any PT except for massage. PT according to Drs. (multiple) whom I spoken to should NEVER hurt for TOS. We have an OVERUSE syndrome, for which more overuse is not good. Now this is what I have been told, and I'm not a doctor, but in the past, PT left me totally immobile, so whether I wanted to return or not, I could not.

I am surprised that no one has really talked about this lately, but not everyone on this Board can do PT - there are many (or some) who are like me and cannot be moved / touched in any way, or in only some ways, such as in water, or by a specific PT (Feldenkrais.)

Just about every PT I've ever spoken to boasts that they can "cure" TOS or have "cured" TOS but can NEVER give me a patient name to call...so again, I like was Sea said about listening to your own instincts very carefully.

God bless you and I wish you some good days ahead...

Tam

P.S. Crying is part of the process of recognizing what's going on. This is a major occurrence in our lives. I couldn't believe it myself, and did a lot of crying.

[Jomar]

I know for me, during the PT evaluation, they did a traction test and also a compression test - testing the c spine - since I had some osteophytes/spurs @ C5-5-6 showing on the MRI & xrays.

They did some simple downward pressures and pulling upward and then a few side to side and turned head positions with pressures to see if any pain or symptoms were increased or decreased from the pressure or positions of my head/neck.
none of those had any effect at all for me -so C spine was ruled out as a cause for my arm, neck, hand symptoms.

Of course the PTs that did do this testing - one was a spine rehab spec and one was a teacher of PT - so both were advanced in learning.
My chiro did similar tests when I first went to him too.