[noname]

To be clear:

1. Some people (not necessarily recently but in the past as well) have assumed certain things in my posts, e.g. judgment, lack of empathy, advocating extremes etc. Let me be clear....I am a patient. I am not a PT, Doctor, or Health Professional. I have bilateral arterial, vascular and neurogenic TOS (left greater than right).
2. I do have judgments about some people with this illness but when I post "my opinion" it is not directed at any specific person(s). Accept it or don't accept it if it fits for you. It is not only MY opinion but the opinion of many health professionals that I have come in contact with regarding TOS as well as other illnesses. Some people will do the work, others claim to do the work and some are just not willing to do any work. If you have done everything possible to alleviate yourself of this condition (and only YOU can answer that question truthfully) then you are doing what you can to correct or deal with the condition. I myself have fallen victim to "thinking" I'm doing "everything" but being too lazy at times. Being honest with yourself is just as painful at times as the TOS but if you want help/relief/get better sometimes it is important to be truthful and do everything you need to do even if it is hard/painful/difficult/???
3. I cannot repeat often enough...LISTEN TO YOUR BODY...you are your own best medicine/doctor/treatment advisor. No doctor/PT/Chiro etc. is INSIDE your body. You are. What a doctor may advocate may not necessarily be good...then again, it may be what is needed and you feel otherwise. It's a difficult balance to maintain and figure out what IS best. Personally I have myself, my doctor, a PT, a Chiro and a Massage Therapist and an acupuncturist, and weight trainer (not all at the same time...it just depends on what I think may help me at any given moment since my body shifts from time to time)...they each have their own opinions and ideas of how to best help me. Some agree and some disagree...to the extent there is disagreement, I have to decide what to follow if I'm to follow anything. Again, I HAVE TO LISTEN TO MY BODY and trust my instincts. Sometimes I've been told NOT to do X only to find that X does not aggravate my conditon. Surprise, surprise to the professional who said it would hurt me/aggravate my condition. Merely an example that even the best are not always right. They are not inside!
4. What works for one person may or may not work for you. No one can say for certain that X will work for you. You have to decide whether it is something you are willing to try or not willing to try. Some stuff is obvious, other things are not so obvious and some things are surprisingly helpful. I get very excited when I find something that helps ME. When it seems to have some "consistentcy" I jump for joy because I think I have found the magic button FOR ME. It may be one for you too but only YOU can review and decide...consult with the professionals...by all means...same thing you'd do if you found that X drug would provide relief...before you took X drug, you'd ask your health professional his/her opinion. Know though that they may say "NO, don't do X" but that may be just what may help you....I say "MAY HELP" no guarantees...but the doctors are learning about this too...they all don't have the exact cure because each of us is different...TOS has commonalities but the fibers of muscles, the anatomy of nerves, bones etc...make even a millimeter in one person different from that millimeter in another...and YES, it can be a matter of a nerve or muscle fiber moving as little as a millimeter to make a difference. At least FOR ME...I seem to feel sometimes that just a tiny bit of movement...wow...the difference. Again...THAT'S ME....

The information that is posted by anyone is FWIW (For Whatever IT is Worth)...no one knows for certain. Even an MRI gives a view for those few minutes...things can easily change when you get up and walk out of the room...

Things shift daily, hourly ...sometimes not at all...LISTEN TO YOUR BODY...it does speak and sometimes the communication is PAIN until you HEAR IT.

Just my 2 cents again.