I actually never said walking wasn't the answer. I was only reiterating the previous threads conclusion, regrettably. I believe that exercise is apart of the answer based on my own battle with RSI.

My symptoms almost go away when I go hiking. For the first twenty minutes, my back hurts, my arm burns, my breathing is shallow. But after I get into the swing of things, out of my head and in turn out of my mindstate of "observing my pain", everything starts moving naturally and I begin to feel better. So, I would say, that, for me, exercising, which by my definition means actually going and doing something specifically with the intent of deriving primary cardio benefit, has helped me a lot in the past few weeks.

I am taking alexander technique classes which have helped me relax immensely. realizing i can't fix myself, or the people around me, or the world around me, and becoming aware of proper posture and how to let go of the tension in my neck has also helped a ton.

Anxiety is a huge part in my pain management. If I get tense or stressed, my back flares up. At my last job, which I quit a week ago, 30 minutes before work my back would start acting up like crazy. By the time I got to work, it was unbearable.