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DiMarie · 03-04-2008, 01:41 AM

Hi Kat
I bumped up a couple post for you to help in TOS 101.
Often tos folks just have an anomolie that sets up a TOS injury to happen. It is noting one can predict, often not see in an exray, on an MRI and certainly until progressed on an EMG.

The brachial nerve bundle that is affected in tos runs ascross the trapizis of shoulder, from the cervical spine, nerves C5/6/7/8 qnd T1. THe nerve cell is three feet long running into the shoulder, arm and into the hand. all the way to branch into the radial-mediam- ulnar nerves to the finger tips. ANywhere along that three feet there is a hinge a compression can incite pain; including if you are holding a basket stretching the nerve to its limits of comfort it will send a zinger. Continual assults, like if you had a job in that position would leave a horrific world of hurt flaring.

The other thing is that as Tshadow said its diagx is through ruling out other orthopedic or medical problems, then the whats left is brachial injury. Why, until the nerves are so damaged or there is a problem as you said with your upper ribs it cannot be seen and therefore ruled disputed TOS. Only about 5% of TOS cases are diagx as "real:" TOS.

One half of society has short fiborus bands from the collar bone to the neck to support it. NOt half have TOS but an inciting incident as yours could develope a tos injury. Especially I bet it is not just the laundry basket zing, where a nerve may be entangled in scar matter or fiborus bands resticting it, but also the brachial bundle is hyper pain signals all activities.

I remember my daughter had hypermobility and this issue developed; If she yawned, or reached outward, her hands clawed/locked and arms against her chesst. Dr. Fried discribed it as a anomolie of shirp position. Arms agains the chest and hands curled. I had to press several trigger points for the spasms to release. One in the armpit, one in the inner side of the elbow, another in the trapizis area. This could relief the spasms,

Nerves do not heal, they develope scar matter entagling it, like adhisions, the muscles try to wrap around a sick nerve to protect it like a splint making a spasm.
For laundry you may want to stop the basket use and brain storm, me I have net bags and throw them down the steps, I get anyone around to take out of the dryer and carry up or do small arm load no basket to my chest.
I hate to fold, that makes my zings and tings,
I do a lot of kicking of laundry, especially towels or bedding. And if anyone is missing something, look in the dryer!

It is frustrating that there is no test to really rule tos on or out, added to most doctors never see a case in their career, or misdiagx until a lot of damage is done by not recognizing it.

You are so correct it is a House episode, it does a lot of detective work by a TOS expert to explain it to you, do an examin, take a detailed history and medical background, testing to check for other things too.

Also as Tshadow mention about the Thyroid, so very many of us on the forum have thyroid issues, this whether the tos first or thyroid of age, etc, does have a dual effect.
Read, read and read about TOS, A good thing to is a PAIN DIARY,
There are some if we serach the forum that have a persons body and key markers or terms to use to wtch your symptoms, including weather.

This was so helpful going to the doctors and IME's for me.I did them often, not daily unless a flare up.
Another thing, for painful flares a shot of toradol, a non opiate, anti inflamatory works great for ER level flares. I could avoid ER trips for my daughter by getting to the doctors for a shot, for spasms Valium . Best anti spasms med in the world, used knowledgably.

For your arm, I wonder did you try trigger point injections? Press the area over the shoulder, above the wing, I get a feeling of a knife in it often and that is where my flares trigger from. I get marcain in there and wonderful help.
We should start a weekly brainstorm session of HOUSE TOS style for the forum to challange us in and educate in the vast differences in our TOS and where the triggers are and how to accomadate our life style to limit them.
dianne