tshadow, you did not initially state in your first post above that you had TOS. However, I know that much research has been done on TOS, but like so many of the neurological diseases and conditions represented here in this forum, TOS is highly individual in its symptoms and presentation, and difficult to both diagnose and treat. I handled my fair share of TOS claims during my years as a senior claims examiner. I recall the uphill battle just getting the doppler studies authorized. I do hope things have changed a little since I last opened a w/c claim file in a cubicle while working for a huge international insurance company . . . yeah, dream on, eh?

However, I do recall that TOS can be caused by physical abnormalities and postural deficiencies, as well as a host of accidental causes and injuries. Certainly the invention of the computer has brought about a plethora of physical challenges, from circulatory issues from sitting, to CTS and other repetitive injuries and disorders . . . but so has the television, the automobile, the video game, etc. In fact, technology has brought about a multitude of challenges for the human body that were not part of our agrarian and food-gathering history. That, coupled with a more sedentary lifestyle and dramatic changes in diet over the centuries, has led to increases in strain injuries, repetitive use syndromes and diseases that result form lack of physical engagement in our lifestyles. To pin a diagnosis and the need for more research about it on someone who developed a technology none of us could foresee changing the world as it has is simply frustration playing itself out, imho.

Newer, more ergonomically correct keyboards have been developed over the past decade, and workspaces have been ergonomically studied until the cows come home, but we will likely always have CTS and TOS and other horrible, painful, debilitating and disabling diseases with us. I think that energies are better spent learning to cope with our crappy neurological stuff, supporting research where-ever and when-ever we can, and pushing doctors to think outside the box.

Another area we need to look at, though, is getting employers to see the need for more frequent breaks and task changes, so that the repetitious physical aspects of the job are less likely to cause injury. I recall one client back in the 90's that was actually beginning to rotate workers in a plastics extrusion plant from job to job to cut down on injuries from repetitive tasks. I have also heard of large offices instituting yoga breaks and bringing in massage techs to help cut down on loss of productivity caused by such injuries. Of course, this does little for the labor force at the bottom of the ladder, where long hours, low wages and working conditions often lead to more injuries.