Now I realize that I've had some of the symptoms for ~1.5 yrs. It started with:
-Left arm swelling
-Left arm pain
-Left hand changing color
- Dull ache that changes to sharp pain in shoulder blade area
- I actually went to the doc so he could check my cholesterol, BP, etc to
be sure that I wasn't having a heart attack. TOS never crossed anyone's
mind.
- Left shoulder pain - I had SLAP lesion repaired in 3/2006. So, I think that
the shoulder injury pain masked TOS pain, but can't be sure. I also had a
nerve block (I believe of the BP, they did it on my neck/shoulder area to
numb my whole arm)
- Then I started to notice the numbness/tingly feeling in my arm, which pretty
much everyone attributed to the shoulder surgery.
- My entire arm continued to hurt, the numbness spread from pinkie/ring finger
to my entire hand
- The NEWEST addition to my list is the "choking/tight shirt" pain at the base
of the neck (i think thats the scalenes acting up).
- I also recently noticed that typing is harder and that it feels like I'm losing
some dexterity in my left hand.
THINGS THAT GIVE ME RELIEF:
- exercise (the elliptical at the gym b/c it is low impact and you don't have to
swing your arms. Helps both physically and mentally
- nerve blocks (Brachial plexus block in my arm) & trigger point injections
- goosebump (spikey balls) between my back and the wall
- GENTLE streching
- Keppra (anti-convulsant for the nerve pain)
- Hydrocodone/Apap
- Focused relaxation (i.e. from "Managing pain..." or if you've had a child and
used the Bradley Method, the relaxation techniques used there help too.
- Staying busy - whether it be work or a hobby, keeping your mind occupied
seems to help by not letting me focus on my pain.
- Our nightly chats - keep me laughing .... LWN!
- Heating pad
Sorry to ramble....hope this helps, even just a little