Well, I can feel typing going downhill by the second, but will try to post an answer here!

Symptoms started within a few weeks following a car accident (with a drunk driver )...had shoulder surgery after a few months, with SLAP lesion repair, reconstruction of some torn ligaments, and several other repairs to the joint. Also have sternoclavicular instability, which contributes to TOS problem, as well as damaged scalenes, and may have some direct brachial plexus injury.

Also had a two-level fusion last August, C5-7; had hoped for more improvement in arm/TOS symptoms. Didn't relieve any of that, but did help with neck spasms and headaches.

-Stabbing pain under left shoulder blade; worsens with pressure against the shoulder blade, such as leaning back in a chair.
-Pain and tightness in traps on left
-Pain and lots of swelling above clavicle (this is where the pain is usually worst)
-Clavicular instability--rotates up and forward, and that causes pain all across clavicle and to sternoclavicular joint
-Deep achey pain in upper arm, with muscle knots
-Pain in left side of neck
-Numbness along outer arm and into left hand; this started with the ring and pinkey fingers but now is entire hand. Numbness and clumsiness worsen with activity (such as typing!), and ANY fine motor work with left hand. Fine motor activity also causes a lot of pain in bp area above clavicle.
-Numbness across back of shoulder to side of neck
-Numbness in left side of face, along with some eye twitching and occasional droopiness of eyelid on that side when things are really flared.
-Recently, occasional hot/burning feeling along outside of elbow and upper arm; sometimes my whole arm feels warm, both inside and to the touch.
-Muscle spasms along outer arm/elbow area, and sometimes across shoulder/neck area
-Fingers on that hand want to curl, especially when in a bad flare. Straightening them causes pain in bp area and hand. Also turning my hand supine (palm up) is usually very uncomfortable.

Things that worsen:
-Everything? Well, almost any use of left arm worsens things, but especially fine motor work with my hand; typing is also getting increasingly difficult. Folding laundry, ironing, sewing (sold my sewing machine ), any pushing/pulling motion, anything involving using my arm in front or to the left side, such as holding a tomato to slice it, etc. Of course, overhead activities with left arm are out. Lifting as well, usually even as much as a coffee cup.
-Letting my arm hang without support, either sitting, standing, or walking. Ugh!
-Driving (although yesterday I actually went out! Drove! Visited friends! Felt okay! Paying for it today, but I so enjoyed it!)
-Doctor's exams!!!
-Delayed pain is pretty common, although lately the delay seems shorter, and sometimes nonexistent.


Things that help:
-Stopping the activity. I don't work outside the home; I'm very grateful for that, as there's NO WAY I would be able to. Many days (especially lately) even keeping up with the meals and housework have been difficult or impossible; my family's taken over a lot of this.
-Sometimes massage helps, but usually makes things worse.
-Pain meds, Zanaflex
-I think a hot tub would help if I had one! Still hoping!
-Lying down with pillows to prop arm on
-Pillow in lap, or armrests to keep support under my arm. I also have straps sewn into my clothes for a "sling" when I'm up and about.
-I've tried some gentle TOS stretches; sometimes it seems to help, sometimes not, and sometimes makes things worse. Seems like it helps most when there's a lot of muscle tightness (makes sense!)

Gotta stop...Take care, all!