thread where i talk to myself and complain
 

so my employer accidentally dropped me from my health ins at the end of last year and now, coincidentally, aetna is saying that are not going to pay for the remaining pt visits for that year, 6 total.

i am not *progressing* fast enough

which is stupid because

i have EHLERS DANLOS SYNDROME and my shoulders are winged!!!!!!!! that take 1-2 years to fix!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

oh and my sex hormones are all low, i started taking some otc creams. i'm not sure if theyre doing anything but we'll see. sex hormones can contribute to pain

Also when I put my arm over my head it feels like my armpit is going to rip in half. Pt said its my lats being too tight

That all sounds Crappy! :Dunno:

#5 Lat Stretch:

http://www.drnickcampos.com/health-n...retchPain.html

damned if you have it, damned if you don't. :mad:

yeah my pt advised me not to stretch my lats bc they're the only things (with pecs) holding me up but i will stretch them eventually

i don't actually have brachial neuritis but this is an idea of what my rt shoulder looks like from the side

http://img.medscape.com/pi/emed/ckb/...-315811-34.jpg


http://hanslindgren.com/blog/scapular-stabilization/
http://hanslindgren.com/assets/Image...-four-test.jpg
this link i just found is interesting

"The Diaphragm’s stabilization effect on the scapula can be demonstrated by activation of proper diaphragm breathing, to develop an increased intra-abdominal pressure, which will decrease the winging of the shoulder blades. By instructing the individual to push the diaphragm further down into the abdominal cavity while still maintaining normal breathing, the anchor points for the scapular stabilizers are further facilitated and the scapular stability will improve. Correct activation of the core by an increased intra-abdominal pressure can be assessed by placing fingers at the lower lateral abdomen, just above the groin. There should be an even expansion of the entire abdominal wall with a firm pressure generated in the lower abdomen.

To achieve the best possible stabilization it is also important that the supporting hands have an even distribution of load (all 5 fingers should be weight bearing). By correcting the weight distribution on the wrists and hands the scapular stabilization often improves. DNS emphasizes proper centration of supporting joints to facilitate good stabilization patterns.

Insufficient stabilization is most often not due to weakness of the muscles but primarily a lack of proper activation. The stabilization patterns therefore have to be properly activated before strengthening of the muscles can be achieved."

this totally applies to me

actualyl yeah the girl i know who cured her completely winging shoulders used this technique i think. DNS. Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization

ive noticed i can lift weights in isolation for my s.a. and lower traps but it's POINTLESS bc you aren't using them in sync with your body correctly, if that makes sense.

i did a few nerve glides today that invovled turning my head :eek: only on my more stable side, the left

i have not gone to bed yet, that is usually when i notice nerve pain..the next day

however i believe that they only irritated my elbow (this is typical for me) and not my neck, which is good! in the past caused major scalene flare ups.


http://www.sini.co.uk/NR/rdonlyres/6...dIanLowry4.jpg
NOT THE EXERCISE PICTURED ABOVE

in PT i am doing a lot of crazy strengthening exercises where i am suspended from cords to activate my lower traps and S.A.. once i do these enoguh ill be able to do 'em on my own on the floor i hope. the cords are great bc they support your body. my torso is totally supported, you can support your head, i used to have mine held up. etc

oh and i am in a fantastic mood bc i MIGHT HAVE found a doctor i saw 2x whos going to help me with my health insurance problems. maybe. i dont want to jinx it

And here is the exercise for the scapular stabilization:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dseNVjRJikQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ztm-k1AyHT8

is EXACTLY what my pt does, i see a lotta youtube vids on nerve glides but they never emphasize keeping the shoulder down with your hand like that

the part about tendons vs nerves is interesting

i wish my upper traps were loose like that vid :D

my levators though are the absolute worst

Holy cow, I know what you mean! Was totally jealous when I saw that. My traps are like 3 X thicker even though the rest of my frame is not, and they do not yield to anything. I have no doubt they a contributing factor to my TOS.

actually i realized my pt basically has me doing this exercise but with my arms out at 90 degrees ilke an L on both sides..i think to keep me from irritating my arm pit. anyways im not that bad at it actually!you have to keep your hips tucked in tho or else you feel it in your lower back.

anyways eventually she will move me to all fours.

i tried doing bicep curls and my l arm got SO FATIGUED. i really think its my shoulder/lower bp/arm pit that carries all my neural tension.

That guy would have Trap envy if he set his sights on me. His back is so defined! Where's his bulging trap hump? :eek:

Maybe TOS surgery should include "upper trap reduction". :D

yeah

my traps around my upper shoulder have loosened up a ton

the upper upper traps that hold up your head tho, mine are SO TIGHT. they used to get so tight i couldn't hear things well

so one of the nerve glides i tried yesterday irritated my upper trap or rhomboid or my levator??? somewhere right above my shoulder is burning today. not bad but i notice it bc i only did the glides on my left side.

i believe the palm of my left hand is less numb than the right but theyve both been numb for soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo long that i kind of can't tell? lol. i know i cant double click on a mouse properly with either hand

anyways, ive been pokin with needles and maybe ill get some sand paper out. im not sure how else to test it

my arm pits are big cobwebs full of old blood and lactic acid

http://healthinsfrustrations.com
Health Insurance Frustrations

Our frustrations with Aetna over delays, denials using policies with scientific flaws, and insufficiently qualified medical directors






http://www.advocacyforpatients.org/hi_file.html

How to File Insurance Appeals

my hands are less numb :eek:

i think. so my median nerve fingers are still really bad (the same) but the palm of my hand (???????) is feeling different

my hands are definitely less numb. however numbness changes now, before it was constant. now sleeping hardens up my fingers. median nerve on my winged scap is def the worst. constantly numb.

i finally got a physiatrist to say i have tos yay

i have a good lower trap exercise i might post later when i am not lazy. it really is idiotproof. i would be surprised if it caused a flare.

i am going to purchase suspension cords ala http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA300_.jpg and set them up in my basement. this is NOT idiotproof but ive been doing baby exercises in pt so i am more confident its a long term solutoin for me.

see you can do stuff like this but on your knees (easier)
http://cdn.mikereinold.com/wp-conten...atus-slide.png

okay get a soft squishy ball like that you can press the palm of your hand in a little. not totally pumped

stand facing a wall, arms length distance, tuck your chin in slightly, and hips aka good posture. straighten one arm in front of you holding ball on wall with palm of your hand, now move arm/palm in small clockwise circles and then counter clockwise circles. you can user your other hand to monitor if you are using upper trap/lats and then go spank yourself. its really tiring for me

Thanks. Where did you get this?

my physical therapist.

i tried googling a pic/info but couldnt find much. its a great execise

ive been resting with that plastic neck thing you mentioned awhile back. it does work. i can tell when i havent used it in awhile, it hurts to lie on it


really you guys, i get definite neck/levator relief when i do some of these exercises. it only lasts for a few minutes but the whole no pain no gain thing is so wrong. you should feel slightly better afterwards if you are strengthening properly.

i noticed in this article http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...spt-04-170.pdf boytos shared it says that curing tos does NOT involve rotator cuff strengthening either which i find interesting but it makes sense. whenever i do those types of exercises i feel like i am doing something wrong

I can't wait to get this thread to page 4 so I don't have to read "my arm pits are big cobwebs full of old blood and lactic acid" every day. :eek: :D

I think I found it, although the ball is bigger than you indicated, but the circles are not:

Shoulder Exercises with Swiss Ball on the Wall
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvzELdpmeNc

Is that it?

yes! my circles are really small tho but same thing. i guess you could use a huge ball i like the small one tho. he's right about pressing your shoulders too close together= BAD

if i didn't use my other hand to monitor my lats i would be donig this all wrong. my scapula is downwardly rotated. id be willing to bet most people here have the same problem.

so i personally wouldnt recommend ts ys or ws for tos. my pt gave me an exercise to do and its so easy that i KNOW i am using my levator. i think those exercises are overrated.

this is gonna sound crazy but i'm going to try soaking in some epsom salts and taking maybe grape seed extract every day and then doing some aerobic type exercise to bump up my circulationa AND scapular stabilization exercises. maybe like flood magnesium to my muscles.


i found a txt file of stretching exercises rec'd by sharon butler i might post later

2 weeks ago i couldn't get on all fours on the ground without feeling like i was going to fall over. now i can and i can slightly lift one arm

heres what pt wrote about my gait >_<

trendelenburg gait
sig knee valgus
pronatory gait
thoracic kyphosis/anterior head, l >r shoulder elevation

i need to read more about the "Serape effect"
•
Providing global stability but is integral to generating and transmitting functional mobility
–
Serape effect is described as the function of trunk muscles generating and transferring forces to the extremities
–
Combining all 3 planes of motion (power movements)
–
PNF patterns moving in functional combined planes

http://eeshop.unl.edu/text/mistrech.txt

good read

i'm stretching *shudder* the left side of my body VERY gently. my left-tspine is stuck so i stretch that a TINy bit and then if i get any weird sensations i stop. i think being low mg was giving me those firework type sensations. im still terrified of stretching tho


Also so get this, people with DYSAUTONOMIA can suffer from these symptoms

• subclavian steal syndrome
• coat hanger pain
• vasovagal syncope

sounds tosish no?

so ive suffered from ALL OF THESE and i believe my stress and bad posture is exacerbating it, coathanger pain describes me really well. i am going to try a drug called florinef to decrease salt wasting.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAkftY6BZS0

my eyes do that ^

more on coathanger pain
http://www.cfsnova.com/qnaCoatHanger.html
spot on!

so for the first time EVER i felt my shoulder blades wrap around my ribcage correctly during an exercise (scap push up). before it would just irritate my upper trap/levator.. this was after stretching my lats and doing a lower trap strengthening exercise on the ropes. i'm trying not to get my hopes up. :)

i have GOOD health insurance and trying to get this covered is a NIGHTMARE. :mad::mad::mad::mad:

i dont see how anyone does it. its ridiculous..paying this much for health insurance, being told youre covered 90 pt visits and then you arent

also i think some of this doctor/pt stuff regarding trigger points...are like full of it. i have huge trigger poitns (BIGASS knots) at the base of my head and a doctor and a pt did not feel them.

pm me if you'd like a bunch of nerve tension/glide pdfs (whole body) used by pts.

I completely agree about the insurance hassle part. I think we have the same insurance company based on a prior post of yours. My plan covers 60 visits a year but I highly doubt they'd pay for 60 visits. Every visit of mine is subject to medical review which can only take place after the appointment has happened. And the review can take up to 30 days once they receive the additional data. You can rack up a lot of uncovered PT visits before you hear the verdict of the visits that they evaluated!!

yup exactly, it makes me ****** off. someone with ehlers danlos syndrome needs to be monitored more than a healthy person. the medical review process is a joke. i'd like to see how they review these things. try telling someone whose body is on fire to just wait thirty days between visits, lol.

i work at a well known hospital/university too. i cant imagine if i had self insurance, not through my employer, i wouldve gone to a bunch of crappy in network pts (not to say all in network pts are crappy but a lot of them are) and i wouldve run out of money and gone on disability.

its pretty frightening.

altho i have to say obsessively reading on the internet has helped me the most. that + taking certain things (not all things) from my pt.. such as not letting my head flop around.

I had personal health insurance for several years and would absolutely return to that insurance provider. I never had a problem getting PT covered and my bills were always promptly paid. Maybe it's changed in the two years since I had personal insurance policies. It took them 8 months to pay for my daughter's hospital stay when she was born . . .