Hi everyone been a long time reader of the forum but don't post much.

I've had steadily increasing TOS symptoms since a car crash in 2004, paid 4 grand ($7000) for bi lateral carpal and cubital releases which obviously did sod all. Had 2 MRI tests and nerve conduction studies, blood tests, physio therapy, ciro blah blah blah. All came back clear, doctor couldn't give a ****. I'm sure this is sounding quite familiar to a lot of you.

Anyway I'll stop dribbling on and get to the point

How does lying in bed with your head propped up on a pellow effect your tos??

I spend most of the day like this being unable to work or do anything interesting. Is it compounding the problem? Should I be sitting bolt upright in a chair? Lying like this my chin is almost touching my chest, a couple of inch's away. It's quite comfortable, but I'll sit properly in a chair and only get into bed when I sleep if it's going to bugger me up

I ask as lying here now I can feel my heads quit forward and my shoulders are slightly forward as the cushions push my sholderblades apart a little.

I try to figure out things that trigger or help this condition but the delay and changes in severity make it almost impossible. Hmm I'm in crippling pain what have I done in the last 5 days that could have done that then...

Anyway I'm babbling again, any input, advise, your own experiences would be most appreciated, thank you

p.s I read what you said on wiki-leaks and I'm sooo telling my dad on you

bothers mine

i sit upright or flat on my back with neck pillow

im also hypermobile tho

My thoughts..

you probably aren't getting good lumbar support and that will compound many things down the road..with the whole body

Our body isn't made to be staying long times in limited positions like that - I really believe we tend to get body wide tissue restrictions & sticky tissues from lack of movement.
for more on that see Sharon Butlers website ( www.selfcare4rsi.com ) or book (in most libraries).

Logically thinking here - if your body (neck) is propped forward most of the time, those structures will begin to change and conform to the way they are put by the propping. Head will be in the forward position which may "feel" better but- that closes down the areas that we need to have more open to make space for the vascular & nerve bundles.

same thing with forward or hunched shoulders makes it worse

Like those sitting at desks/computers, etc for long hours & years and years -the muscles in the front upper body will shorten making the back muscles stretch & weaken - that makes good posture harder to hold on too.

It's a bad cycle to get into, it may "feel" better in the short term to round & slouch but it just makes this condition worse by closing down on the nerves and blood flow.

We need to work to retrain and open up the restricted areas.
to start
Lay flat on the floor with knees up or propped for lumbar comfort & arms at a comfortable angle out to the side. A small pillow OK for neck or head for comfort - but a thin/flat pillow, not one that forces head forward.

If you can do that with comfort then move up to this..lay on foam roll or large towels rolled up tightly - pillow if needed for neck comfort - then just relax with arms at a comfortable position


or...

You can Google for more info about this on some of the good PT sites, body worker sites, ergonomic sites, videos on posture, bodywork & therapies..

be sure check out our sticky threads above the main thread list

Thanks for the input guys

Brought an expensive chair (cheap on fleebay), I'll try sitting in that predominantly, along with a twice a day routine of recommended stretchs, 2 half an hour walks a day, hot showers and drinking plenty of water, see if I can't get my tos in check. Pretty much except that I'll never work as a mechanic again or ride my bike, but would be nice If I could have a go on my guitar and play some video games though (sad I know). Anything else people recommend?

Peter Edgelow is of the same view. Dr. Ellis also. Sitting up in bed to do anything is a no-no. Lying flat is your best bet. If the bed it's self is adjustable, you can raise it, but still, your chin shouldn't be on your chest so you can see the t.v.

i have a wedge i use for reading in bed. a pillow alone aggravates things. i also read on my side in bed, but then a pillow helps both under the head and to lean the book on. if totally at rest i like laying on the carpet with no pillows, corpse pose in yoga, concentrate on tensing up each body part, then relaxing it. the dog supervises this.