I agree with your thoughts, it's just hard to pull the trigger on something that might make you much better or much worse. What a weird choice to have to make! :)

I'm moving next month and won't rock the boat until after then.

I understand - But if it does work for you and gets you a few months of relief, it was worth the gamble; otherwise, you will never know. I seem to remember that I put off trying botox the first time until I hit a really bad flare and hadn't been able to get any sleep in a several days.

It might be good to try the shot shortly after moving. I'd think moving will flare up the symptoms.

Yeah I'm truly afraid of the move. I need to move, but moving with TOS is scary. I'll be hiring people of course, but there will still be a lot of running around and doing little things.

Which muscles do you get botoxed? How long have you been doing it?

Talking to myself again:

So yesterday after a first rib adjustment, the circulation issues went away, but then I had hard pains in the arm similar to the ntos I first experienced early on in 2011. I presume I smooshed something in the brachial plexus. Woops. Actually I prefer that over the circulation problems because they mess with my heart and brain and general feeling of well being.

Then later in the evening while watching a movie, I was having chest pains on the TOS side. This probably went on for about 45 mins or so. Did the rib adjustment. Chest pains gone.

So I need to get these scalenes elongated and relaxed. I would be at least 80% better.

Been trying the scalene stretches and everytime I think they are getting better, they tighten up again. same with the scm

I believe they do the anterior and middle scalenes. I've had shot on the right side 8 years ago before I opted for surgery. On the left side (current problem area), I've had 4 shots over the past couple of years.

It makes sense that you need to get the scalenes to relax.

Yeah, I know what that's like. My scm used to get crazy tight like I've never experienced in a muscle before. It's much better now. My chiro did myofascial release on it and my PT has worked on my neck as well. And there's the diazepam.

I also spend at least 10 breaths lying on my back and relaxing my neck before I get out of bed in them morning to make sure I'm not carrying undue tension.

It took weeks, maybe even a couple months, before the scm got better. Since I'm always trying multiple things, it can be hard to pinpoint the exact solution after an improvement.

Anyway, regarding the scalenes, I've decided to go with this self neck massage first to bring blood in the area:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duSNnBnqFts

And then I'm going to try these stretches:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59Pgz9plSd0

Followed by the first rib adjustment.

One web page suggested that if you have a tight neck that you start with the neck stretches 3 X per day. So that's my plan for the next couple of weeks. We'll see what happens.

Thanks. I will definitely keep this on my radar, particularly if my new stretching program doesn't yield results.

I was doing the scalene stretches prior to my shoulder surgery. Two more weeks in a sling and then I can start rehab and get back to stretching.

For the record, I don't believe in doing the neck stretches without doing some kind of first rib adjustment afterwards. The stretches could pull the rib up and compress things further.