I have found it so difficult to find an exercise class that doesn't aggravate my symptoms, so I walk a lot. Maybe if you think outside the box you could create and teach an exercise routine for people with TOS and other chronic pain. I think there is really a market there. I would love to go to a class where I could exercise and stretch and the teacher would understand when I chose not to do something, rather than calling me out in front of the class.

I have neurogenic and arterial thoracic outlet syndrome since September 2011. I have been in physical therapy consistently since November 2013. After slowly working my way back to the gym throughout 2014, I have started doing yoga again this year. It's been about three months of weekly classes, and I feel that yoga has been great as part of my exercise routine. There are a handful of more advanced poses that I need to be careful with, but that is no different than any exercise/stretching I am doing these days.

I only added yoga back to my routine once I started feeling confident in the gym with doing weightlifting again. I wouldn't recommend doing yoga if you have not worked your way through the stability/strengthening that most people with TOS end up lacking.

Hi, I have been doing very gentle yoga along with PT for 3 years off and on as well.
I can do Zumba, and walking but I havent gone back into the gym. Can you share what you do at the gym? I'd love to get back ther but am afraid of any arm/shoulder exercises. Did you have someone guiding you?
Thanks, JKL

When I first went back to the gym I was just going through the motions. While glad to be back in the gym it was depressing to be SO limited as I wasn't doing ANY weighted exercises. I just went, did what I could, and tried not to set any time oriented goals.

Now I am almost back to the full gym workout routine I had over three years ago, which was prior to diagnosis. I still don't really do bench press or shoulder press. I went back to the gym and starting focusing in on what my PT was having me do most in therapy- shoulders, neck & core. My neck was extremely deficient and improving stability in my neck has helped so much. My first couple months I only did PT exercises. I added more difficult stability exercises as the complexity of my exercises PT progressed. The last step was to add weights as tolerable. I've listened to my body and put in a lot of work. Some months I've been in the gym EVERY day for 2-3 hours. Currently, I go 5 days a week.

I have been an on and off yoga practitioner for about 20 years, but am not an expert in any way, I am nothing close to regular.
From what I have read some postures are contraindicated for TOS - anything with your arms over your head can be rough. Downward dog can be rough. So unfortunately it would be hard to teach those postures if you rely on examples. That said I don't know anything about yoga instructor training and whether you would need to do everything like that. You would be very sensitive to people with contraindications though and that would be a great attribute in a yoga instructor in my opinion.
However, I have read that some postures are excellent for TOS and my guess is that it would depend on you personally. I have been able to do some light home practicing of some postures and they definitely help me. If nothing else, they relax me which helps with everything. I find twists to be great as they mobilize my back and neck. Of course one has to warm up into a twist...
I also found this article which I refer back to often. Postures such as bridge or anything that opens up your chest without putting the wrong kind of strain on your arm are really good.

Unfortunately I don't have enough posts to paste a link so go to the Yoga Journal website and search for "Have you gone numb". It is a great article.

My 2 cents: It probably can't hurt to improve shoulder stability and upper back strength. From what I've read, slumped shoulders often aggravate these issues.

Since you can't raise your arms, you can't do overhead press. And you can't do pull ups or chin ups. (Yes, women can do both with practice.. . . ) So the best exercises are ruled out. This is frustrating.

If you can, try inverted rows, reverse flys, one arm dumbell rows, and deadlifts.

Inverted rows admit for some progression. With your feet elevated, they can be made more challenging, when you get to that point.

You can lay on an include bench for reverse flys.

For the exercises that can be weighted, try to add a little weight every workout or so. Keep the rep ranges low (5 for deadlifts, <12 for flys, and <15 for rows). Work on strength. High reps with 2 lb dumbells won't do anything useful. You'll get tired, but not strong. Don't waste your time. Strength is key here. You must lift heavy. And you can over time with gradual progression.

If you can squat, skip exercises designed to strengthen you core. Do heavy squats (with a barbell). Start very light and gradually increase the weight doing 3 sets of 5. You'll do more for your core than endless hours of planks and crunches. You simply can't do a heavy squat without a strong core. Your entire body will get stronger as you make progress. . . .

Can you let us know which neck and shoulder exercises you do?

>>> For the exercises that can be weighted, try to add a little weight every workout or so. Keep the rep ranges low (5 for deadlifts, <12 for flys, and <15 for rows). Work on strength. High reps with 2 lb dumbells won't do anything useful. You'll get tired, but not strong. Don't waste your time. Strength is key here. You must lift heavy. And you can over time with gradual progression.

Smut, I thought it should be the opposite, high reps with low weights for endurance, not hypertrophy for strength (perhaps as a progressions?)