noname- if on a treadmill you are resting your arms on the rail and if outside yuo are dangling/swinging youre arms, that is probably enough of a difference right there.


I do think that for some, if you can engage your shoulder blades before swinging your arms (so your are sort of pulling your shoulders up and back a bit rather than letting them hang loose) it will reduce the trendency to swell.

One of the PT's i stopped seeing for other reasons gave me that shoulder blade advice the first day i saw him (it was enough to get me to come back, but he proved not to be very sensitive to us painned types and I eventually left him a few flares later) . He proved it by lifting up on my elbow while i tried to look side to side, and without the shoulders pulling down i could move farther. He said it was because my traps were overstretched (as opposed to too tight which is what i had thought they were).

I am not sure this explanation is correct, but it does help the pain in my arms when I walk or lift things or do exercises if i engage the shoulders first-

so there you have it

As for ultrasounds, well, Dr Jordan does an ultrasound and sees almost the same thing as Dr Collins 12,000 MRI/MRA but the ultrasound costs $390. Generally they are simple and painless- i don't know how you could go too wrong.

GOod luck, adn you are probably right to investigate the source of the sweilling- some can be a sign of very bad things, other i think is more just annoying.

Johanna

I'm noticing more swelling than usual even with a shorter walk today and also more pain in the arm and then leftover after my walk so I made an appt to see a doc does the ultrasound. The office said they are first looking for clots and that they could tell if the swelling is artery, vein or lynph. It would seem odd to have a clot after 4 yrs of TOS wouldn't it? I doubt that that is the problem. In the meantime I will keep my arm activities to a minimum until it is checked out.

I can't help but wonder why Dr Sanders or some of the other well known TOS surgeons don't rely more on an ultrasound if can see so much and for such a relatively low price in comparision to the 3D MRA. I've had that and also the the scalene and pec minor blocks. Does Dr Jordan do add'l testing once the ultrasound is performed?

I feel very relieved to have the support of the group. thank you all.

cardio, heat and just plain ole function all causes swelling and throbbing for me.

Hi Fern,

not odd to have clot this far in....could be activity level, could be compression related could be any difference in the vein or artery.....so very very impoertant to check....

Watch for hot areas, anything that is red on it's own and gets very painful to the touch....signs of clots....and be very careful if thre is a clot then you certainly DON'T WANT to dislodge it keep activity at a low level till you see the doc and get the all clear.....

best of luck
love and hugs,
Victoria

dr J usually does ultrasound with emg guided scalene block and thorogh office exam. He will send you for other diagnostice if he feels neccessary, but I think for straight forward people it is just the ultrasound and Scalene block. He developed his particular ultrasound procedure and can see arterial compression and certain anatomical features like fibrous bands.

Johanna

Thanks Johanna. I tried doing a search to see if I could find Dr Jordan's protocol. I'd like to ask this dr how his protocol is similar or different. I think he is a vascular surgeon and their follow up test is some sort of ct-angiogram. Since mine is mostly neuro, I doubt that will be my route.

btw-here is an interesting info on the MRA done by Dr Werden, the dr who does the MRA in No CA

http://www.tosmri.com/docs/TOS-White-Paper.pdf

http://www.chongjiu.cn/chongjiu-C40610R001.html

this is about all i have ever found written up about Jordan's procedure...similar blurbs in a few places. I don't know if there is a paper or not, maybe in the publication cycle, still.