Hi guys, just talking about the everyday habits that make our pain worse.

The big ones for myself are: phone use, computer use, sitting too long, leaning to one side or the other when on the couch, forward head posture, forward shoulders.

Now some of these things can be corrected over time by working out, stretching etc.

Other things are actually addictions that have to be broken or severely limited. How many of us spend hours a day on the phone, or computer? I know I do. I believe that looking down at our phone all the time can shorten the anterior scalene which can cause TOS by either pulling up on the first rib or simply narrowing the thoracic outlet space.

Sitting hunched over in your computer chair for hours on end can definitely shorten the pec minor which can cause some winging of the shoulder blade and also cause compression at the pec minor site. Once again, stretching the anterior and working out the posterior should help in theory.

These are tough habits to break. Just because you aren't moving or doing anything doesn't mean you aren't irritating a nerve...

This is so very frustrating, I wish more people were around like there used to be. I see plenty of lurkers. I urge you all to join the conversation.

Thanks.

Sleeping in prone position with your neck rotated to one side also can make your pain worse

Being in one position for any length of time wrecks my day. Even if it's sleeping in a comfortable, supported position. If I don't move my neck, head and arms (ex: if I had a couple of cocktails and hit the pillow immediately after), it feels like I slept on a brick pillow! I have trained myself to move frequently - even if just a tiny bit - all thru the day and night.

Wearing a bra is very painful. Vacuuming, cleaning the shower or windows (or any arm outstretched movements) wrecks me for a day or two. Using my computer for more than 20min makes me nauseous.


Lurking, due to online stalkers.
A.

I would say my overall comfort has improved as my posture has been improving. Computer work does suck.. I still work and an in front of a computer for the vast majority of my work day. Actually the worst thing for me though is using my cell phone especially if I am looking down. I think this is quite possibly the absolute worst thing to do to make symptoms worse. Your whole body rotates inwardly and your neck is looking down. This narrows the space in both the scalene triangle and the pec minor area is shortened.

I am feeling that if I continue training my shoulder stability and deep neck muscles, along with avoiding looking down at the cell phone and excessive computer work I can slowly reverse my TOS. This is my hope. I've been doing PT since about the beginning of January 2019. Twice a week until recently, now 1 time a week. It's a constant thing that I think about my posture now, I recognize when I am slumped over, and try to recognize my breathing as well.

I've learned to utilize stretching and my own bit of soft tissue work on a daily basis as needed.

One thing I am going to ask my PT next time is to dry needle a lot around my neck area, whatever she can get it and also try and mobilize my top rib.

Actually sleeping is the most comfortable thing for me. I usually take my affected arm and lay it straight out from me and I turn my head to the left. I lay on my back. This allows my scalenes on the bad side to slightly stretch and open up, and my arm is extended out to open up the area around pec minor.

This seems to be the most comfortable sleep position, sometimes I just go on my side and say screw it.

The days after a long day in the computer chair are definitely the worst right now. I am looking for a job that gets me away from desk work. As soon as that happens I am out of there.