I think it is fair to say that exercise *can* be helpful- but it alone is not generally the answer to TOS.

lots of us can't exercise much due to vascular constrictions (e.g. exercise=really swollen arms). I don't get that, but if I do too much cardio i end up with a knot the size of my whole back in my back.... a 30 minutes walk around the block is usually too much for me, maybe I can do 15-20. A little cardio can be helpful, and WHILE i am exercising (if i manage not to cross the line into too much) it feels good and for a short while after, but then it hurts again.

and yes, having kids IS super stressful. Like Linda- my main exercising is laundry, cooking, and getting little kids in and out of the car!!!! It ISN'T sedentary...but it also isn't cardio. Mostly it is just nonstop BUSY and LOUD

J, i would suggest that If someone is telling you that just by exercising your TOS problems will be greatly reduced, well, I might not take that person toooooo seriously. Don't get me wrong- do exercise, it will make you feel better in general!!! But it will not make your compressed nerves/arteries stopped being compressed. Further help by PT, alexander, massage, chiro, and/or surgery is very likely to be neccessary.

JoKat- good point.... I hope that I wasn't misunderstood about exercise. What I do is something that my doc, PT, and myself worked on 2-3 times a week for about 2 months in the last 10 months. Even then, if something doesn't "feel" right, they told me to stop that and let them know.

And you're right- having kids (or ONE kid) is stressful. My daughter is wonderful, but she is a handful. When she is awake, if she's not eating, she's crawling all over the place playing with toys, or crawling over mommy and daddy. For me, its the picking her up all the time that kills- I can't seem to find a good way to do that. 25 squirming pounds is tough to control with one arm!

hope all are having a good day!

I actually never said walking wasn't the answer. I was only reiterating the previous threads conclusion, regrettably. I believe that exercise is apart of the answer based on my own battle with RSI.

My symptoms almost go away when I go hiking. For the first twenty minutes, my back hurts, my arm burns, my breathing is shallow. But after I get into the swing of things, out of my head and in turn out of my mindstate of "observing my pain", everything starts moving naturally and I begin to feel better. So, I would say, that, for me, exercising, which by my definition means actually going and doing something specifically with the intent of deriving primary cardio benefit, has helped me a lot in the past few weeks.

I am taking alexander technique classes which have helped me relax immensely. realizing i can't fix myself, or the people around me, or the world around me, and becoming aware of proper posture and how to let go of the tension in my neck has also helped a ton.

Anxiety is a huge part in my pain management. If I get tense or stressed, my back flares up. At my last job, which I quit a week ago, 30 minutes before work my back would start acting up like crazy. By the time I got to work, it was unbearable.

I believe I took the post of walking too personally. Unfortunatly, as I said, I have had to have the joints which connect your big toe to you foot removed. Walking is ok but not over doing it. I feel I do my best physicaly but can only do so much. I felt defensive, and I am sorry for that, maybe hormonal?? Sorry

Linda

Walking all by it's self is one thing - and walking to do chores and laundry is a whole different thing.

It's the arm use and carrying and folding... folding big heavy bath towels does me in easy often I just cram then into the cabinet!
The old arms held out in front of the body thing or even pulling towels/jeans out of the washer when they are all tangled up - not fun.

I was deep in the Rockies this weekend at some great hot springs and on the way back my DH and I stopped at a falls Numa falls
http://www.johnharveyphoto.com/BCRoa...iledFalls.html could post my own....ok I will...will put on my avatar!!!
can't upload it too big! will post them to anyone who wants to see I will put them on my flicker site and then put the thing on here......

k guys....wanted to go hiking sooooo badly the smell of the pines and I thought hell I don't care how much pain I have I want to go hiking!!!
so perhaps this will be the start of a vallium induced hiking ...we shall see not that I could get there for many days...but there are so many things here in Calgary to hike about!!
ok enough
love to all
Victoira

well, I know it can be pretty hellish doing things like walking sometimes. my back and arm really hurt like hell this last hike. I'd say that especially afterwards I felt a huge improvement. the few days afterwards made me feel much much better. I mean, if you hike by yourself, you can take breaks and stuff. I just don't know how everyone else feels but for me, sitting around, atrophying, just doesnt sound like any sort of get better gameplan to me. And, its not even about that. "Fixing" oneself usually leads to making oneself worse. Its about just seeing past the pain occassionally, striving two steps ahead of it. THAT mentality I think is crucial to recovery. Staying up in my head, feeling down on myself makes my symptoms so much worse. I guess I'm saying theres a psychological burden I bare that only being active can get me out of.

MarthaI'm so sorry about your accident. Being in an accident is very frightening. Especially when you have TOS to be concerned about. Thank God you were not seriously injured. My daughter is 17 and drives now and I worry every time she walks out the door. Take care of yourself and rest.

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note & link by jo55
I copied this to Martha's car accident thread-
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...d=1#post141920