I'm sorry, but I m a very active person. My comment about not exercising was because I feel there should be something for me to do proactively. Also, I have had the joints from my big toes removed. Walking for 30 minutes in my neighborhood is not always an option. I have had multiple surgeries on both feet. I want something to do for the TOS. Walking is not the answer.

If its not the answer its not the answer.

Sounds like you're pretty stressed out....

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.