When I saw my new Neuro he asked if I had tried accupuncture...I told him yes, my PT had tried it with no results...he didn't say much but I kept thinking about it. Since I have extended health care to cover accu. I thought I would give it a try, so this morning I went to see a chiro that does accu. I went over my case with him and he, like the Neuro, said he didn't think it was TOS (I can update if you want to hear about my last Neuro appt) but rather something in my neck...he did feel the tightness in my shoulder, pecs, etc...my hand was cold, went numb numerous times (it's always tingly and will go 'more numb' in certain positions which is why I am being told it is not TOS - TOS comes and goes it is not constant?!)

Anyways - he did the accupuncture and then some adjustments...I am sore now...about 3-1/2 hours later...however I have to remember I am coming off a long weekend and haven't been doing much so my pain is decreased. I have an appt Thursday...my question is...

1) Has anyone had any success with accu. or chiro?
2) Any warnings off what not to do? What to watch out for?

Look forward to hearing from ya!

I've been going to a chiro for years and sometimes when my neck is really bad, an adjustment is the only thing that will help me. I've also had acupuncture and it did help somewhat- but my insurance wouldn't cover it so I wasn't able to keep going. The acupuncturist was a little old Chinese man about 80-something years old- he had been doing acupuncture for over 60 years.

Hi,
Had both.....alll temporary.......so now you need to think.....what will I put my money towards that will be effective.....Chiro worked for less than a week and it was a hell of lot of money.......and Accupuncture by my old physio was good. It helped me to relax and at 30.00 it is not a thing to not try. I hope you have success.......and if you don't go see Brandy I am goonna come and get you and take you there.........

Take care girl!!!!
victoria

Jamy-
So have you have MRIs or very detailed xrays?

did you get to look at them yourself?

did chiro see them? or take new ones?

I guess I don't understand the TOS comes and goes part????
The Dr is saying that? both of them?

I guess for some it is constant and for some {like me} symptoms will wax and wane.
It all depends on the amount and the cause of the damage for each of us. IMO.

your questions-
1) Has anyone had any success with accu. or chiro?

Yes I did/ still do , took about 3 months to get out of the spasms and constant tightness {2x at first a week then as better 1x a week and so on til once a month now}
I also had some long term misalignment issues {hips, ribs, shoulders and neck} and since TOS/RSI/CMP are pretty much chronic conditions I plan to keep going.
It's not a case where just a few adjustments will "fix" you - very rare if that happens.
i guess hypermobility would figure into the mix there - I have hypermoblie joints to some extent. Just hopping off the back of a tailgate and landing wrong will cause hips/low back to change and need readjustment. It doesn't hurt but I feel like I'm walking tilted- LOL.
Cost-
Mine did accept a lower fee - ins didn't cover and chronic case & maybe just a nice chiro.. .{ if fee/ cost is an issue ask about a discount}
approx fees in my area of USA about 50.00 per visit {I pay half that}

2) Any warnings off what not to do? What to watch out for?

If they do the "flying " adj {when they grab you and do a bunch adjs real fast} NOT GOOD

You want gentle precise adjustments and it's a bonus if they do other therapies for you - low level laser, ultrasound, Nimmo, c1/c2 adj, ect.

if you don't feel like a certain DC is helping - try another one- ask around and find an expert.

I have been through the gammet of MRIs and Xrays...MRIs have shown nothing to point to TOS conclusively although I understand often TOS doesn't show up on an MRI. The Neuro was waiting to see the last MRI (done before my last accident) and was going to debate doing another MRI (this one had been done without contrast so even then he thought they may want to do another). I have changed Neuros so I am waiting for him to get all my test results, etc...I see him again in December.

I didn't get the comment that TOS isn't a constant pain/numbness. My hand always feels tingly and that is when I am told that it can't be TOS...yet throw a symptoms list of TOS up and I am checking off a wack of symptoms that I have. I have had EMGs which were 'normal' yet my right hand is considerably weak (which raised an eye at the Neuros office) and my fingers don't sit straight anymore. My hand goes cold, I had a Doppler with weird results yet today apparenrtly my pulse was normal (this chiro did talk like TOS was only vascular...I have been told my TOS is neurogenic)...I have every doc stumped that I have seen...some say TOS...some say not TOS at all but something in my neck...definately neural (sp?) though...Couple car accidents and whiplash will do that though I guess.

I am going to give the chiro and Accu a try. I have about 2-3 hours where I felt pretty good (again the first few hours at work after a long weekend so not sure that counts) and then the pain hit fast and hard...

Thanks for the info...everyone And yes Victoria...I am going to have to call Brandy...just waiting to hear back from my insurance adjuster

And your neck {MRI /XRAYS} don't show any osteophytes or disk damage- everything OK in that way?

That's what I was meaning when i asked- sorry about the confusion on that.

Agreed -TOS normally won't show on a regular MRI- unless a bone problem or perhaps certain thick ligaments/tissues/scar tissue??
someone can probably clarify on that.

I forgot the name of the other - MRA??? {may show it}
{this is when I miss the OBT lost info}

mmm... so you did have whiplash - yes a good chiro should be of help and it may take some consistent months of treatment.

Some drs think you have to have the extra c rib to have "real" TOS - do you think that is their hang up?

You can have TOS from all sorts of causes- scar tissue, boney ligaments, fibrous bands, weird muslces that are extra, nerves that run elsewhere than the standard places, hypertrophic{sp} muscles{oversize} ect.
I'm sure i forgotten some too.

Mine is mostly vascular now - not much nerve sx at all anymore.
Mainly I only have problems with heavy use or extended time use {heavy pulling/lifting, arms out or over head use or repetitive}
just a few certain arm positions will stop blood flow in a minute or so - but pretty rare.

What's your avg pain level for a day?
what is you most bothersome sx?

jo55 - the MRIs, etc did not show anything of any major interest (some slight degeneration at T1 if I remember correctly - but I don't have the reports to say for sure).

I definately have had whiplash...in 97 I t-boned a truck and from what the PT told me then I must have turned my head when I hit the truck...everything that hurt was on the right side...including tearing the cartlidge in my jaw (OW!). I then had whiplash again this Feb...in between then I did have a run-in with a gaurdrail. So there is likely some scar tissue in there somewhere!

I am not sure what the 'hang up' is on the "it's not TOS diagnosis". The chrio kept referring to TOS as being a vascular thing...he said since I had a pulse I didn't have TOS...

Most bothersome sx - pain (hand, forearm, collar bone area, neck, shoulder blade) and the numbness. Pain ranges from 4-9 on any given day...I can tell when I haven't been at work...then the pain is less...as the day goes on I have more pain...by the end of the week I am about to go crazy. I am getting new stuff for my workstations (chair, foot rest, monitor riser, etc) to help maybe give me some relief...we will see.

The Neuro seemed very concerned about how weak my hand was...you know the test where you spread your fingers and try to keep them from closing...ya...I can't do that Not sure what that means.

I had my first appt for all of this in 1999...this has been going on way too long I have seen a variety of docs, been tested for Lupus, etc...MRIs, CTs, EMGs, etc, etc...no where yet...TOS seems like the only thing that measures up

Well today I had a horrible headache all day and felt dizzy - like the room was moving up and down like a ship...not sure if this is coincidence or not...but I felt rough...I see the chiro tomorrow, I will be sure to mention this.

I had some real times of dizziness and other odd symptoms at the beginning of my TOS, like when my bilat RSI and shoulder strains changed over or became TOS?? if that makes sense?

This was so me in 2003-[the day goes on I have more pain...by the end of the week I am about to go crazy]
4- 10hr days and barely made it through those -then recouperate on the 3 days off and all over again- ick bad memories.

when I found this all my odd sx were there under the
VERTEBRAL ARTERY part.
http://tos-syndrome.com/newpage12.htm

DIZZINESS, LIGHTHEADNESS

VERTIGO, SYNCOPE

DIPLOPIA, DYSARTHRIA, DYSPHONIA, DYSPHAGIA= these have to do with speech, swallowing, vision, throat/voice- { i had links to these explainations but lost that in my harddrive crash}

TINNITUS, EAR PAIN


I was looking for Sharon Butlers tape trick and found a whole bunch of her posts at this link[below].
I didn't read all but it should be in there. { in essence you use some sort of first aid or medical tape -place over shoulder and down front and back {shoulder bra strap area} while in good shoulder posture & this tape will give a pulling if you move into a bad posture- just as a reminder.}
she describes her gentle stretching and other thoughts.
http://eeshop.unl.edu/text/sharon.txt

does your collar bone feel like it's being pulled up into your throat or just very tight and sore?

Jo- this Sharon Butler link is great!

I found a post about burning wrist pain which is one of my major complaints...one of my favorite stretches is a shoulder stretch which is exactly what she says to do. She also suggests a lats stretch. I am going to try that right now.....