A foam roller is my friend. It helps me relax. It opens up my chest. It allows my shoulders to drape back.

My body tells me what it wants. If I listen, it is responsive. If I ignore it, it will remind me who is boss.

Posture IS important.

A good PT is worth more than his/her weight in gold. That said, if one doesn't listen to his/her advise and work with him/her on a team effort, he/she is wasted. It's easier to complain that one has a bad PT than to do the work required.

Some pain can be useful and informative. I view it as a teacher of sorts. Silence it and you may miss the lesson. Work with it and it may pay off with benefits.

Exercise is not the enemy. Aerobic exercise can help with circulation and provides nutrients to starved muscles. Strengthening certain muscles helps to correct imbalances that cause compression.

Sometimes something far away from the BP can be a contributing factor to the neuropathy

How much pain is too much?

Some pain can be useful and informative. I view it as a teacher of sorts. Silence it and you may miss the lesson. Work with it and it may pay off with benefits.

It is hard to quantify "pain." What is too much for me may not be too much for you and vice versa. The important thing is that it is trying to TEACH you something. It is not just there to annoy you. If it screams at you and you can't hear the lesson through the screaming, well then that's that. I've taken ALL degrees and tried to catch the lesson. Sometimes I'm successful, and sometimes I'm not.

Another.....

Patience is a virtue. Remedies are not overnight.

Perseverence is a virtue. Some things require that we continue even if we do not see/feel results/better.

Sometimes what feels better may not necessarily be doing you good. If in the long run it does, so much the better.

In my experience with TOS and PT, pain is not acceptable, per discussions with Dr. Togut, Dr. Ellis and Drs. Brantigan and Annest, as well as the PT team at Hoag Hospital, Focus on Health and the team in Denver. All discussed with me in differing detail why PT for TOS cannot involve any pain or strengthening or work hardening. This doesn't mean that some aspect of the PT might later cause a small bit of pain, but anything more than just a small bit they all said was doing more nerve damage than helping. In fact, they explained that if one has pain after walking 10 minutes, that you should do several 3 minute walks (or whatever doesn't cause pain) rather than try to meet "normal" goals or push yourself.

Just my take - everyone can have differing views.

No one is saying to strive for pain.
I said "Some" pain. It is something that happens whether we want it or not (no one really wants it). So when in pain I believe there is a lesson to be learned.
PT will inevitably involve some pain...it is a signal that oops went too far...or oops that movement/position is not okay. That said, the signal OF pain tells both the practitioner and the patient something of value.
Obviously one doesn't want to damage the nerve at all or further.
I disagree with strengthening. I have accomplished a lot of decompression because I strengthened certain weak muscles. In so doing, I did not create pain that did not already exist. Those muscles are now strong enough to HOLD my upper body such that it will not compress the nerve (more work is required to get complete relief as there is still some compression from time to time). Of course this is MY situation but it could apply to many others. I too have spoken with my PT and doctor about the pros and cons of pain and strengthening.

My one thought on the pain during PT. I had been diagnosed years ago with TOS. I have had successful surgery but started a relapse last year. My local neuorolgist referred me to a Physical therapist "supposedly" trained in TOS therapy. By my second visit, she "decided" that it was not TOS but a disc problem and began treating me for that. After the second session I qut going. First thing, I SHOULD NOT have listened to her. She screwed me up greatly and my doc was shocked that this woman took it upon herself to "diagnose" me.

I believe most of us want to believe what we are told when someone tells us that what they are doing is going to make you better and that the pain is ok. It will go away after awhile. In my case that was not what happened. When I told Dr. Togut about this he was upset. I was told to do NO therapy. This has been frustrating to me for the past year but, my pain is actually better than before. I want to exercise but am afraid. I have not gained weight, actually have gone from 145lbs to 120. Just can't tone because of fear of pain.

I know alittle pain, as in muscle pain, is ok, but not nerve pain.

As you said, EVERYONE is different and we all need to know our own bodies and know what we can handle. I really want to exercise. I need an appointment with Dr. T. to see what he says.

I hope everyone listens to their own bodies and doctors and does the best to feel better!! Linda