I am wondering if anyone out there with a lot of knowledge or interest in the physical mechanisms and anatomy involved in TOS could theorize on what might have happened (and be happening still) to be causing my TOS? It is one of those weird mysteries I'd like to see solved if I can (like being a patient on an episode of "House" and getting to the right answer). I think poor posture (I had 1st ribs that were stuck/elevated) and a sudden loss of upper body muscle mass led to my TOS, but here is the exact event that pushed it over the edge, and I'm wondering if anyone has a guess to what happened anatomically that day ("LAUNDRY DAY"!):

I lifted a very light laundry basket under my right arm, right out in front of my body, and walked to the laundry room with it, something I had done now and then throughout my life without incident. After a few steps... sproing!! A jolting electric shock sensation went through my right arm. Now, I had, for weeks, been doing a daily exercise involving standing on a rubber tubing (like holding a skipping rope and standing on it) and gripping the two loops on either side (fingers/wrists facing inward) and pulling simultaneously up and out to the sides. In retrospect, I think I was doing this exercise wrong and it was meant to be done with fingers/wrists turned out front. Anyway, after the laundry incident, every time I performed this exercise, I would hear a snap (a 'click') in my right arm (or on my right side somewhere) before my arms even got to shoulder height. This was consistent and reproducible every single time. It seemed like the snapping was occuring on the outer side of my arm or shoulder somewhere, but I wasn't really sure where. It was very odd, and although I had an intermittent dull ache in my arm, that was about all. This went on for 3 months and I didn't think much about it.

3 months later, I wasn't too smart. I held the exact same light laundry basket in the exact way under the same arm and walked to the laundry room. Once again - surprise - I was jolted with an electric shock going down my arm. This time the shock was stronger and may have gone into both arms, but if so, it was definitely more on the right side. After that, it was a fast and steady decline over days and weeks, starting with tingling arms and progressing to extreme tingling in both hands, 4th and 5th fingers being the worst usually, numbness, weakness, and initially a general aching around the shoulder area (not like a joint aching, but more general), especially behind the shoulder (the outer edge, more like the shoulder blade area, perhaps, and ending at the armpit?) It got even worse from there, but I won't go on about that.

I have had an MRI done of my neck and there is no anatomical problem at the C8 nerve root to explain my symptoms, and EMG showed no ulnar entrapment (in fact it showed nothing at all). My neck does not 'feel' like it has ever been the problem, especially as I don't have neck muscle spasms... whatever the problem is, I think it is happening closer to my shoulders and involves bones or whatever other anatomical things might make clicking sounds. My question is: does anyone have any idea of what might have happened with the laundry basket incident and where the entrapment might be happening and *what* might be causing it? My physical therapist did not diagnose TOS but noted a bilateral first ribs issue ("inferior glide") and said that my ribs were stiff and not moving (they are moving fine now, apparently), and put as the diagnosis, "Bilateral C8 compression 2 degrees due to hypermobility of C6/7 and C7/T1 segments" -- but I believe she was wrong about this diagnosis, especially as I've gradually gotten worse despite stabilizing those segments (btw, anyone know what "2 degrees" means?) I am thinking that something *subluxated* that day, and that this is the REAL root of the problem -- but what?? Could my shoulder be hitting something? (my shoulder xrays are normal and I have no history of shoulder problems and have good range of motion, though come to think of it, if anything, I suppose I could be too mobile, and definitely weak in the shoulder area). Could my shoulder blade be hitting something? That is probably where I have felt the most pain... on the outside/back of the shoulder area, whatever that is (scapula). What can these things hit or tug at? What was the snapping sound? (needless to say, I don't do that exercise anymore!!!) My nerves are being tethered or choked somewhere along the thoracic outlet. Can my collarbone be involved? I am aware of the space between collarbone and first rib being an issue for people, but I don't know that it's really the actual root of my problem or full picture of my problem, especially as I am suspecting some possible shoulder involvement somehow.

Again, I have never had a previous known problem with my neck, shoulders, or upper body. The two laundry incidents were just the 'final straw' in something obviously ready to go. However, I *do* have a mild to moderate scoliosis (non-progressive) since puberty, so this probably helps predispose me to this condition somehow (it makes one shoulder higher than the other and gives my thoracic spine a rotational curve... lovely, huh!) and I am also tall/thin on top.

Thanks for any insights anyone has! And if anyone has any similar stories... please share!!! Maybe we can learn from each other!!!

Kat