Oh I wanted to ask if your upper body muscles have gone back to a more normal size yet? Hypertrophy of muscles can be a cause of TOS compressions/impingements too.

Oh I keep thinking of more things to add , sorry..

If you have trigger points in your muscles - those have to be released before the stretches will help very much at all.

Here's our useful sticky thread tons of info- trigger point stuff , videos , articles , saved threads -
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread84.html

I'll try to find his postings. Wow, I wonder if it really works? hmmm?
I have designed some altered figure eight braces. But I get complete relief when the bottom of my scapular is pushed in and stabilized.. If you have the same type of pain in the same places then I would recommend using LEUKOTAPING.. IT WORKED MIRACLES FOR ME when I was at Spaulding Rehab. But it costs a lot..
I developed Scapular winging as a result Of being a Bricklayer while I was getting worse with TOS..
Dr. Dellon from the Dellon Institute out of Maryland operated on me after 3 other drs. failed to decompress the brachial plexus, and he did get my blood flowing again along with a pulse. That was in 05 and for 4 months aft the surgery I felt good. But, because I used those primary muscles for soo many years I developed Scapular winging and now another syndrome that I am being tested for now. I guess the short of it is that I am still only able to go outside for no more than 5 hours at a time before I have to ice, heat, rest, and or breathing techniques. It's a horrific lifestyle, but because I have done so much research over the years along with the general knowledge of my own body, I feel that I might be able to strengthen the shoulder girdle while wearing a brace called the SULLY SHOULDER STABILIZER BRACE. I got fitted for it today and will get next week..
If anyone wants to know about braces I know about quite a few. I just wanna help like you people do for me.
Oh thanks again. Have a good one.
Paul

That is just freaky that you said that because one of the reasons that I get sooo aggravated is due to the comments from my family when they say something like, you never finish a PT or something to that effect. And just like you, I do pretty good with the stretching, but the second the weights are added then I think my body triggers some kind of muscle memory and I get spasms like crazy. They see it as quitting, but they just have no clue about the how baffling and insidious these Syndromes can be.
Do you ever talk to people via phone? I am asking because I have learned a lot just being on here for three days but I know I would benefit by talking to someone like yourself.. Have a good night.
My body is begging for ice..
Pauld

Hi Paul,
I understand your frustration, not too many people can say that.

I benefited greatly when my physical therapist taped my shoulders using the McConnel taping method.

But when the tape was removed my skin went with it, even with the best tape and the white protective tape underneath it.

I had to figure out how to be taped ( it helped so much with the pain) but protect my skin at the same time.

As a Registered Nurse I used to use a product called Opsite. It's what we put over IV sites to protect the site and also for burns and bedsores.( it is a clear very thin film)

I got some Opsite from a medical supply store and had the physical therapist put the opsite on my back and anywhere there was going to be tape. ( I can't believe they don't teach in pt school how to protect the skin,they just give up)

It was like magic, when the tape was removed (along with the opsite I had no skin tearing, rash, nothing) The tape that was used is a very aggressive(non stretching) tape because it is pulling back your shoulders, or reminding you that your posture is bad

I continued to be taped 24/7 for about 8 months. I showered with it on and it would just dry. I would keep it on for maybe 4 days, then off a day( the pain came right back) They taught my husband how to tape me and he did a very good job.

If I had not figured out to use the opsite under the tape there is no way I could have tolerated the taping.

Were you able to look over Dr Nath's website that I posted for you?

OC......That is an awesome suggestion re the Opsite, but unless Paul works in the field himself, he could have a tough time getting it. At the homecare agency where I used to work (in Mass, where Paul is) we tried to use it as a skin barrier to protect fragile skin, but it was NEVER covered by insurance because it is "supposed" to be a wound dressing, not a skin protectant. Gotta love cheap insurance companies

Paul.........many of us are careful about using our real names or giving out personal info because then anyone who googles it can find us here. I don't want WC, for instance, taking the info that I went to a cookout once last month out of context and thinking I can skip about easily and I'm just a malingerer...that kind of thing. Or drug abusers breaking into our homes because they know we have narcotics, etc. That said.....I hope your not a drug abusing claims adjuster at my WC company, because I just pm'd you my number and the contact info for the PT that I worked with. As we all know here, sometimes you just have to talk with someone else who "gets it." It sounds like we have similar well intentioned, but not so well informed families

Hang in there !

Opsite is available in medical supply stores which are open to the public.

Looks like you can buy it online also - I just searched it on a shopping website.

Paul,

Dr Newkirk was never a poster here. If you have a good PT for TOS you can ask to be taped. This should show if a brace could help. A brace that fixes your arm in place is not the type Dr Newkirk designed. Happy continued experimenting!

Doh !

I'm so used to " borrowing" things like that from work, I never even thought of buying them OTC Please disregard and return to your regularly scheduled programming

Add me to the list of those not tolerating any 'strengthening' PT at any point. I did some bodybuilding in my late teens/early twenties and then worked to build up my chest/shoulders almost 10 years ago.
PT that's worked for me: ROM, AROM, nerve gliding, diaphragmatic breathing exercises, cranial-sacral, Strain-Counterstrain technique, heat/ice, etc...I think I'd like to try taping...never have hand anyone try that before on me .