I'll get to this soon !!!

Jo55.....wow...sounds like me almost to a tea....Hairdresser....I hate shopping too. My P/T tried sometime new the other day, tried to move the first rib by pushing down on my shoulder....never again..within an hour the pain was wicked. Still waiting for word on my surgery, could be a years wait is what they said to me. I'm going to just keep calling....want to be able to shop again soon...lol. (sometimes all we can do is make a joke now again..)

I am supposed to get an MRI-- my doctor thinks I have TOS and now that I read the symptoms everyone is having things are beginning to make sense. I have seen so many doctors and none have been able to diagnose me. I have had recurring dizziness, fainting, pain in arms and legs as well as many other symptoms. I am glad to see that there may be an answer that explains it all. Not knowing is really frustrating.

Thanks,
Laura

Welcome, little buddy.

Glad you found some help already.

Understanding is the beginning of another direction.

There's an abundance of info/resources here.

Just ask and we'll try to work things out together.

Hairdresser ,
I Noticed You Said You Have Eye Pain. Mine Is So Severe It Keeps Me Up At Night Along With My Neck And Shoulders. It's So Bad I Can't Even Think Straight. My Eye Sockets Even Hurt. I Have All These Symptoms I've Read In The Other Post. I Hope , When I Have These Extra Ribs Removed It Gets Alot Better. I Wish You Well.
Cheryl

everything thats listed above is true for myself,there is a few thats not listed that i would be happy to put.
1/teeth very sensetive
2/very uncordinated walking but not constantly
3/head starts bobbing when on a high scale pain
4/blood pressure changes from laying down and getting up
5/showers are not a good idea the pressure beating on spine causes body to start shaking.
6/electric heaters are a trigger for enhancing pain
7/sensativity to light too bright

bumping up-
so more personal observances of symptoms can be updated or added.

Hmm, let's see if I can remember all the physical symptoms I've had since the start right after the car accident:

In ER:
-stiff neck
-inability to turn head and more than a few degrees any direction,
-pain in back of throat when swallowing,
-some chest pain
-burning pain going down my right arm.

The next three or four days:
-Felt like I had, indeed, been rear-ended by a Chevy suburban.
-tops of shoulders were incredibly sore,
-couldn't pick up the 5 pound water jugs I had just purchased at the grocery store right before the accident without shooting pain going up to my neck. Very uncomfortable.

For the first three months:
-gradual decrease in neck pain and shoulders symptoms, however easily aggravated by carrying too heavy of a work bag (I still carry small, light purses only!).
-Lots of scalene muscle pain, especially when lifting.

For the first nine months:
-pain levels settled down,
-however my neck muscles would spasm, locking up again if I over exerted my upper body. Was doing strengthening exercises such as push-ups and working with exercise band per physical therapy instruction.
-otherwise, upper body was okay

Then:
-Started feeling tingling in my fingers when typing on my laptop.
-Took a week break and when I went back to typing, developed pain in my shoulders, elbows, wrists and fingers bilaterally one morning while sitting at the computer.

Symptoms over the last year, in descending order:
-burning of inner wrists
-ulnar nerve distribution pain that felt like ice going up my forearms
-diagnosed with flexor tenosynovitis and TOS
-loss of cervical lordosis (curve) in neck
-tingling and numbness of my hands, fingers, and forearms
-inability to do the dishes, dropping items and loss of hand coordination.
-horrible, burning shoulder and elbow pain during physical therapy for TOS
-burning pain switched to back of wrists after six months
-still have occasional neck pain with particular movements or -picking something up that was to heavy
-negative EMG/NCS

Currently have:
-trigger points on back for sure, probably more elsewhere
-wrist pain that migrates from the front to back, though much better than a year ago
-weird finger and thumb pain
-weak grip strength, but am finally able to do the dishes again!
-back of hand and thumg pain when writing, hand pain when doing fine motor skills like fixing my glasses, old hobbies like making jewelry, and as someone else mentioned, hand pain with small objects like tweezers and fingernail clippers.
-tingling
-muscle atrophy of thumbs, hands and arms
-positive Doppler ultra sound for vascular constriction at 180°
bilaterally
-x-ray shows cervical ribs

Hi there this is going to sound strange but i am so happy to know that i am not crazy. That the symptoms i have are the same as others. I have just found this sight up till now i did not know any one with TOS so i have been dealing with this on my own and with the doctors and there are times they are at aw when i tell them the new symptoms i am having. I stared having a hard time driving about two months ago. My hands swell then the blood vessels start popping so i don't drive unless i have no choice.

Here's how I first found I was starting to get TOS, and how I improved:

TOS SYMPTOMS I had, at the beginning (several years ago):

1. heavy arms

2. tingly or numb arms, including little (5th) fingers

3. weird "alarm" feeling washing over upper body (front & sometimes back)

a. this happened more when I was constipated, I noticed, or hadn't urinated but needed to

b. this happened when I had to turn the car's steering wheel hard, like when turning into a parking lot from a street

c. this also happened when I ate sugary things

4. heart palpitations
---------------

CAUSES of my early stages of TOS were:

1. lifting too many heavy items, for work (it was a new line of work for me)

2. holding steering wheel too high up, (driving job), and, holding steering wheel with a "death grip"

3. bad ergonomics:

a. too much typing on an old fashioned typewriter

b. when I finally got a computer, I didn't realize that it was bad to have keyboard up on a desk (now, I keep keyboard on my lap, when "keyboarding")

c. when first had computer, didn't know I needed to get computer glasses (now I have trifocal power computer glasses, which are +0.75 power, and these allow me to sit about 3 feet from the monitor screen & easily read the screen)

d. didn't know I needed an office chair that was ergonomically good for me, and in my case, without arm rests. I bought a Situs office chair (many adjustments), which brand I first discovered at our local Physical Therapy clinic. See this link: http://www.situsinc.com/seatpg.htm
------------------

How I got the TOS DIAGNOSED: I saw Dr. Charles Brantigan, M.D. (Vascular Surgeon, TOS expert!) in Denver, Colorado, who had me hold my hands up (the "I give up"/Stick 'em up position), etc.

Before I got diagnosed, I had spoken with a local guy (stoneworker) who had already been diagnosed with TOS, and I noticed he had some similar symptoms to what I had been experiencing (numb arms).

This local guy was able to cancel his upcoming surgery for his TOS (that he was scheduled to have), by seeing a woman several times, who did "Aston Patterning" (a type of neuromuscular PT/Physical Therapy), that can greatly help many TOS patients.

Hearing about his good results, led me to "googling" for info about TOS, which I suspected I might have. That led me to Braintalk.org, where TOS patients highly recommended Dr. Brantigan.
-------------------

What helped me to DECREASE the early TOS:

1. Dr. Brantigan said I was on the way to getting TOS, but that I was still in the very early stages. He prescribed 10 sessions with an Occupational Therapist (OT) who happened to be a Feldenkrais practitioner (teacher).

Feldenkrais Method is a wonderfully helpful neuromuscular type of PT/Physical Therapy that is very helpful, for many people with TOS. The lady OT had a lot of experience helping TOS patients, and she helped me a lot! Her name is Charlotte Watership (not in Denver, now). Dr. Brantigan's prescription to see Charlotte, was "to evaluate workstation ergonomics".

2. People on the TOS forum at Braintalk.org, had lots of great advice, which taught me various things to try, that together with Charlotte's Feldenkrais sessions, were so helpful in lessening my TOS!

a. One of the forum people taught herself, which taught me, to put my keyboard directly on my lap, (instead of up on a desk),

b. Keep my knees a little lower than hips, when sitting, and with feet flat on floor, slightly forward of knees, and NOT to use arm rests while "keyboarding" (and no wrist rests, since they aren't needed when keyboard is on lap)

c. Get computer glasses, with power of +0.75 (or +1.00 power, for my "clip on" magnifiers, which I bought from an optometrist, but you can get at a fishing store too)

d. Use a very adjustable office chair (mine is a Situs, but there are other great brands too--Situs is not expensive, but is a really nice, good quality brand)

e. Be sure my monitor is not too high or too low, to prevent neck strain

f. Avoid sugar, which caused "flares"!!!

g. Avoid constipation & avoid putting off urination, which both caused me to have flares, like while hiking, shopping, etc.

Hope this helps! Good luck to all!

Carol (Concerned Lady)
http://cantbreathesuspectvcd.com