That's really bad.

I had numbness in my upper body - left side of my face and my ear, causing some hearing issues. I described it "like I had been stuffed in a barrel." That wasn't a textbook symptom I'm sure.

My PT released something in the left side of my occipital region (back of my skull bone on my left side of skull - don't know what's there other than bone) and it physically made me dizzy on the table and was a bit nauseated...

When that session was over... finally ...and I was getting off the table and starting down the hallway, I noticed my balance was off again... hummm... started leaning slightly to the left again...

...then I had to turn around and go to the bathroom.

Yep. I puked!!!! ...

...and now more than ever

well, for the next few weeks (maybe 3) I had a balance issue again. Not too bad, with a touch of dizzy. It worked its way back to normal again, going back to some of my vestibular rehab skills. I managed, though.

But you know what? the left side of my face is not numb anymore. I still can get a hint of it, though.

As far as my ear... well, I've had an outpatient procedure and part of the problem was from my scalenes or neck or whiplash or ??? ... that causes the numbness on that side I guess. Problem since the accident in 2000. I gave the surgeon and his attending staff my history but he didn't take that into account too much until after the procedure when things didn't go too well because of preexistings. Oh, well. live and learn. Me and the doctors.

Yeah... next visit I told my therapist -- while I was on the table again -- and she finished her hold, or whatever she calls it, and released and said, "Yeah. I made a lot of people sick last week" and just went for the shoulder. ouch

she's though. NO mercy. I wear her out

After all that, I have to admit I sure as hell don't understand it, but the myofascial technique helped that.

First time she'd worked there. that's been a while back.

Your eye? Oh, no. I'll bet that's hard on visual things. Aggravating I'll bet.

How is driving with your eye?

So sorry you've had your problems. Nobody should have to suffer and give up what we've had to with TOS and suffer the related issues that we encounter that come along with it.

It's life-altering for sure.

hey, i have stiffness in neck - cracks and crunchies like no ones business!! This has only happened since tos.
the front of my neck has always been a prob - i have a deep itching like pain from collar bone up the front of my neck - looks like its prob my muscles not functioning properly and shrinking! my collar bone is now very boney. have this same deep aching itch in my wrist on the thumb side and that gets skinnier by the month!

i am at a loss as to what i can do to stop this muscle shrinkage - dr says its due to nerves not functioning properly and firing off wrong signals due to intermittent irritation....

Tracy, I think the muscle wasting {shrinking} is from the nerves being impinged or compressed somewhere...
I know when the hand cramps or claws up is from nerve impingement.
A few members had that happen.

Have you ever tried Sharon Butlers stretches?
If the impingements are soft tissue or sticky fascia those stretches should be able to release some of it.
It's not an instant fix but a few sessions 3-4 x's a day might make some good changes for you.

I had the rice krispies in my neck for a long time - tightness and spasms were causing them for me.
now they are gone unless I trigger them.

hey jo, i've not tried sharon butlers stretches yet - i do some basic neck stretches but my scalenes on the affected side are often so tight i find it hard to get much of an effective stretch going on!

so soft tissue/sticky fascia cause nerve impingement.....can they be on/off impinged as well as permanently trapped?

my pain cons says that the nerve signals are being interfered with by my scalenes clamping down on the nerves...this is what he thinks is causing the muscle wasteage - although he could only attribute this idea to the wasteage in the thenar eminence and wasnt sure about the bony collar bone problem...but i have the same hideous deep itching pain there that i do in the part of my hand that has wasted. Oh and the tremor in my little finger is due to how long i have had this problem with.

im still on a learning curve with all the possibilties of the cause of certain symptoms of mine!

im going to start a seperate thread on here to find out what others think or know about the upper and lower branches of the neurovascular bundle being compressed and the different symptoms it causes - something i have just started reading about!

Sharon's book should be in most libraries.
But it is not laid out only for TOS it is for all repetitive injuries so you have to kind of move though the book and jump from page to page.
Her TOS program that I got online is laid out in a logical step by step way.

Her site has quite a bit of info and some articles -
http://www.selfcare4rsi.com/rsi-articles.html

Her basic thing is to sway /swing your body side to side to get warmed up.

Another main point is to only stretch until you feel the hint of a sensation and stay at that point , then as you do it many times a day you should find that point is a little farther each time. It's the baby step theory.
Better to take many tiny baby stretch steps and accomplish something good - than a big "stretch" that sets you back.

She really feels that damaged tissues should not be forced into a stretch- is not a good thing and will not help heal us.

I had to read her book quite a few times for it all to sink in and each time I read it I learned something else.

[pain cons says that the nerve signals are being interfered with by my scalenes clamping down on the nerves.]

That's what i don't understand - why don't they get you some help - like some hands on trigger point or myofasical release sessions to see if the spasms can be stopped?? Have they tried to Rx some hands on therapy for you?
Of course it would still have to be someone with adv. skills & knowledge and experience, not necessarily TOS know how but they would need to listen to what you are telling them and adjust as needed.

When my chiro did the NIMMO stuff {kind of a mix of myofasical/TrP/massage} It really did make a big difference.
I still had limited arm stamina but most of the continuous discomfort was gone.
I found out a couple months later that my top ribs were raised and stuck {from the spasms in scalens/SCM} and he or I didn't realize it - until the adv PT guy decided to try dropping them down - that was heaven...

It might be something that has to be done in order - release the trps and spasms - then try the rib mobilization.

hi all,
as for rib mobilization I get on a white foam roller...hard and roll face to the floor on my ribs between my boobs...which are small and this may be uncomfortable for larger chested ladies...however this keeps my ribs down and in place until I see my MT she helps a lot with mobilizing it.

I swear by the roll technique I made up...perhaps someone esles is doiing it but I swear by it.. just get on face down make sure long hair is pinned up or yo'll be pinned down! then roll on it side to side over both sets of ribs to keep them moving....really works well

love and hugs,
Victoira

hi

You'll have to give me more details.

size of roller? face to the floor? is the roller moving my body up and down my ribs or lateral with the sternum moving side to side/shoulder to shoulder?

I stretch my pecs lying on my back, with that alignment board bowing my thoracic area upward with "palms up."

never thought about doing something on my belly.

I know you would do exercises if you could, so I know you're not able to.

Don't give up...

Okay roller is about 8 inches in diameter and is used to exercise with....obviously not what I do with it....check this you tube video out to see what it is....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lLw81kGeXg
5m50 sec in will help your back...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pQkgyYeV30
okay just took some pics of me on the roller....know that I am not putting weight on my arms just using them for support of balance so no work there...even if you have to keep your arms close to your side lower that`d be fine too. so take a look at my puppy and the roller, me on the roller showing positioning and then moving to the left then to the right.
hopefully things will attach properly!!!

Attached Thumbnails

       

great pics

we have to do what we have to do, I guess. I'll try that too.

How long is it?

You're really rolling over your breast, on hardwood floors... Does that hurt?