Anat Baniel Method - Desk Trainer Video- Helpful for computer/desk work!

If you spend much time at a desk or on a computer, this may be helpful for you.
Anat Baniel's Method is derrived from Feldenkrais. It can be a nice, gentle way to retrain your body to work more efficiently with ease. Give it a look!

So interesting-TOS Timeline

http://www.tosmri.com/history.html

**Thanks to TOS Awareness on Facebook for posting this! Thanks to Dr. Scott Werden for providing this information!

More email questions...

Another recent email asked what a typical day is like for me now after one side rib resection. Some of my reply...

I do not need pain meds most days.
However, I do take several of nutritional supplements and have changed my diet drastically hoping to reduce inflamation.
*Future post in the works on diet, inflamation and their possible link to TOS.

I DO drive, but I have to hold the seatbelt away from me.
I have quality of life, and live without debilitating pain for long stretches.

The deal is, I never know when a flareup will occurr-like a dark cloud that follows me around all the time.

This uncertainty gets to be a big mental roadblock for me to have to push past so that fear does not keep me from living.

Before surgery, I hurt all the time and got even worse flareups!

Now, I feel good, some constant muscle tension in my neck/shoulders, but not unrelenting pain. Some slight ache in my arms at times. (I don't always mind my own advice about posture.)

If I overdo it, say too much driving, or carrying something, the arm throbbing starts in and can get pretty brutal. Moreso on the side that has not been resected yet. It slowly goes away within a day or so.

Flareups of pain have occurred randomly over the last few years since surgery.

It has gone as long as several months inbetween acute flareups, and it has been as little as a couple weeks inbetween episodes of acute pain.

My Dr. said he also took as much of the c-rib as he could, but really just the tip, so I still have most of both cervical ribs.

I sometimes wonder if it might have been better to have the actual crib removed up in the neck, but I did alot of reading on that procedure and personally felt more confident in my doctors transaxillary(armpit) approach.

I've learned to break things down into smaller tasks-carry lighter loads, move a little easier.

I was quite down in the dumps before my surgery and during recovery- you could say depressed. Pain has a way of being depressing, to say the least.

I too was so afraid I'd never get to live the same again-like my old self before the pain.

I am thankful to report I do not have debilitating pain most of the time now.
The flareups do get me down occasionally and remind me I have to be vigilant with all the things I juggle, reading, learning, trying new things to avoid pain.

It has helped me tremendously to feel informed and understand medically what is going on with my body.

I hope that answer your questions.

Take care!

TOS Questions

I was recently asked via email if I regret having the rib resection surgery, if I have returned to work, and if I plan to have the left side resection.


My response...

"I do not regret having the surgery.

My pain was constant and unrelenting prior to rib resection, as was the case with both my kids resections.

However, all three of us continue to need to be mindful about our TOS and not do certain things that aggrivate it.

We each continue to have flare ups and intermittent pain.

Recovery from rib resection was difficult for me, being older.

I may have surgery on the left side-if the pain becomes unmanageable.

And no, I have not returned to work per my Dr's recommendation to avoid work requiring "lifting, repetitive arm movements, extending the arms, etc. Once you have TOS, even after surgery, you always have TOS." Very difficult to find work with all those exemptions!

I hope my experience is helpful to you.

Take care,

~Robin"

**I am always happy to answer any questions-feel free to email me.
My hope is that at least my pain can help someone else dealing with their journey with TOS.

And we're off!

Happy New Year to my fellow TOSers out there.
I hope it will be one of minimal discomfort for us all.

So far in this new year, that has not been the case for me.
Since my right rib resection a few years ago, I do have many days of little to no pain.
But there is always this dark dreadful little cloud that follows me around.
That question- Will today be the day I move the wrong way or over do it?
Will I flare up and be sent into the familiar cycle of inflamation, pain, spasms, aching??



Indeed I am dealing with a big flareup right now.
Quite frustrating on top of all the things I try to juggle hoping to feel better for longer stretches at a time.
My microwave rice packs have been my friend the last several days.
Lots of water, push myself to keep moving-even though I am twisted and bent from the muscles locked in spasm.

My left arm throbs.

That's what started this whole crishendo of muscles and nerves misfiring.
I was half awake early on the last morning of 2011, and I began to stretch, and twisted my neck in just the wrong way...which is easy to do with hunking cervical ribs in the way...and shoot if I didn't know immediately I was in for it.
Sigh.
So it's been ibuprophen, eating light, lots of tea and music to lighten my mood.
Hot shower, trying taking some Omega 3's for inflamation, went on a little ride in the car-with someone else driving.
Back home to lay flat.
Resisting muscle relaxers and heavier pain meds if I possibly can this time around.
I hurt-but the meds tear my insides up.
It is really work to not get sucked into the pitts when youre in pain.

Just another day on my journey...with TOS.