This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

Stretches for thoracic outlet syndrome
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4aXRj0uIj4

I've been doing it for a few days and my hands are coming back...after 2 years of numbness and buzzing. I'm taking clonidine too so I don't know if it's the clonidine or the stretches or both that are causing improvement.

Thanks!!!

Wow thanks very much for this information. I have been diagnosed with MS for almost 4 years now. I have excrutiating nerve pain (numbness with pins and needles) from my hands and up my entire arms with a tight band feeling around the top of my ribs. No drugs or supplements have helped so far with pain.
Maybe you have given me some hope here!!! I watched the techniques on You tube and I had quite a difficult time with these exercises. I will be starting these exercises right away and post if I have noticed changes. God knows I am a good canidate for this.

@ariehs De nada. I hope it helps.

@lovebug If you don't already take magnesium, you might want to try some to relax your muscles. Those stretches really hurt when you first start! It's not so bad after a couple of days. I hope it works for you too.

Also, sleeping on your side can make TOS worse so you might want to avoid that.

thanks anonymoose-makes perfect sence. keep your "finds a coming."

I have tried magnesium glycinate with not much pain relief. Sleeping on my side is the only way I can sleep. That will be difficult to change. I also just watched on youtube a doctor from John Hopkins University speak on Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. Wow I have had the typical symptoms of TOS of complete numbness, at times, in the last two fingers of both hands. Again depending on which side I was sleeping on. I know full well that this is not going to take the MS factor away but maybe help me to understand some of my symptoms better. These excerises might help. I am not looking for miracles.

Informative! Hope it helps all Msers out. Thanks for the share!

I don't think it's working for anyone else. They'd be posting if it did.

if you have a foam roller, lying on it like shown in the video is soooo helpful. two additional exercises you can do are to roll side to side lying on the foam roller as shown. as you roll to the right, turn your head to the right, and as you turn left turn your head to the left. keep arms extended as is comfortable and try to keep your body level. it hurts a bit but after feels really good. another is to put the roller perpendicular to your spine fold your hands behind your head as if you are going to do a sit up then point your elbows toward the ceiling. roll up and down keeping your body from bending or sagging (tighten your core muscles) and your head and neck aligned with your body. i call this my meat tenderizer routine. it really helps my neck/ shoulder area loosen up.

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Hi Anonymoose,

My husband, who has a very damaged shoulder, and I tried the rolled up towel. Worked great for him, but I overdid it (because it felt so good) and had sore torso muscles for a couple of days... combo of being in poor shape and having awful spasticity. Thx for posting the link!

Sorry it didn't work out for you, Happy. At least hubbers got some relief. Did you happen to overdo it by rolling up a throw and sleeping on it like I did? Lol. I didn't last more than an hour. I think that thing about moderation applies to stretching too.

I stopped stretching and my hands continue to improve, slowly. I think it's a combo of the clonidine and the stretch that worked for me.

I tried them, thanks! Can definitely feel the stretch.

Cece,

Are your hands numb? If so, did PTA help that at all?

Must get back to the intriguing book I've just started.