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Surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome
Bones, Joints & Muscles | Last Active: 10 hours ago | Replies (15)Comment receiving replies
I was recently diagnosed with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. I have an appointment on March 20th to see a vascular surgeon. While researching TOS, this was the most informative explanation I have come across.
https://mskneurology.com/how-truly-treat-thoracic-outlet-syndrome/
I’m pretty sure mine was brought on by playing baseball for the past 50 years. I believe the symptoms started around 10 years ago, but doctors are a little lost on this topic unless they specialize in it. I even mentioned TOS to my primary care doctor a year ago and he said TOS doesn’t cause neurological issues like I have. OMG so not true.
The first time I mentioned symptoms to my doctor was back in 2018. I had difficulty explaining my symptoms, but I remember saying it felt like my arm was dead when playing baseball. I told him it felt as if my right trap and lat were not getting blood supply for lack of a better term. He said take gabapentin which heals nerves. I read up on that drug and never took one.
The website I have attached explains all of my initial symptoms a year ago when I was sent to a neurologist, neurosurgeon, endocrinologist, and rheumatologist. Everyone said I was fine or had just minor to moderate issues, but nothing that explained my symptoms. TOS explains everything. I don’t see how a doctor who has a patient with all of the symptoms of TOS, and makes it well known that I have played a ton of baseball every year, and TOS is a common affliction of baseball players, can miss such an easy diagnosis. They could have saved a lot of money on unnecessary testing over the past year with a TOS ultrasound test that I failed miserably.
Now I can’t wait to see how they go about fixing this. I have tried PT for only 10 sessions so far and had no improvement. I am willing to try anything at this point. Damn I love baseball. If they need to take a rib, off with it I say. Plenty of major league players have done it and returned. I will update you after my next step at the end of March. I hope you find some relief.
As far as MFR, the website I have attached actually shows where stretching it might be doing more harm than good. Take a look. It does feel good, but I feel like I have stretched it every which way possible for the past few years. It might be time to concentrate more on strengthening it.
As always, thanks for the info Jennifer. Push ups always aggravate mine also. I started having success by keeping my hands closer to my body which is more tricep concentrated. The worst is trying to keep my arm straight out in front of me for more than 30 seconds. I can’t even keep the remote up very long before I have to rest my arm. Brutal! Keep us updated snowmass. Thanks!
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@closer0043 I often share the MSK neurology website. The owner of that site says some things that my PT doesn't agree with. I also suffer from TOS. In my case, there is a fine line with strengthening in therapy before it increases symptoms and tightens the muscles and fascia more. I think he criticizes the exercise to squeeze the scapulae together and move them downward.
What really helps me a lot is the MFR myofascial release. This is something that takes a lot of time to be effective as you work through layers of tight tissue, and you need to correct the bad habits that got you there. Sometimes it's an injury like a whiplash underneath it. Over time, we all get tight, so once you have done MFR and re-gained movent and function, you'll need to keep it moving so it doesn't tighten up again. My vascular surgeon who diagnosed TOS advised against TOS surgery because it creates scar tissue that can make it worse. If a person has a cervical rib in the way, that may be a different story. Once you do surgery, you can't undo that choice and will have surgical scar tissue.
With MFR work, you need to find a therapist trained in the John Barnes methods who understands that the stretches are slow and gentle because stretching too hard will cause the body to resist more, or will cause fascia to tear creating more scar tissue. It requires patience and you have to wait for the fascia to unwind itself and release the knots.
As for diagnosis, most doctors miss TOS and patients go misdiagnosed for years. Per one of my neurologists, this is glossed over in medical school with only a day or 2 spent discussing it. I know how frustrating that is, and I had doctors discounting it even after another doctor diagnosed it. My hands used to turn blue and get cold when the circulation was cut off. They didn't believe me. MFR really does help and may be worth a try before someone talks you into surgery. Look for knowledgeable specialists for TOS at medical centers that list it as a condition that they treat. It was my vascular surgeon who recommended MFR therapy.