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Pain on upper chest and mid back
Spine Health | Last Active: Sep 2, 2023 | Replies (21)Comment receiving replies
@soccer1477 I am a cervical spine surgery patient, but I also have thoracic outlet syndrome. It does cause pain at a compression point for pec minor and radiating to arm pit and down the arm. It can have varying points of compression, by basically it is between the collar bone and rib cage.
Physical therapy with myofascial release has helped me a lot. Here are some links to information.
Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/thoracic-outlet-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20353988
MSK Neurology - "How to truly identify and treat thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS)"
https://mskneurology.com/how-truly-treat-thoracic-outlet-syndrome/
Neuropathy - "Myofascial Release Therapy (MFR) for treating compression and pain"
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/myofascial-release-therapy-mfr-for-treating-compression-and-pain/
I was diagnosed in the Vascular lab at Mayo where they put tiny blood pressure cuffs on my fingers. When they move my arm through various positions or by raising my arm and with turning my head, they measure the drop in my pulse and blood pressure. One test is to listen to the pulse in the neck, and the patient turns their head. When I do this, it cuts off my pulse. My hands used to turn blue and get cold. Therapy has helped a lot with doing MFR.
Does this sound similar to your experience? It is hard to find a doctor who understands TOS. You need to look to medical centers who list it as a condition they treat in order to find a specialist. MFR therapy works by releasing overly tight tissue. Tightness can cause compression of nerves and pain, and releasing this relieves the pain and gets the body moving again as it should.
Do you have a specialist in your area who treats TOS?
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THANK YOU so much ma'am for all the information.
Yes, this sounds very similar to what I have, I started seeing an Ortho last week and have a follow-up after a lumbar MRI as I also have issues with my legs, but I have mentioned to him the pain and you know how they work, ONLY ONE THING AT A TIME, I will see him again this week, but now that you have giving me this much information, I'm actually looking for a clinic or specialist that treats TOS, I live in Tampa, I have already found a few through Google search. Have been thinking of going to Jax and scheduling something with Mayo, but the travelling and expenses make me wonder if it would be a good decision and try local first, but then again Mayo is Mayo.
Just a quick story, everything started last year in September with the issue with my chest and back locking up after having a hard workout session and mowing my lawn, I was able to take some med pain and everything went back to semi-normal, a few days later I started having fasciculations around my legs and body, went to GP Who sent me to neuro, he tested me for everything including Stiff Person Syndrom, and Thank God everything came out clear, but he didn't know what could be, so went to another neuro and he said I had Bening fasciculation Syndrom, Cramp fasciculation Syndrome, and Isaac Syndrome so you can imagine my anxiety, two weeks later after seeing him around the end of October my mid back started hurting as i have never experienced, the pain will radiete under arms and upper chest, I felt like going to ER, but the Neuro said let's do some MRIs which came out with 3 Herniated and 6 bulges on thoracic, some issues in my lumbar and also a herniated in C5-C6, but he said physical therapy no need for surgery, while doing physical therapy they had me do wall squats with a ball between my knees, two hours later my hamstring was hurting like i have never felt so bad that it locked up my calf muscle, and I had to stop driving and start walking with a walking stick, but have been able to do some walking now, went to another neuro who did an emg and saw muscle denervation on my leg so wants to do a follow in three months as she cannot discard ALS, so you can imagine the anxiety, spoke with a friend who is a neuro who lives in another country and he said, she should have sent you to an ortho to check on the leg and your back pain rather than just sit and wait as denervation can be caused by muscle injury, so this is where I'm at now, still looking, nervous and scared, but have to keep pushing.
Thank you again for all your help and hope you have a good weekend.