Take a deep breath into your stomach – the hand on your chest shouldn’t move and the hand on your stomach should raise as you breathe. Practice diaphragmatic breathing by laying on your back – placing one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach. This will slightly mobilize your first rib and increase the amount of space between your clavicle and first rib – a common site of compression! When doing this, hold the position for 30 seconds and repeat twice. Keeping your back straight, push your shoulder (as close to your neck as you can get) into a lacrosse ball – use as much force as you can tolerate. Keep your shoulders back and your head up!īelow are a few exercises you can start doing NOW, as you schedule an appointment with one of our skilled therapists:įirst Rib Mobilization with Lacrosse Ball:

To decrease the tension on the nerve and increase the amount of space in the thoracic outlet, be mindful of your posture throughout the day. Posture is key! When your shoulders are slumped forward, the space of the thoracic outlet is decreased – thus compressing the neural tissues.

How can I manage Thoracic Outlet Syndrome? We would love to assist you with conservative treatments to prolong your functioning and reduce the likelihood of surgical intervention. Some common sites of compression include: between the first rib and the collarbone, between scalene musculature, below the coracoid process and the pectoralis minor.ĭon’t lose hope – our Doctors of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy can help! Thoracic Outlet Syndrome occurs when the nerves become compressed at some point along its route. Diagnosis can be suspected clinically with specific provocative tests and supplemented with radiographs or vascular studies. After exiting the spinal column, these nerves must run between muscles and bones on its journey down the arm. Thoracic outlet syndrome is a neurovascular disorder resulting from compression of the brachial plexus and/or subclavian vessels in the interval between the neck and axilla.

The nerves that go down your arm and into your hand, exit the spinal column in the neck. Neurogenic TOS is characterized by compression of the brachial plexus nerve roots (C5 to T1) within the scalene triangle and/or subpectoralis space (see anatomy. Nerves exit from your spinal column to innervate the various tissues throughout your body. Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS) is a disabling condition caused by the impingement of the brachial plexus between the upper pectoral muscles and the clavicle. While these symptoms may be associated with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome – our physical therapist and occupational therapists will complete multiple diagnostic tests to rule out other factors or potential diagnoses. We recommend that if you are experiencing these symptoms you pop in for an evaluation. What is Thoracic Outlet Syndrome and do I have it?Īre you experiencing pain throughout your neck and shoulders? Does this pain radiate a numbness and tingling sensation down into your arm or hand? If so, you may have Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. Most people recover.Chief Executive Officer, Orthopedic & Vestibular Physical Therapist Medicines, physical therapy, and relaxation might help. Treatment depends on what caused your TOS.

Repetitive arm and shoulder movements and activity, such as from playing certain sports.

Poor posture that causes nerve compression.

Neurogenic TOS is characterized by compression of the brachial plexus, a network of nerves that run from. Doctors do nerve and imaging studies to diagnose it. Neurogenic (neurological) thoracic outlet syndrome. It usually starts between 20 and 50 years of age. If a vein is compressed, your hand might be sensitive to cold, or turn pale or bluish. If a nerve is compressed, you may also feel weakness in your hand. You may feel burning, tingling, and numbness along your arm, hand, and fingers. The compression can happen between the muscles of your neck and shoulder or between the first rib and collarbone. It happens when the nerves or blood vessels just below your neck are compressed, or squeezed. Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) causes pain in the shoulder, arm, and neck.

Neurological thoracic outlet syndrome