What is Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, and is it the Cause of Your Shoulder and Arm Pain?

If you have pain, weakness, or numbness into your shoulder and arm, a possible diagnosis is Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS), which can be treated directly in our Tampa office.

What is TOS?

A bundle of nerves and blood vessels called your brachial plexus extends from your lower neck, through your shoulder, and down your arm to your fingertips. This bundle runs through your thoracic outlet on the way to your arm. Your clavicle, first rib, pec minor, and scalene form the border of the outlet. This tunnel can restrict down onto the brachial plexus if the muscles become too tight or if the joints in the area become restricted. If the nerve bundle is affected, there can be weakness, pain, and tingling into your extremity. If the blood vessels are compressed, you could see a change in color or temperature within the arm.

What Causes TOS?

This impingement can come from repetitive usage. This is common in tennis players due to swinging with the same arm, overhead weight lifters, and jobs that require repetitive movements. Compression of the bundle can also take place due to trauma or anatomical defects.

Treatment at Function First

To confirm TOS, we will perform a series of orthopedic tests. These tests will help guide us to our diagnosis that the pain is coming from the thoracic outlet. This will help rule out other potential diagnoses that could cause similar symptoms. Once we have our diagnosis, your doctor will perform myofascial release techniques such as muscle release, scraping, and cupping on the scalene and pec minor. A decrease in tension within these muscles will allow for an increase in space inside the thoracic outlet.

To encourage the muscles to stay relaxed, we want to create a strong core, encourage proper breathing, and strengthen the opposing muscles. We will give a series of rehab exercises to reduce the tightness in the front of your shoulders and strengthen the muscles in your back.

Chiropractic adjustments are crucial to the treatment of this condition. Restrictions in the costochondral and sternoclavicular (SC) joints can cause the first rib and clavicle to press into the brachial plexus due to the decreased range of motion. Adjustments to these joints will allow the size of the thoracic outlet to expand and for the borders of the thoracic outlet to move along with the rest of your body.

The brachial plexus begins at the spine. Therefore, adjusting your spine between your neck and upper back is crucial. This ensures that restrictions in the spine and inflammation around the nerves and blood vessels won’t be the cause of your symptoms.

If you want to learn more or schedule for diagnosis and treatment, go to F1SportsChiro.com, email us at F1SportsChiro@gmail.com, or call us at (813) 421-4250.

Eliminate Pain. Prevent Injury. Improve Performance.