Why Phone Use Can Lead to Shoulder, Neck, and Arm Symptoms Many people think their phone only strains their eyes. But holding a phone for long periods can change the way your neck, shoulder, and chest muscles work. Over time, these changes can overload the area where the nerves and blood vessels travel from the […]
When people tell me their Thoracic Outlet Syndrome journey has taken over their life, I understand. I lived it myself. My symptoms started after a traumatic accident that left me with three broken ribs, trouble breathing, and pain that stayed with me for seven long years. My story helps explain how hidden injuries can turn […]
Why Botox in the Traps Can Make Thoracic Outlet Problems Worse Many people are told that Botox is a “simple” way to relax tight neck or shoulder muscles. The truth is this: when it is injected into the wrong muscle, it can create a serious problem—especially for people dealing with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. One patient […]
The optimum management of TOS requires an understanding of the underlying cause(s) of the neurovascular compression or tension (1). Don’t you hate when doctors give you a treatment without determining the cause? Regardless if you have a work injury, auto accident, sports injury, repetitive motion, poor posture, or even cervical ribs, there is usually only […]
When you are involved in an auto accident, there is a traumatic shift of the neck, upper back, shoulder, rib cage, and even jaw. You can suffer chronic pain for a lifetime. Most sports, work, and auto injuries involve a similar injury cycle. There is a period of pain, stiffness (compression), and sometimes compressed nerves, […]
Cervical Ribs are Conditions You Are Born with or Anomalies (Cervical Ribs, Elongated Bones) Cervical ribs are an extra set of ribs at the top of the rib cage. There can also be partial ribs or elongated prominences, called thoracic processes, that doctors think can compress the outlet. It is rare for patients with an […]
Research suggests that thoracic outlet syndrome most frequently occurs following a single episode of neck trauma such as a sports injury. Motor vehicle accidents resulting in whiplash are the most common causes of neck injuries with approximately 1,000,000 per year in the United States (3). An acute injury of the muscles and joints will stimulate […]
Muscle Origin: The subclavius originates from the junction of the first rib and its cartilage. Muscle Insertion: The subclavius inserts on the inferior surface of the middle of the clavicle. Muscle Action: The subclavius action is to depress the clavicle (collarbone). When the subclavius is in an abnormally contracted state, it draws the clavicle […]
When you reach your arm and hand outside perpendicular for longer than a few minutes, you are engaging a sustained contraction of muscles that depress and compress the shoulder down into the thoracic outlet and tunnel. When you reach out your arm to manipulate an object in front of you, a series of muscle contractions […]
I made a list of the top 10 tips you can follow to avoid the activities that increase the risk of thoracic outlet syndrome. This will help you get your game plan together to eliminate these activities of daily living that put you at risk, cause or perpetuate the stress related to thoracic outlet syndrome. […]
