Have you experienced pain in the arms and hands?
Have you noticed numbness and tingling in the arm and hands?
Then you may have Thoracic outlet syndrome. Our expert Morgan tells us about Thoracic outlet syndrome, (also known as TOS) and how we can help with the condition.
Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is the name given to a collection of disorders that are directly linked to the compression of the Brachial plexus, subclavian artery, Subclavian vein or any combination of these (These are the nerves blood vessels that supply the arm).
Within the neck and shoulder region, soft tissue abnormalities can occur which can create tension and load the neurovascular structures within thoracic outlet, leading to TOS.
The three main culprits for causing Thoracic outlet syndrome are the scalene muscles on either side of the neck, the pectorals muscle and the 1st Rib.
There are 3 main types of Thoracic outlet, these include:
Neurogenic TOS.
This is caused when the brachial plexus is compressed within the Thoracic outlet and accounts for 95% of TOS cases. Symptoms of this would purely be numbness/tingling and sometimes sharp pains that travel down the arm and into the hand.
Vascular TOS.
This occurs when one or more veins (Venous TOS) or arteries (Arterial TOS) are compressed. In this case the pain may also be associated with weakness in the hand/arm or even discoloration of the hand itself.
Nonspecific-type TOS.
A sub category of Neurogenic TOS and is Disputed by doctors but is distinguished from classic NTOS by a lack of objective findings on neurological examination.
How can we help with Thoracic outlet syndrome?
Manual therapy has been demonstrated in current research to be an effective way of improving the soft tissue abnormities that cause Thoracic outlet syndrome and will help in reducing the numbness, tingling and pain in patients with TOS.
At The Art Of Healing we pride ourselves on our bespoke approach to treating Thoracic outlet syndrome. We use a mixture of osteopathy, manual therapy, dry needling and the latest in orthopaedic and medical research for rehabilitation. These techniques have helped hundreds of patients at our clinic who have suffered with TOS.
We offer guaranteed same day hands on treatment with our expert team to give you relief from your symptoms and develop plans for future progression.
If you think you are suffering from Thoracic outlet syndrome and are looking for expert advice and treatment, we may be able to help. Book an appointment here, contact our team at info@theartofhealing.uk or Call us on 0203 146 6755.