Thoracic Outlet Syndrome-TOS
- Thread starter aragorn
- Start date
I discovered this thread one year ago when a thoracic outlet syndrome was found to me on last September.
At the time, the rheumatologist I use to visit for several year was suspecting this outlet syndrome. She then ordered a radiography of the cervical rachis, a dynamic arterial/venous Doppler and an electroneuromyography for my two arms.
Then came the results and they say I have two bilateral supernumerary cervical ribs
, a significant outlet syndrome on both sides, with a more pronounced way on the right arm for arterial flux (which could lead to a thrombosis) and a more pronounced way on the left for nerve flux (which could lead to a paralysis). That could partly explain all the pain I got through for many years in my back and neck.
Since last September, each week (sometimes twice a week) I have a physical therapy, which helps me to relieve the pain and get a bit more cumfortable, but not always. I also must avoid too long period on computer and should not carry things, even a little bag on my shoulder. I must say that this issue is pretty exhausting in many ways especially if I do not take care enough of these recommendations.
So, instead to have 12 pairs of ribs I've got 13 of them. It also is correlated with a pronounced denervation in root C6 and C8 territories and moderate in the C7 territories (from electroneuromyography), with a spondyloarthosis on C5-C6, with a median discal hernia on C6-C7 and a degenerative disc disease on D9-D10 (from MRI scan).
The rheumatologist think that it could be worst than do nothing to go to the hospital and remove them. Plus I do not really want to go for a hospital stay for something which does not seem efficient.
I found that being at sun (when possible), have some rest and be careful with diet helps me to feel less pain and discomfort.
From French Wiki (there is not the same in English, just in Deutsch and Polski) here what they have to say about it (quick Google translation):
Hereafter a picture of what is a single supernumerary rib (right side of the picture/left side of the person):
This issue leads to these symptoms that I more or less have:
- Paleness of the hand (discoloration).
- Cyanosis (blue-gray coloring of the hand) at an advanced stage.
- Presence of Raynaud's phenomenon: the fingers of the hands and feet, like any other part of the body, have small arteries called arterioles. When subjected to cold, they are 'closed', that is to say, their size decreases, resulting in a drop in blood supply at this level. In medical terms, this is called paroxysmal digital ischemia, manifested by the successive appearance of episodes of pallor and cyanosis (coloration bluish-gray and resulting lack of oxygen in the fingers). A bright red coloration associated with pain of the fingers concerned can be caused by too abrupt warming or emotional stress interrupting the blood supply. The location of this phenomenon is sometimes limited to two or three fingers of each hand. It is estimated that Raynaud's phenomenon affects about 10% of the general population.
- Edema of the arm in some cases.
- Fingers deformation as arthrosis that I now have.
I found this which could help others to figure out some explanations of this syndrome/congenital variants:
At the time, the rheumatologist I use to visit for several year was suspecting this outlet syndrome. She then ordered a radiography of the cervical rachis, a dynamic arterial/venous Doppler and an electroneuromyography for my two arms.
Then came the results and they say I have two bilateral supernumerary cervical ribs
, a significant outlet syndrome on both sides, with a more pronounced way on the right arm for arterial flux (which could lead to a thrombosis) and a more pronounced way on the left for nerve flux (which could lead to a paralysis). That could partly explain all the pain I got through for many years in my back and neck. Since last September, each week (sometimes twice a week) I have a physical therapy, which helps me to relieve the pain and get a bit more cumfortable, but not always. I also must avoid too long period on computer and should not carry things, even a little bag on my shoulder. I must say that this issue is pretty exhausting in many ways especially if I do not take care enough of these recommendations.
So, instead to have 12 pairs of ribs I've got 13 of them. It also is correlated with a pronounced denervation in root C6 and C8 territories and moderate in the C7 territories (from electroneuromyography), with a spondyloarthosis on C5-C6, with a median discal hernia on C6-C7 and a degenerative disc disease on D9-D10 (from MRI scan).
The rheumatologist think that it could be worst than do nothing to go to the hospital and remove them. Plus I do not really want to go for a hospital stay for something which does not seem efficient.
I found that being at sun (when possible), have some rest and be careful with diet helps me to feel less pain and discomfort.
From French Wiki (there is not the same in English, just in Deutsch and Polski) here what they have to say about it (quick Google translation):
Hereafter a picture of what is a single supernumerary rib (right side of the picture/left side of the person):
This issue leads to these symptoms that I more or less have:
- Paleness of the hand (discoloration).
- Cyanosis (blue-gray coloring of the hand) at an advanced stage.
- Presence of Raynaud's phenomenon: the fingers of the hands and feet, like any other part of the body, have small arteries called arterioles. When subjected to cold, they are 'closed', that is to say, their size decreases, resulting in a drop in blood supply at this level. In medical terms, this is called paroxysmal digital ischemia, manifested by the successive appearance of episodes of pallor and cyanosis (coloration bluish-gray and resulting lack of oxygen in the fingers). A bright red coloration associated with pain of the fingers concerned can be caused by too abrupt warming or emotional stress interrupting the blood supply. The location of this phenomenon is sometimes limited to two or three fingers of each hand. It is estimated that Raynaud's phenomenon affects about 10% of the general population.
- Edema of the arm in some cases.
- Fingers deformation as arthrosis that I now have.
I found this which could help others to figure out some explanations of this syndrome/congenital variants:
