Hi,


My name is Jack. I am 19 years old and I suffer from two conditions: bilateral femoroacetabular impingement and thoracic outlet syndrome. I have suffered from these conditions for a bout 2 years now. I used to be a martial artist, martial arts teacher, and competitive athlete. I transformed my life at 16 years old; I lost 30 pounds and fell in love with exercise. I will admit, after the first year of exercise I became overactive and weightlifted way too much. For the longest time, I thought I just overexerted myself and needed to rest up. I was horribly wrong.

It all started with a regular day in the gym. I was weight training, and I was doing shrugs with a relatively light weight for me (35lbs). Towards the end of the set, I shrugged up and felt a pinch right in the trap/neck area (almost where the two meet). I put the weights down and went home. Over the next two weeks, I had frozen neck. I could not move it side to side, up, down... anything. With more weeks of rest, I attempted to train again. I picked up the weights and attempted to do a dumbbell bench press. The pain in my neck was too much and I went home completely crushed.

Over more weeks of rest I was able to come back in and train, but only in certain ways. For one, I could not shoulder press. I felt the pain go from my neck into my shoulder. By this time it was a bilateral problem. I could not do regular pullups, or regular bench press. My grip always had to be neutral (palms facing toward my body). I was getting weaker and weaker, trying to hold on to whatever physicality I had left. I visited an orthopedic: overexercise, instructions to rest. I visited a chiropractor: adjustments did zero. I was hopeless.

One day, after trying all the stretches, all the foam rolling, anything I could find or think of, I stumbled upon a simple yoga stretch by Jill Miller on YouTube (scalene and platisma stretch). Oh my God. I did this one stretch and felt heat pour from my neck. Instantly my neck pain was gone, my rhomboid/shoulderblade pain was gone, nerve pain gone, everything. I was OVERJOYED. I worked out that day and all my strength was back. I could even do regular bench press. Then, I decided to try incline bench press. After a few reps, lo and behold the pinch came back. Same symptoms, same misery. I have done this same stretch again and again trying to replicate it. No luck.

I've seen a neurologist, three physical therapists, MRIs done, X rays done, blood tests done, EMGs done.... no answers. I am dealing with pain, weakness, and dysfunction that people my age would never imagine. I have symptoms of ulnar, radial, and median nerve entrapment. Even raising my arm slightly reproduces my symptoms. My body has begun succumbing to this condition and I now have a small SLAP tear in my shoulder. I am scared that more injuries will come along, and I will be doomed to watch my friends enjoy their life as I sit on the sidelines. I am currently seeing a cardiothoracic surgeon and his accompanying neurologist to get tests redone, as well as an angiogram done. What if I need surgery? I am both desperate for relief and scared ******** of something going more wrong than it already is.

NeuroTalk, have any of you had similar symptoms/causes? What were your outcomes? Advice for treatment? Stretches?

I am sorry that some of this information is extraneous... I try to keep this away from my family, especially my extended family. They cannot see the condition and therefore it is either all in my head or I am really okay and faking it for attention. Regardless, any help/wisdom would be appreciated.


Thanks in advance,

Jack