I don't have TOS but I do get the most awful chest pains. Mine are on the left. They are NOT caused by my heart or lungs, but the pain started after I broke 4 ribs in that area, T4,T5,T6,& T7.

The fractures were about 3 years ago now, but the pain has not let up.

My doctor wasn't at all interested when I told him about the pain, and it is severe enough to have me scream out at times. He said I must have trapped a nerve in the bone healing process after the fractures.

For that reason, I've always assumed it was a costrochondritis, but I was told by some-one recently that when you break ribs, the muscles between the ribs often set up trigger points (sore spots in muscles) that hurt like the dickens.

I'd never heard of these trigger points before, and as my pain is only there when I go from the lying position to sitting or standing, I must be stretching the intercostral (between the ribs) muscles and they sure are the ones that are hurting.

This is not the first time I've seen this topic mentioned, and I hope you get some answers soon.

When you do, please post them here so we can all learn. ...