Hello, I am a 25 year Male who has been suffering from numbness on the left side of my face, tongue, teeth, and arm, along with neck, occipital, shoulder, and lower back pain and tension since I was about 13. I also have eye and nasal pressure.

I have been diagnosed with scoliosis (leftward curvature in the proximal thoracic spine measuring about 10 degrees between T1 and T7).

When I was 20 years old is when I started to seek answers for my problem, and I have yet to get a clear diagnosis, except the scoliosis, possible tmj (which I don't think is truly the cause). I believe this is because each symptom is treated separately and not viewed as a whole.

Never has any doctor said, "It may be related to the scoliosis" or "This looks like it may be related to your facial numbness" which is beyond me for now. Eventually, each doctor gives up and says there is nothing I can do for you. I leave feeling like so much more could have been done, as well as hopeless.

I just finished college, am about to have a child, and I am desperately looking for answers so I can provide for my child the best I can. I now suspect that the problem is related to the veins, artery, and nerves in my brachial plexus region.

I recently found out that when I was about 3, I fell from a close line, and my dad caught me by the arm. I had to go to the doctor because my arm was hurting, which I have no recollection of, and my mother just recently told me.

I have a deformity in my sternum, there is a bump at the top where the ribs meet the sternum, right below my clavicle, I suspect this may be contributed to the problem as well. When I lift my left arm, my hand and finger go numb. Anxiety exacerbates my symptoms tremendously, ( face will go numb when anxious)

I have provided an xray, if anyone can take a look, and let me know what they think, please let me know, I would greatly appreciate it.

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Hello, and welcome to Neuro Talk. I do know there are people on this site that can address this issue better than I can. On the top of the page is a search button that can direct you to other forums. Just type it in.
I want to tell you first about your baby, congratulations, I really think being a parent is the best feeling in the world. I also know you want to be the best dad you can be.
If I were experiencing the multipal kinds of neruo problems that are now occuring in your face, mouth and arms, I would have to investigate more with another neurologist. The curvature of your spine is obvious, and I can't believe there isn't some connection between the problem in your spine and the additional neuro problems. You are young, and I really would seek the very best neruo in your area. Even if others have told you there is nothing they can do, I would not give up. You have too full a life ahead of you. It would be better if you didn't have all the extra problems with it. I reversed the curve of my spine. I had some pretty interesting xrays as well. They did put my spine in proper aliengment, and corrected most of my issues.
If you need a new doctor, there may be others who have a neurologist they could recommend to you in the area where you live. You can post your location.
Have you done any research on the internet for your condition in relationship to the neuro problems you have? Comumbia University Medical Center in Missouri, has a great research library, you may be able to access from your home computer. I was living there many years, and did research at that facility. Please feel free to look at any of the forums that are here. I hope alot of other people will give you some better options that I can. I wish you all the best with your medical health, and with your new baby, boy or girl? Take care, ginnie

Thank you so much for the kind words, having a baby girls by the way. =). I believe that the space between my first thoracic rib on the left side is being compressed. If you take a look at my first rib, you will see that the disc out of place. What do you all think?

Congrats on your baby GIRL! I am very happy for you. I looked more at your xray. If there is compression going on in there, that would account for some neuro problems. If a disk is compressed and pushed in any way that does cause pain also. Most upper pain however, I thought had to do with C1-7. Yours looks lower than that. Please get a really good neuro surgeon or orthor to get an evaluation. You don't want to have your whole life compromised by this condition. If you go, at least they can make a diagnosis, and then you will have more information to go on. don't let this go, go on and get the appt. You won't rest well and be able to focus on your new baby, if you are in constant pain. I know about that kind of neuro pain. I had C3-7 fused. I had a six year miserable wait between my fusions, because I believed just one doctor who said there was nothing more to be done. Well he was wrong, and I got more Help. I believe you can the help you need, so this does not plague you all your life. Do you have health insurance? That will be an issue. I did not, and I had to do alot of work, to reduce the cost of the surgery. I am not at all sure you need a surgial route, really the place to be is under the doc. care and get it really looked at. Let me know where you stand with insurance, I can tell you what I did if you are without it. Rib re-sections have a forum here too for you to listen to. I hope more people can answer some of your concerns. I know more about cerival issues than the rib problems. take care of yourself and your family to be. ginnie

Is this AP OR PA? Is the arc of the curve go left? or is your head tilted left.
there are several places were your spine doesnt "match", one side to the other....would suggest you visit the TOS forum here. good luck.