Any successes with first rib mobilization Or non surgical approach?
 

Hi I was diagnosed with the yips 8 years ago with throwing a baseball. I could throw long distance but anything short distance would be very problematic. Ive had two shoulder surgeries since then, one to repair a torn labrum and bicep tendon, another a year and a half later to scope out shoulder.

I haven't been able to throw anything above low intent since. Ive had my shoulder severaly sublux a handful of times whenever I would try and push it. Despite passing EMG tests and traditional tos testing my theory is it's a nerve issue.

I had a pt visually examine my shoulder and he noticed that my rotator cuff muscles were 70% the size of my non dominant side. This was last year, almost three years after surgery.

From my research I've found that there's a lot of people who pass the EMG tests and still diagnosed with TOS. I believe that is through some sort of process of elimination like my situation.

My question is has there been any success with first rib mobilization or non surgical approach?

Accumulated injuries acquired in younger years really show up in middle age..
internal scar tissue/ adhesions, and possible posture changes restrictions..

I would not jump into surgery without a work up by a well known TOS surgeon..
But i would would look into less invasive options first with expert PT , chiropractors, body-workers..

things to look into... info in our sticky threads..
gentle stretching to release adhesions
Trigger points
IFC stim
low level laser

Manual rib mobilization worked really well for me. It just wasn't enough and I had surgery. I know for sure that surgery went better because of the rib mobilization I tried because lots of my structures were able to loosen.

So surgery worked for you? What kind of TOS did you have?

When I pinch my shoulders back like I'm about to throw a baseball my pulse goes away. However if my arm is in that same throwing position completely relaxed there is a pulse.

Pulse going away seems common. Please turn on direct messages to you. Thanks.

How do I do that?

First rib mobilisation
 

I thought I would add here that first rib mobilisation has been something I have been doing to myself for the past 4 or 5 days now.

I will link folks to the video I followed so that others can see the technique used.

Athletic Thoracic Outlet (TOS) | Feat. Kelly Starrett | Ep. 257 | MobilityWOD - YouTube

In this video he used a PVC pipe and a towel. For me I use a broomstick, and I cut a + into a tennis ball and stuck in on the broomstick. What I like to do BEFORE doing the first rib mobilisation is either take a hot shower to loosen up the muscle fibers or use moist heat on the neck and trap area to loosen up the fibers as well. Then follow the directions in the video. What I can say is that it is uncomfortable to do. Are you going to feel 100% better instantly? No. But you might find that if you do this regularly you might retrain that rib to work properly.

Some folks here have been dealing with TOS for years. You aren't going to fix it in 5 minutes, the first rib may not even be your problem, it could be pec minor, and a host of other issues. It is good to loosen up every possible area of compression before as well as mobilise the first rib. I try to do this twice a day right now to keep my rib moving normally. One in the morning and once at night.

I have kind of realised that when my first rib originally got stuck in the upward position, it caused some weird pain in my armpit. To avoid that pain I started shrugging my shoulders up because relaxing them felt tight and uncomfortable. By shrugging for hours all day every day my traps, my pec minor, started to compensate for shoulder movements. This, in my opinion causes the degradation of proper scapular movement. From here you also get tight, shortened scalenes (hypertonic) because the rib is constantly elevated. Now you're in a world of trouble.

So, start getting to work loosening up those soft tissues. I recommend a good PT, massage therapist or chiro, to loosen you up. Some of them may be able to do the first rib mobilisation for you as well!