[bethanyr32]

Hi all, I'm pretty new here. Been lurking for a few weeks, but just signed up recently.

I'm having a scalene block next week as a diagnostic test, although everyone is pretty positive I have bilateral nTOS. I know I can't drive myself around that day, and I know the block can cause numbness or pain at first. But I'm wondering about the day after - did your drs put any restrictions on your activities after 24 hours? I have 3 kids, 2 in elementary school and 1 still at home with me, and I'm trying to figure out if I need to find them rides for school and maybe have a girlfriend come help me out with my toddler the next day. Any input from those of you who've had the lidocaine scalene block?

Here's my TOS intro post: I'm 34, and I've had neck/back/shoulder/hand issues off and on for the last 20+ years. I had my first bad pain episode when I was 12, and got sent off for the standard routine most of us seem to get sent through - PT, postural reeducation, scapula strengthening exercises, nothing useful. Started having disabling episodes of back pain in college, and episodes where I couldn't use my right (dominant) hand for much of anything around then too.
No progress until about 4 years ago when one of the GP dr's at my clinic suggested maybe we should get a simple x-ray of my spine. He found I have cervical ribs on both sides, and said, well there's your problem. It took me another 4 years, many episodes of PT, 4-5 different specialists, 2 cervical epidurals that did nothing, and 4 MRIs, to find a good dr who listened to me and agreed with me that I have TOS. The main person that pushed me to keep trying to get an accurate diagnosis was my PTs, Lisa and Dan, who have been awesome and were treating me (with all the correct treatments, rib manipulation, nerve therapy, and very gentle stretching) for TOS even though my prescription from my original dr said it was just a degenerated disc.
sx: Pain in my neck, upper traps; numbness on both sides, heaviness and weakness when I use my R arm, pain in my R hand, and random shooting nerve pain that comes and goes. Upper back, neck, and shoulder muscles are in constant spasm. I can't carry any sort of bag on my shoulders without kicking off a lot of pain. Chronic low-mid level pain. Loads of occipital headaches. I have bilateral NTOS, possibly some mild venous or arterial compression too since I get the cold, color changing hands and my pulse dropped out a little on one side.
I'm working with Dr. Gelabert at UCLA, and so far he's been amazing. He's the only specialist I've talked to that I felt really listened to me, and I could tell he really knew his stuff about TOS from the thorough questioning and exams. Given my looooong term history with this, the ridiculous size of my cervical ribs, and the multiple treatments I've already tried, I'm probably headed toward surgery this summer.
Meds: I'm on Lyrica, antidepressants, and Soma as needed for muscle spasm, which is most nights so I can get things settled down long enough to sleep. Parenting on drugs FTW.

[Jomar]

There are past posts about blocks , you can use the search link to find them. I don't know of anyone has posted about block much in the last year so it might be back in history a bit..
I never got to that point so can't give any first hand info..

Since you have the cervie ribs and they have bothered you for many years, why not get them removed?
Usually that has good results , as there is actually a cause of the compression, not a guesswork thing like with unclear causes. Of course if the nerve has been compromised recovery may take longer than is mainly vascular.. But the sooner you get the pressure off the nerve .....

Oh Now I see at the bottom you are heading to surgery this summer..

[bethanyr32]

Thanks, Jo*mar. I've done some searching through the forums, but I'll keep looking.

Dr Gelabert wants to do the scalene block more to gauge how I might respond to surgery. He said if the block is successful, then surgery seems to be more successful too. With the cervical ribs, and the length of time those nerves have been compressed, I'm assuming recovery might be long, but hopeful that in the long run it will be worth it.

[bethanyr32]

Had the block done today, it was so much easier (and faster!) than I thought it was going to be. And it worked! Numbness on the r side went from an 8 down to a 2.
Now I get to follow up with my dr in two weeks to see what he wants to do next.