Had MRI after the consultant seeming dead sure that I had TOS and heard today from another hosp that the results were normal.

So, what does this mean then. What could it be causing all this?

Am going to see the specialist soon.

a lot of people here have normal mris

unless you get a special 3d mri that might show something but i think testing in general is overrated. id go by the symptoms

Hi ya

why on earth waste all the money giving you MRI's!!!

Lets see what the specialist has to say when I visit him. I ws asked today what sets of the numbness in my hand - nothing does as it is there ALL the time!

MRIs are good to have - mainly to rule out any spinal issues, tumors, anomalies, or any other thing that might be a cause of symptoms.

But MRIs rarely show or prove TOS as many times it is a combo nerve/vascular/myofascial causes.

I think it is also only as accurate as the technician reading the images also...

Hi again

just got back from the specialist (it wasn't the usual one I see) and he said the mri was normal and there is nothing wrong. I argued that there must be as I have constant numbness in my hand and all the other symptoms.

I asked him if TOS always shows on MRI and he said yes it does and that there is nothing trapped in the thoracic area.

I asked if any long term damage could be caused by this numbness and he said, if your hand gets weak then maybe come back. I told him eg if I get something in my eye, and I close my fingers together to get the some thing out of my eye then my hand feels weak (basically if doing a grasp type movement) and he just raised his eyebrows.

I feel I have been fobbed off and am not happy as I am the one with all the pain and numbness.

They are sending me to physio though - which doesn't make sense.

I saw a London rheumy yesterday who said even though the mri was normal he is not ruling out TOS - very confused.

he is wrong about the mri, id look for a physical therapist whos hands on and does "manual" therapy

dont let them make you strengthen. theres a lot of ******* pts out there

Hi - I had an inital MRI with my arms down and it showed nothing wrong although I was having TOS symptoms (pain in chest, cold hands, loss of circulation, nerve compression). After those results came in NORMAL, the imaging place called the doctor and said that I was normal and they wanted me to go back in for another one. In this one, called a Magnetic Resonance Angiogram (MRA), they injected me with a contrast dye and I had to keep my arms above my head while in the machine. The results showed a at least a 90 percent blockage in my left subclavian artery and some blockage on my right side as well! Although not good news, it was good in the sense that it was confirmed that I have a problem. I"m fortunate to have doctors that right off the bat diagnosed it as TOS (first an spine doc and then a vascular surgeon). I don't know what your symptoms are exactly but you might want to inquire about an MRA. Good luck!

Hi Misspenny, he said he wanted me to do pt to strengthen my shoulders. Is that what you mean not to do?

Hi Shadow and thanks for reply. What I do not understand is that they did the tests, roos? test, hands went white and had pins and needles and aching arms. I had diminished pulse too when they lifted my arm and I turned my head...all the sx are there too. They have even seen when I raise my arm that my vein sinks in bit swells up when down so why thy are not taking it further is beyond me.I am glad that you were able to find someone good!!

I just do not know what to do now. Maybe I should go back to my GP again and tell him I am not happy. Or even email the initial specialist that saw me and agreed it was TOS after he did the tests.

What is this - I was rubbing my wrist and hand as has pins and needles and it felt thick to touch with not much feeling. I have just been able to stick a needle in my forearm and didn't feel a thing.

Palm facing down on top of my wrist I have no feeling. What on earth is this?

the top of your hands and forearms is your radial nerve i think

yes your nervous system sounds all fired up. strengthening only makes nerves madder.