I talked to him and out of town patients stay foe 4 or 5 days. He treats you for about 16 hours a day. He says you are done when you are pain free. I sent him all my MRIs and reports. I am waiting to hear back from him. I have plateaued in my recovery process. I see a Chrio and MT. My Chrio said it does work because they can spend so much time on you.

And what if you don't become pain free? Then you don't have to pay?

Which medical profession has a policy of not charging for services rendered if you are not satisfied? MD? Chiro? Massage? Osteopath? Nurse? PT? Surgeons in any field?

I understand your complaint, but it's universal across the medical field.

Well the person said that you leave once your pain is gone. So if the pain doesn't disappear in the 3-5 days, you could end up spending weeks, months, or years there? All under the same fee or is it a daily rate?

There is an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm in which Larry David makes a deal with an acupuncturist that if his neck gets cured, he gives the acupuncturist $5000 dollars. If Larry still has pain after the treatments, then the acupuncturist gets nothing.

So clearly it's been done before.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oVqqD0YFq4

What are your symptoms and imaging results?

I had three MRI guided procedures that worked on releasing the scar tissue with medication. I ended up having surgery. My Neuro surgeon removed all the scar tissue that was wrapped around the thoracic bundle and scalene muscles. He also cut the occipital nerve away from scar tissue on both sides and that relieved the excruciating headaches. I am still suffering from nerve pain. I have MRI that shows herniated disk at C4-5. I have reports from DO that i am winging and have swelling in shoulder joint.
Is that what you were asking for?

I'm new here, and have read through this thread.

I'm trying to find someone who is willing to even do whatever he/she needs to do in order to get me a diagnosis of TOS or say I don't have it (but symptoms tell me I do have it--7 months now).

In NE PA, so there are no TOS specialists near me, I'd have to travel.

I'm curious about the above post by Msudawg89. He/she talked to "him"--does that mean Dr. Stoxen himself? If so, I'd love to find out what your gut feeling was about the man. Fast-talker? Listener? Enough info passed along for you to be satisfied with the conversation?

I think I might be able to due a conservative treatment approach, and I'd like to include yoga poses that stretch the appropriate muscles, which I think are the scalenes and maybe the muscles across the chest area?

I've read that a good MT who knows about TOS can work the scalenes thoroughly enought that it's painful, but relief from some pain from TOS is the end result.
Has anyone heard of this technique?

So why don't you go to a nearby vascular surgeon or two to get a diagnosis?

Why? Because until you wrote that, I didn't know which type of doctor can properly test for TOS. I'm at a total loss at how to find out what's really wrong, but all my symptoms are those that occur with TOS. My doesn't believe it's a possibility because my hands are blue, that's her reasoning.

Also, a vascular surgeon deals with arteries and veins, correct?

I get severe pain when I move my arms behind my shoulder or raise them above my head. That would suggest that nerves are being impinged, I guess. WIth my arms resting on my lap whilesitting or at my sides,there is no pain. I don't have any numbness or tingling.

Would a vascular surgeon put my arms into the positions that cause pain and be able to diagnose my problem? So far, a neurologist and orthopedic surgeon haven't found anything. Both tests by these doctors did not involve touching my arms once. I'm lost, and scared, and don't know who I'm supposed to go to for a diagnosis.

Hey MIM,

I also didn't know about vascular surgeons until I got to this website. You need to start seeing several vascular surgeons right away.If it's not too much trouble, set several appointments so that you can get as many opinions as possible. If they are good vascular surgeons that know TOS, then they will put your arms in different positions. Just search for vascular surgeons in your area and call them up and ask their assistants if they treat TOS and if so, how frequently. Go to the ones that have many TOS patients.

I'm not sure how far you are from Pittsburgh, but the only guy I know of is Dr. Timothy Wu. He answered a question of mine on healthtap.com and he knows about TOS. Also, it looks like he takes many different insurance carriers.

http://findadoc.upmc.com/PhysicianBi...?EPCDID=138997

Another thing you can do is to request a brachial plexus MRI with your arms above your head, so that it will hopefully show the compression causing your symptoms.