Eight, I tried "quick reply" but couldn't get it to work.

Thanks... I will work on that.. .pain under arm comes and goes and typically toward the back of armpit. I do moist heat and stretching that my PT person gave me (McKenzie book) and that seems to help.. I follow that with ice typically.

How do you do pec minor release?

I will work on those strengthening issues you mentioned and tie my hands to my waist when sleeping.. !.. lol

Is your daily pain bearable? Does it keep you from playing golf, working or your normal activities? If not, I'd be cautious about taking the Gabapentin, not because it's a bad drug, but then you may not be able to gauge if you're making improvements with PT.

The thing about TOS is there is no "normal" presentation. For me, it never entered my hands/arms until I did inappropriate PT. I had pain everywhere in my upper torso, except my hands/arms. Find a PT who is vary familiar with treating TOS. If something they give you to do aggravates your symptoms, proceed with caution or don't proceed. It's a beast that can't be treated with the "cookie cutter" PT approach.

I'm not a doctor either, but your symptoms could be due to trigger points, and treated with a resolution of those as well as postural improvements. Fingers crossed for you. I use to play golf before TOS, but I've only swung a club a few times since then. Last month, I parred with my mulligan ball on the one hole I played. It felt so good to be out there again. :D

There is also a Trigger Point Therapy Book by Claire Davies that is extremely informative and outlines pain referral patterns. There are many points under your armpit and underneath your scapula. I lay on a MELT foam roller to access some of those, but the best is to have a massage or PT lie you on your side and work on them that way.

I wish MD's lurked here because then they's learn something!

Most surgeons don't have time to "Lurk". The top TOS surgeons know way more than we do. If you know more about TOS than your surgeon run, don't walk. Finding practitioners for non-surgical TOS treatment is more of a challenge.

Here it is off of the front page:

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread199027.html

PM me if you like.

KY

Lot of people talking about a "pec minor release." This is a surgical procedure.

Another avenue to explore (which I did): Deep tissue pec minor massage.

Get a raquetball or a softball and put the ball between the wall and your body and do cross friction on your pec minor muscle. Do this in 3-4 locations along the path of pec minor. I usually did 30 strokes. Repeat several times per day.

There are several examples of this on youtube.

Once you release the pec minor in this way, allowing the shoulder to move back, you could then work on strengthening the rhomboids to get that shoulder back and down. All of this will help open up the thoracic area as well.

KY

I have recovered about 70% with PT and some medication. I take 20mgs of Pamelor per day for nerve pain.

At this point my dr thinks it's pretty the maximum improvement I can get the non surgical way and I tend to agree, I have reached a plateau with PT and chiro. Going forward is mainly maintenance, I take a muscle relaxant when I feel really tight and do my daily exercises. My dr told me I need to them for life. So I guess this is not going anywhere unfortunately. :cool:

Pec minor release is a surgery. It is the least invasive, but definitely not a cure all. The pec minor is cut to completely disable it, it sort of shrivels up and is absorbed by the body is my understanding. I think it's a fantastic surgery, I even think people with chronic poor posture should consider having it. Sometimes I feel like I want to slouch now, because I am tired, but I can't!

If your doctor thinks you have tos, you probably do. It's not the first thing that people come up with as an explanation for symptoms, it is usually the last.

Good news is that only about 30% of the people with tos ever need surgery according to the internets. Many of us here are those whom have had "Poor outcomes" or whom are "complicated cases" such as myself.

If you get massages, get deep tissue.

Upper plexus TOS
 

Numbness index finger can indicate compression of the upper plexus (C5, C6, C7). I had upper plexus ATOS on my left side with numb index finger and thumb. Right side was lower plexus TOS with numbness ulnar side of the arm and pinky finger.

Thanks.... I had someone new (ie more qualified to say the least) look at my MRI and they indicated "Right Foraminal Stenosis at c6/ c7 and I'm now scheduled for an injection this Friday that he feels will help this.

What is ATOS?

What did YOU do to alleviate the numbness? Wait it out? PT? or did you do an injection? or what else? Trying to determine the likelihood that an injection will fix this up for me for a while/ forever.

I guess everyone is "wired a little differently" and this occasional pain under my arm might also be a "projection" of the pain coming from the c6 / c7 issue?

Thanks.. any links to the youtube videos? I can't figure out how to PM you. Doesn't seem to be an option.

I am now scheduled for an injection in c6/c7 this friday. Trying the stretches and neck strengthening and posture fixes.

My primary symptom remains just 6 weeks of numbness in index / thumb and some soreness under my arm towards the back. I have trigger points for sure and can get them with a self massage bar which brings relieve sort of.

Can't help but think that hand on mouse/ bad posture over the years might have got a nerve all aggravated. Hope the shot helps.!