Thoracic Outlet Syndrome Thoracic Outlet Syndrome/Brachial Plexopathy. In Memory Of DeAnne Marie.


advertisement
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 05-10-2015, 10:43 PM #1
Jplewis1996 Jplewis1996 is offline
Newly Joined
 
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 1
8 yr Member
Jplewis1996 Jplewis1996 is offline
Newly Joined
 
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 1
8 yr Member
Default Do I really have TOS?

I am from a small town in South Carolina and this is a long story of how my baseball career ended my junior year of high school. I was a utility player who mostly caught and pitched. I threw a cut fastball in the low 80's and had a lot of control. Today I am lucky to throw in the 50's and I have no clue where the ball is going to go.

This all started my first regular season game, when I was tossing with our starting pitcher in the bullpen and I took a ball to the eye. I was rushed to the ER because my eyelid was torn open. After being written out for two weeks, I was told that when I returned I would be the starting pitcher my first game back. I was at the eye doctor for my final checkup and my mother drove me to the field because I was unable to drive due to my eyes being dilated. When I went to throw the ball it slipped out of my fingers and I couldn't throw to my target. My arm felt like it was dead and had no sense of touch.

I met with our athletic trainer and he checked my blood pressure in my right and left arm and he determined that my blood oxygen level was 6 points lower in my throwing arm. He referred me to a local doctor who shook my hand and said,"Yup. There is a problem here." And that was it. My mom managed to get me an appointment at USC sports medicine and this doctor set me up with many nerve and hand specialists.

My nerve tests were inconclusive. The man conducting the test said that he didn't find anything abnormal but he had me close my eyes and he poked me with a needle in my arm and I didn't even notice and my body didn't react.

One hand specialist I went to determined that when I turned my neck to the left that my pulse was undetectable in my right arm. He referred me to a doctor who specialized in TOS.

The specialist in TOS truly believed that I had this condition. He took an MRI of my spine and it was determined that I have an extra rib on my right side which I like to call my "micro rib." I was then referred to a cardio vascular specialist who was supposed to give further input on the possibility of TOS. This cardio vascular specialist did not like athletes and he claimed that he couldn't recreate what happened with the disappearance of my pulse when I turn my neck to the left and he basically called me a liar about my condition. I basically just gave up.

I went to physical therapy for an entire summer and eventually gained back feeling in my arm. However I am still unable to grip the ball and I have a hard time writing in school. Because I am unable to throw correctly, I quit playing baseball. I got a few college baseball offers because of my weird arm condition, but I didn't accept them.

So where do I go from here? I am now fixing to start my sophomore year of college and I am still unable to throw and I have to lay in a certain position when I sleep to avoid loss of feeling. Do I really have signs of TOS?
Jplewis1996 is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote

advertisement
Old 05-10-2015, 11:04 PM #2
Jomar's Avatar
Jomar Jomar is offline
Co-Administrator
Community Support Team
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 27,678
15 yr Member
Jomar Jomar is offline
Co-Administrator
Community Support Team
Jomar's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 27,678
15 yr Member
Default

Did the ball to the eye hit fairly hard, straight on or a glancing blow?

It may not matter too much, but if you had no symptoms before that incident, you might benefit from seeing an upper cervical specialist.
Your c1 c2 might have gotten misaligned, and that can throw the whole spine out of alignment.

So if this is the case then perhaps getting the upper c spine aligned , you may greatly reduce your symptoms.

But with the "micro rib" = extra cervical rib - they can be full sized, small or even a partial, but once they cause a problem usually the quickest way is the have it removed.
Since PT is working for you , then seeing a chiropractic upper cervical specialist might get things more back to where they were before the ball hit you.

for more info see www.nucca.com or www.upcspine.com and such..
SIGN / SYMPTOM CHECKLIST - http://www.upcspine.com/self.htm
__________________
Search NT -
.

Last edited by Jomar; 05-10-2015 at 11:20 PM. Reason: sp
Jomar is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
Reply

Tags
baseball, numbness in hands, tos

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 12:17 PM.

Powered by vBulletin • Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.

vBulletin Optimisation provided by vB Optimise v2.7.1 (Lite) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2024 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.
 

NeuroTalk Forums

Helping support those with neurological and related conditions.

 

The material on this site is for informational purposes only,
and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment
provided by a qualified health care provider.


Always consult your doctor before trying anything you read here.