Hello,
Have you have xrays or MRI of the cervical spine and thoracic spine?
These help to rule out other issues that can cause arm pain.

I'll post the useful sticky link for you-
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=84

If you have even had whiplash, concussion, or any upper body hit, fall or sport injury you might consider getting a evaluation by a expert chiropractor. If a head/neck hit maybe by one that specializes in the C1/C2 cervical adjustment.
sounds scary- but I have had it done and it is very gentle and painless.
the first post in the stickys has a section with chiro info sites.
Take the time to find a very expert and knowledgeable DC - but this applies to most anything anymore.....
My DC does PT type treatments also and is partners with a massage/PT therapist.

Hello and welcome,
I've pretty much had the same experiences you describe. But I have never nor would I ever do that with a dog. I hurt just thinking of the tugging
I wish you the best in finding a treatment that works for you and for relief of your pain.
Hope

I have the problem on my left shoulder. Haven't been able to properly raise it over my head for about 4 years. Used to have the most beautiful hair and be able to do all kinds of things...but without the arm usage...not anymore. Also had crappy doctors for a while that knew nothing about how to help TOS which made it worse. But its to the point it won't get better..and now my right is starting to do the same thing. Very painful...I use lots of ice and keep them moving as must as I possibly can. Hence the reason I'm waiting for disability to go thru.

Finally got plexus/nerve root disorder approved(Tos) after seeing work doctor. He actually yanked my arm straight up after I said I couldn't raise it. I yelled in pain and it hurt for days. At least he agreed with my doctor but hurt me in the process. From three cts surgeries and also having ulnar, median and radial nerve problems in right arm, I have very little strenght. Its very hard not to use when your right handed.
I had a 51 m/s on plexus emg. Is that really bad?

sorry, i'm not a W/C case, but others here are... what state are you in? there is a W/C forum here on neurotalk which you might find helpful.

i CAN tell you that what that doctor did to you is just plain WRONG. i am not an attorney but it sure sounds actionable to me. he had absolutely no right to do that to your arm, and i am sorry that happened to you. i can only imagine the immediate, sheer agony that must have caused you, not to mention the aftermath. what a d-ickhead!

shameless! if i were you, i would seek out the advice of a top W/C attorney, one that is not only well-versed in medical malpractice (for that is what you are describing, if i ever did hear of any examples my friend... that is one! ) but also who knows something about and has handled and prevailed in work-related TOS cases.

i think you said you were near PA, is that right? if so, that is very good news, for reasons which will become clear to you soon enough. but the lawyer should be admitted to the bar in the state in which you filed your W/C case. was that NJ or PA?

also, didn't mean to ignore you on your question re the EMG measurements. i simply don't know the answer. i don't recall that coming up in connection with any EMG or NCV study i've ever had done. here's a good link for you though (and maybe a good doc, if you can get him OK'd - go see dr. fried he's very highly spoken of by other forum members and could go over those EMG results with you, explain them to you better than any of us could, that is for sure!): http://nervepain.com.

i'm glad the pain and other sx did calm down after the doctor pulled your arm straight up like that. did he think you were faking it or something? whatever happened to "first do no harm?"

i'm sorry but i find that behavior unconscionable. was there a nurse in the room? any witnesses? this man could have worsened your original injury, my friend. worse, he is in a position to know that.

get an attorney. there are ways to find out who the best guys are if you are interested. i think your rights and your person have been violated here, or i wouldn't say anything. now that i'm thinking about it, it might even be a separate claim; i don't know. also, FYI, under this type of legal arrangement the attorney usually works for a fee that is paid out of the final award or settlement of your case, so the upfront costs are zero or close to it...

i don't mean to upset you. we are here to help.

alison

Thanks Alison,
You are very nice and helpful.
I do have Dr. Fried!!! He is great! He diagnosed tos after first doctor did three cts surgeries. I kept telling first doctor something was wrong after surgeries and he kept doing partial emgs. Acting like he didn't believe me. He always found out I was telling the truth but he never investigated further. Just wanted to operate, finally I was able to switch to Dr. Fried.
I do have attorney and wrote letter stating about what that doctor did. My wife was with me. I don't know if it can be pursued further but I gave letter to Dr. Fried and lawyer about what he did.
Arm sore today because I wrote a little.

Bill

emg numbers...i am not sure if this is the same number, it is called: "stimulation of the cervical root at C7 across the thoracic outlet" adn listed under Ulnar nerve measurements
51M/sec on the left and
46M/sec on the right

I have no idea what "normal" is, but I do have TOS pretty bad, just had surgery on the left and waiting just till i am recovered enough to do it on the right.

Is the worstest besides posture...
small motor skills are killed by neurovascular TOS

I agree with Alison,
If a doc did that to you...makes me angry.
An IME did that to me recently and my husband almost took his head off as I agonized in pain. He later went on to say on his report I was exaggerating all my chronic pain sx and did NOT have TOS.

This doc has no clue, no education on TOS, the chronic pain it brings and treatment.

Get yourself to a KNOWLEDGABLE TOS expert like Dr. Togut or...so many others here on the east coast will get you there.

Billy, I am fortunate enough to have Dr T in my back yard so to speak and he was the first Dr that I had seen post work doctors. He was amazed the living hell that they put me through and on my first meeting with him (3 1/2 hour appointment) he ruled TOS and imediately took me out of work and told me any type of resistive exercise would result in futher decompensation. Unfortunately, my TOS has progressed into RSD, but I think that was just lying under the surface waiting to rear it's ugly head!
He does promote light water therapy and in my area there is a rehab pool where the water is kept at a constant 91 F, which during the winter on those days of minus 20 F feels wonderful !!! Johanna, Alison, Jo ... among others who may chime in have been through the war for a while now and surely will pass along tips in survival in living with the beast TOS as far as ROM Billy sorry to say that is one thing we all learn to adapt and live with and if you need to talk or vent this is a good place to do so as we understand where you are coming from... it is real, regardless what others may think or say there are a lot of creul people in this world even among the medical ***PROFESSIONALS*** !!!!

MY BEST !!!! Mark~n~Goober