I have been in some type of pain related to my TOS since March 1995. I know this was the month that I started feeling pain, since it was when my son was born.

I have had partial rib restructuring both sides and the left minor pectoral muscle detached. My surgeon said that my nerve goes through my muscles like spaghetti. So when I am stressed or anything else that causes my muscles to tighten / tense up my left arm gets real bad.

For along time I had little or no symptoms in my right arm after the rib removal on the right side, but recently it has been playing catch up with the left side.

Right now my right arm has that tingly, funny sensation not as bad as the left arm, but every week it gets worse and worse. I can feel all the muscles on the right side tightening up. I feel the cramps from my right middle chest up through my shoulder, up my neck. It has been like this all weekend.

My left arm is not cramping up but, it has an ache, burning sensation from my finger tips to my shoulder. It has this sensation or others 24/7. I have been wearing a workout glove and basketball sleeve on my left arm because it helps deaden / overload the nerves so that the pain changes into something that I can deal with. When I have to go to the bathroom bad my left arm goes crazy, after I go to the bathroom it my left arm drops back to normal pain / numbness / burning sensations.

I am currently taking 3 medicines for my TOS. I am taking Ultams, Tylenol 3 and Zanaflex. I am currently only taking 2 mg of zanaflex every 8 hours, if I try to increase the dose, I am to tired to do anything. I took Lyrica 75 mg for a month and saw no improvements in my symptoms.

I also go to Physical Therapy every three weeks and they do traction on my arms and a thing called Astym. Astym helps the nerves move.


I went to the Cleveland Clinic and was told that the only thing I could do is small things to reduce the symptoms but that there was nothing they could do. The Cleveland Clinic did refer me to a local pain clinic at a local hospital, but after two injections of Motrin in my upper shoulder area the Pain doctor said that there was nothing he could do for me.

Can anyone refer me to a good TOS Doctor, my TOS symptoms are getting worse and I am not sure how much longer, I will be able to work and / or deal with this pain.