[sunnydee]

Hi All:

I have been recently diagnosed with TOS although I've had it for years. Now I'm really concerned, because I'm getting pain in other areas of my body.

For example, I now have, in addition to my TOS symtoms:

numbness in feet and legs (up to the knee)
pain in the shin part of the leg (it moves around)
pain in the knees
pain in the hips

I looked up fibromyalgia, but I don't have the extreme fatigue and intenstinal disorders. The areas are not tender to the touch.

I guess there are other problems that can happen to the body from the pressure on all the nerves from TOS. Has anyone else had similar experiences? I've already been tested for RA, Lupus, Diabetes.... all negative.

Thanks.

[Jomar]

Have you ever been in an car accident, bad fall , sport injury or something?
Maybe your spine is out of alignment somewhere?
There are chiropractic info links in our useful sticky thread {post # 1}- also bodywork links if you aren't comfortable with chiropractic.

There are a some other conditions like chronic myofascial pain syndrome, and if your thyroid is off that can cause some increased pain/symptoms.

Can you tell if your other pains are in the muscles or the joints?

How many years have you had TOS symptoms?

[Dolfinz]

Hi Sunny dee... thanks for the well wishes.... Do you have any foot pain ?? I too have pain in the legs and shin sometimes but that is from my foot problems.

Like Jo said is it in the muscles or joint... it could be other things also like Jo said.
Hang in there MF friend... I hope you feel better soon !!

Dolfinz

[TraceyW]

hey sunnydee, are your symptoms on both sides or just one?. i have symptoms on just the right hand side - about 3 years in i developed numbess in my rightfoot - coincidence?.

im thinking that have some kind of muscle imbalance (as a result of the tos pain) or something like that as physio noticed that my leg muscles on the right are tighter and apparently shortened compared to the left. perhaps do a research on muscular imbalance.....

just sometthing to think about

[milou]

Hi You

I have all sorts of symptoms, and have noticed many here have that. A few articles mention, that this is possible with TOS, if the vertebral artery is compressed in a way, so blodstream to the brain (often brain stem) is disturbed. This is only an abstract - i have a few more of the same kind.
Friday i will see my doctor, because I have a new symtom ( with respiration)
I think they are sure i have MS, but I am sure, I have not, and it is all Tos.
Important to know that, cause then it will be possible to DO something - surgery perhaps. I have had surgery once, where many neurological problems were solved (tarcycardia, myclonus, etc) but it seemes coming back now after 5 years.

Look into this - think many of us can use that information, but docorts have not reached to that point yet, an not researching enough.

If we help each other to research in this, maybe doctors will follow in time???

Good LUCK




James J. Sell, M.D., Jesse R. Rael, M.D. and William W. Orrison, M.D.

Departments of Radiology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine and New Mexico Federal Regional Medical Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Cases of unilateral vertebral artery compression associated with thoracic outlet syndrome infrequently result in symptoms and, of those that do, most involve the brain stem. Reports of transient blindness resulting from this condition are even more rare. The authors describe the case of a middle-aged woman who presented with transient blindness when she turned her head excessively to the left. She also exhibited other less severe brain-stem symptoms. Arteriography demonstrated occlusion of the left vertebral artery only when her head was rotated to the left. Surgical exploration revealed entrapment of the left vertebral artery by a tight anterior scalene muscle, release of which resulted in complete resolution of her symptoms. Both neurosurgeons and radiologists need to be aware that extrinsic compression of the vertebral artery precipitated by head rotation may sometimes result in transient cortical blindness.

J Neurosurg. 1994 Oct ;81 (4):617-9 7931599

[milou]

Another abctract

Vascular Compression of the Medulla Oblongata by the Vertebral Artery: Report of Two Cases.
Case Reports
Neurosurgery. 45(4):907, October 1999.
Hongo, Kazuhiro M.D.; Nakagawa, Hiroshi M.D.; Morota, Nobuhito M.D.; Isobe, Masanori M.D.
Abstract:
OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: Compression of the medulla oblongata by a tortuous vertebral artery is rare. We report two patients with this lesion who were treated with vascular decompression of the vertebral artery.
CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 36-year-old man developed right hemiparesis with lower cranial nerve deficits, and a 47-year-old man developed left lower cranial nerve deficits and left cerebellar dysfunction. In both patients, magnetic resonance imaging revealed a tortuous vertebral artery compressing the medulla oblongata.
INTERVENTION: In both patients, the compressed medulla oblongata was treated by detaching the vertebral artery from the medulla oblongata, shifting it, and anchoring it to the nearby dura mater. Postoperatively, both patients are asymptomatic and have returned to their previous jobs.
CONCLUSION: Although compression of the medulla oblongata by a tortuous vertebral artery is rare, it can cause brainstem dysfunction. Magnetic resonance imaging clearly revealed the vascular compression in these patients. Surgical treatment was effective. The symptoms related to a tortuous vertebral artery and some techniques for surgical treatment are discussed. Awareness of this rare lesion is necessary to ensure appropriate treatment.
Copyright (C) by the Congress of Neurological Surgeons

[milou]

How the medulla Oblongata works - then figure, how many different symptoms can uccure, if bloodflow is depressed



Medulla Oblongata
The direct upward extension of the spinal cord that lies at the junction between the cerebrum and the spinal cord and is considered to be in a group with the pons and midbrain because the nuclei of all the cranial nerves except one are situated within this structural group. The medullary functions are associated with the nuclei of the glossopharyngeal, vagal, spinal accessory, and hypoglossal nerves. The medulla controls the reflex actions of the pharynx, larynx, and tongue, which are related to deglutition, mastication, and speech, as well as the visceral reflexes of coughing, sneezing, sucking, vomiting, and salivating, and other secretory functions.

The medulla oblongata is a part of the hindbrain that connects the cerebellum, the thalamus, and the cerebrum with the spinal cord at the base of the skull through the foramen magnum.

Function: The centers for the regulation of heart rate, blood flow, respiration, and other responses such as coughing, vomiting, sneezing, etc., are situated in the medulla oblongata. The midbrain part of the brain stem controls responses to sight, such as movements of the eyes, and the pupil size. Homeostasis of the body is regulated by the brainstem centers, aided by the hypothalamus.


American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation:Volume 85(1)January 2006p 104

[milou]

One more!!!!

Fernandez Noda EI, Rivera Luna H, Perez Fernandez J, Castillo J, Perez Izquierdo M, Estrada C.
Bayamon Family Hospital, Bayamon, Puerto Rico.
In this article we describe the role of compression of the vertebral, subclavian, internal mammary, internal carotid arteries, brachial plexus and coiling and kinking of the vertebral and basilar arteries, the faulty irrigation of blood supply and oxygen of the cerebellum and basal ganglia and other areas of the brain followed by metabolic processes. Among the effects are: a decrease in the secretion of dopamine at the level of the putamen, which produces the symptoms of symptomatic Parkinson's disease, chorea due to chronic transitory faulty blood supply and oxygen to the caudate nucleus, ballism by hypoxia at the level of sub-thalamic and thalamus nuclei and athetosis in the lenticular nucleus. This compression is caused by hypertrophy of the anterior scalenus muscles and the cervical ribs at the level of the vertebrae C6-C7; by the sternocleidomastoid at the level of the cervical atlas, by the pectoralis minor muscles and coiling and kinking of the vertebral, basilar and the internal carotid arteries. The decreased blood supply to the cerebellum and basal ganglia is the cause of the cerebral thoracic neuro vascular syndrome (CTNVS) and its neurological complications, among which are ipsilateral paralysis, symptomatic Parkinson's disease, functional Alzheimer's disease multiple sclerosis and others. We are presently engaged in genetic studies to widen our understanding of these illness.
PMID: 11887092 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health

[tshadow]

Things to check out:

Autonomic neuropathy

Blood tests - elevated liver enzymes (bad meds)
blood sugar over 100 (poss. diabetes, and additional leg problems.)

Let us know how this goes.

[TraceyW]

Hi all - so am i to think that the vertebral (sorry for spelling if its wrong!) could be responsible for things like visual disturbances (i have shaky vision and vertigo type feelings) and can affect breathing - i often feel like i have trouble breathing in deeply.....

just trying to make sense as some of those articles were a bit heavy with the medical terms for me!