Hi all! I was diagnosed with TOS in Sept 08. This, as a result of a car acciddent where i was rearended. Surgery was to remove my left 1st rib. my surgery was on 5 April 09. Three months in and my left breast is still swollen and painful! IS THIS NORMAL??? I have not read anything about this! HELP..... My Doc. cant see me till 31 july! that feels like years from now!

Welcome

TOS is not easy to treat and live with. So sorry you're having these problems even after surgery. It takes a long time to heal.

I've been dx'd with TOS but I've not had surgery.

I did have a painful spot on my left breast and straight across at the inside of my left arm, between the bicep and tricep. Very painful points. I never really got a dx for that, other than "surgery will help that." Never really got formal treatment for it either. It was just strange and hurt a lot, for a looooooooonnng time.

Was your boob painful before surgery? As crazy as it sounds, I did find that placing 3" balloons in my armpit helped. Seemed to open up the blood flow or something.

Is it a very big spot? I have cut and placed Lidoderm patches on those two spots and it would help. Lidoderm is a nonnarcotic pain patch that has a numbing effect. you numb me and I'll move.

Hope you recover Godspeed.
(Broken Wings)

i have not had the surgery either, but when i had a painful lump, the gyne felt it and said, that is your rib, go to the chiro!

i followed the advice and the lump got relocated to it's proper position.

nowadays i do yoga and accomplish the same thing. saves a bit of money on chiropractic.

this may not be what you have. if it is then you too may be able to learn yoga or go to the chiropractor and get it taken care of.

best wishes for getting it solved.

Hi,
Could some of it it be due to swollen lymph glands??
many drain thru the side and armpit areas.

possible you have some pec minor syndrome also?

have you found our 3 sticky threads yet?
they are above the divider bar from the main TOS threads.
great info saved there.
there's a thread on videos for TOS, posture and therapies somewhere around here.
here it is-
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...ghlight=videos
or you can search the video websites for the latest ones,
quite a few show lymph drainage massage and how to do it.

I get puffy arm pits after certain arm uses and I do the massage to help clear out the excess fluids.

Hi and welcome

I am wondering as others have stated that you may have swelling in the area causing the pain. It may also be other factors.....lymph may be an issue....an assessment from your massage therapist if you have one may help with this matter before you see your doctor. MT's are great as they will tell you if it is muscle or fluid or what the feel in the area. I trust my MT so much as she knows my body better than anyone.

It could also be new muscles that are taking over for ones that have been removed.....not sure if you had scalenes removed or not......you did not say in your first note......you may have pulled something moving in a different way...are you getting PT???? did something happen there????
lots of questions.......

hope some of this is helpful!
take care,
Victoria

Hi i'm assuming your surgery was under your arm like mine( i had it 20 yrs ago)I had to see a massage therapist abt 6 mthsafter. She said i had scar tissue simular to a mastectomy, it was painful but once we got the blood going well and the build up of toxins massaged out it was alot better. I do alot of the massage myself because it still wants to get thick and tight. At one point I had a lymp noid to get sore and swollen but after a mamo massage did the trick. Good luck