What is the best treatment for thoracic outlet syndrome?
What is the best treatment for thoracic outlet syndrome?
Physical therapy. If you have neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome, physical therapy is the first line of treatment. You’ll learn how to do exercises that strengthen and stretch your shoulder muscles to open the thoracic outlet, improve your range of motion and improve your posture.
How do you treat vascular thoracic outlet syndrome?
Treatment for Venous Thoracic Outlet Syndrome Surgery is usually recommended for venous TOS. This may involve removing both the scalene and subclavius muscles and first rib. The vein itself must also be treated. Blood clots often form around the damaged inner surface of the compressed vein.
How do you treat thoracic outlet syndrome without surgery?
How is thoracic outlet syndrome treated?
- Physical therapy: The most common initial treatment for neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome is physical therapy.
- Medications: For pain relief, over-the-counter pain medications, such as aspirin, acetaminophen (Tylenol), or ibuprofen (Motrin), may be recommended.
Can you heal thoracic outlet syndrome?
Can thoracic outlet syndrome improve on its own? No. For people who have mild TOS, lifestyle changes may be enough to make the symptoms go away. But more serious TOS should be treated by a doctor as soon as possible.
How serious is thoracic outlet syndrome?
Thoracic outlet syndrome can cause neck and shoulder pain, numbness and tingling of the fingers and a weak grip. If left untreated, TOS can lead to increased pain and decreased function. Certain forms of the disease can cause serious blood clots.
What happens if thoracic outlet is left untreated?
Is TOS permanent?
Thoracic outlet syndrome that goes untreated for years can cause permanent neurological damage, so it’s important to have your symptoms evaluated and treated early, or take steps to prevent the disorder. If you’re susceptible to thoracic outlet compression, avoid repetitive movements and lifting heavy objects.
How long can thoracic outlet syndrome last?
That said, it is not unusual to see progress in as little as four to six weeks. In some cases, however, it can take four to six months to completely resolve your symptoms.
Is thoracic outlet syndrome an emergency?
Arterial thoracic outlet syndrome This can result in loss of blood flow to the arm and make your arm feel cold and painful. Often this is temporary, happening only when your arm is raised. However, severe or long-term arterial TOS can damage the artery, cause clotting and require emergency medical attention.
How do you sleep with TOS?
Avoid carrying a bag or backpack on the affected side. Change sleeping positions. Try sleeping on one side, or sleep without a firm pillow. If symptoms are caused from overdeveloped neck mus- cles, reduce exercises that build the neck muscles.
Is tos worse at night?
With more pressure from activity during the day, the sensations become worse at night. Sometimes these sensations can be provoked by a thorough physical examination.
How to recover from thoracic outlet syndrome?
Physical therapy: The most common initial treatment for neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome is physical therapy. Physical therapy increases the range of motion of the neck and shoulders, strengthens muscles and promotes better posture. Most patients experience an improvement in symptoms after undergoing physical therapy.
How do you treat thoracic outlet syndrome?
Doctors treat thoracic outlet syndrome with exercise and physical therapy to strengthen chest muscles, restore normal posture, and enlarge the area through which the blood vessels and nerves pass. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can relieve pain.
What nerves are affected by thoracic outlet syndrome?
Neurologic symptoms occur in 95% of cases of thoracic outlet syndrome. The lower 2 nerve roots of the brachial plexus, C8 and T1, are most commonly (90%) involved, producing pain and paresthesias in the ulnar nerve distribution.
