2/03/2009

Thoracic Outlet Syndrome

Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS) is an umbrella term for multipe disorders arising from entrapment of the brachial plexus or the subclavian artery and/or vein. The brachial plexus is the webbing of nerves that goes down into your arm affecting your neck, shoulder and arms. TOS can be identified by pain in the neck, shoulder and/or arm, muscle spasms, headaches, numbness and tingling of the fingers, weakness in the arm and hand.



The most common people to suffer from this condition are those that have obtained neck injuries in car accidents, but more often are those that sit at a non-ergonmically set up desk. Why the desk workers? Typically the average computer worker does not sit with proper posture, nor has their work station set up ergonomically. The repetitive motions and behaviors from this starting position over-work and tighten muscles that can entrap these nerves and blood vessels.



You can do a lot to prevent TOS from occuring or from getting worse. Those of you that have been to my office know the lecture well; watch your posture and stretch. One's posture is so importnant!! if you sit down and are automatically slunched over or extending your neck, you are then moving from an incoorect starting position. It is impossible for any other movement to be ergonomic after that. Also, while you are in that incoorect body position, your muscles are isometrically contracting and are going to get over-worked and subsequently tighten up and spasm. I cannot stress enough the importance of proper posture at your workstation.



I tell all of my clients to treat their job as if it were a workout. Warm up and stretch. That's it; it is that easy. If you were to play tennis for 8/9 hours straight, I would hope you would warm up your body prior, and take frequent breaks to stretch out related muscles. The same goes for your job. if you are going to sit at your desk all day, warm up before hand. This means do some shoulder rolls or close the door to your office and do some kickboxing punches. it is also quite important that you stretch constantly throughout the day. if you cannot remember, pair it with another behavior. For instance, every time you get up to use the restroom, strecth before you sit back down. You can also program your computer to remind, like it does for meetings and appts.



As a Neuromscular Massage Therapist I can go into the related muscles (scalenes, levator scapula, pec major and minor, etc) and work out the Trigger Points associated with TOS to assist relaxing and lengthening the muscle tissue. With massage, posture, stretching and sometimes physical therapy Thoracic Outlet Syndrome can be alleviated and can be eradicated. But it is hard work and you have to do your part in the healing process as well as prevention.