So for the past year my left arm has been pretty useless. It started as my arm just/shoulder losing range of movement and becoming weak after any kind of exertion with it.
slowly it progressed to less range of motion and almost zero strength in my hand (working a diesel mechanic my hands were not weak by any means) then my arm started tingling and my ring finger and pinky started going numb.
After about 8 months my left arm was useless almost a burden. I couldn’t use it for anything and the muscle I had started to almost decay I guess you could put it. The bones in my hand became pronounced as the muscle disappeared. I had zero strength in my hand shoulder or arm. Couldn’t open a jar because I had no grip couldn’t Pick up my dog because I had zero strength in my arm or shoulder
For years my doctors guessed and settled on herniated discs in my neck when ever I had a episode where my neck seized up and shoulder tensed up requiring a dose pack of prednisone to get me back moving again.
eventually they gave emg nerve conduction tests which came back inconclusive so after some lengthy arguments I got into see a orthopedic doctor. Luckiest doctors visit of my life. He had diagnosed thoracic outlet syndrome once before in his career. Apparently it is a rare disorder. He sent me off to see a doctor who only specializes in this disorder who sent me for a specialized ct scan developed specifically for this disorder. Directly after the ct scan I was injected with Botox. Two shot in my neck and one deep in my chest and the next day I started getting some movement back no more numbness.
Now I’m a week in and my I have full range of motion almost and no more tingling or numbness. What seem like a super small feat but was great for me I could open a jar again and pick up and Pick up my dog again.
no one can give me a reason why it happened only speculation of it’s from the wear and tear my body went through while I was serving in the Marines.
the best I can explain it is the soft tissue between my first rib and clavicle was some how damaged and developed scare tissue. This scare tissue created compression on the nerves and veins that pass between the first rib and clavicle causing this whole problem.
So far the Botox has been working for me 60% success rate from what the doc told me. If it stops working next step is removing my first rib to make room for the nerves and blood vessels. I am not really interested in removing a rib personally.
if you read this and feel like you have the same issue and no doctor has been able to figure it out you may want to see a orthopedic doctor and ask about thoracic outlet syndrome. It’s a rare disorder from what they have been telling that often never gets diagnosed because so little is know about it.
slowly it progressed to less range of motion and almost zero strength in my hand (working a diesel mechanic my hands were not weak by any means) then my arm started tingling and my ring finger and pinky started going numb.
After about 8 months my left arm was useless almost a burden. I couldn’t use it for anything and the muscle I had started to almost decay I guess you could put it. The bones in my hand became pronounced as the muscle disappeared. I had zero strength in my hand shoulder or arm. Couldn’t open a jar because I had no grip couldn’t Pick up my dog because I had zero strength in my arm or shoulder
For years my doctors guessed and settled on herniated discs in my neck when ever I had a episode where my neck seized up and shoulder tensed up requiring a dose pack of prednisone to get me back moving again.
eventually they gave emg nerve conduction tests which came back inconclusive so after some lengthy arguments I got into see a orthopedic doctor. Luckiest doctors visit of my life. He had diagnosed thoracic outlet syndrome once before in his career. Apparently it is a rare disorder. He sent me off to see a doctor who only specializes in this disorder who sent me for a specialized ct scan developed specifically for this disorder. Directly after the ct scan I was injected with Botox. Two shot in my neck and one deep in my chest and the next day I started getting some movement back no more numbness.
Now I’m a week in and my I have full range of motion almost and no more tingling or numbness. What seem like a super small feat but was great for me I could open a jar again and pick up and Pick up my dog again.
no one can give me a reason why it happened only speculation of it’s from the wear and tear my body went through while I was serving in the Marines.
the best I can explain it is the soft tissue between my first rib and clavicle was some how damaged and developed scare tissue. This scare tissue created compression on the nerves and veins that pass between the first rib and clavicle causing this whole problem.
So far the Botox has been working for me 60% success rate from what the doc told me. If it stops working next step is removing my first rib to make room for the nerves and blood vessels. I am not really interested in removing a rib personally.
if you read this and feel like you have the same issue and no doctor has been able to figure it out you may want to see a orthopedic doctor and ask about thoracic outlet syndrome. It’s a rare disorder from what they have been telling that often never gets diagnosed because so little is know about it.
