ADVICE FROM OUR WOMAN’S WEEKLY DOCTOR
There are three types of thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS). The commonest type is neurogenic TOS, where a group of nerves called the brachial plexus coming from the spinal cord, is compressed, affecting muscle movements and feeling in the shoulder, arm and hand, causing pain and numbness, arm fatigue and weak grip.
There’s venous TOS, which occurs when veins under the collarbone are compressed, causing a change in hand colour, pain and swelling due to blood clots. And arterial TOS, which is rarer, happening when one of the arteries under the collarbone is compressed, resulting in a pulsating bulge (aneurysm)
