Reviewed by Tyler Tice, PT, DPT, OCS, ATC
Article:
Physical Therapy Management of Neurogenic Thoracic Outlet Syndrome.
Introduction:
Neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome is a difficult condition to treat for many reasons. The region is complex, including multiple joints, the brachial plexus and the subclavian artery. The diagnosis of neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome is still considered a diagnosis of exclusion, and there are often other regions involved such as cervical or thoracic spine dysfunctions that can make it difficult to identify the cause or causes of the problem.
There have been many treatment theories presented that can include postural training to improve diaphragm function, scalene and pectoralis minor releases to open space for the neurovascular bundle, shoulder girdle strengthening to decrease fatigue of the muscles in the region and scapulohumeral rhythm training to improve overall mechanics of motion in the region. Despite the challenges of physical therapy to treat this condition, it is still recommended before attempting surgical intervention. In one observational study, as many as 27% of patients receiving physical therapy met their goals without needing to progress to surgical intervention.
Methods:
This article discusses different aspects of treating neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome such as interviewing, different treatment approaches, assessment techniques, support for patients and psychologically informed care.
Results:
When interviewing a patient with suspected thoracic outlet syndrome, it is important to pay close attention to provoking and relieving activities as well as specific symptoms as these can be clues to whether the symptoms are caused by aggravated vascular tissue or aggravated nervous tissue. For example, vascular thoracic outlet syndrome can sometimes present with claudication-like symptoms while neurogenic usually does not. Some patients may be more sensitive to activities that stretch the neurovascular bundle while others may be more sensitive to activities that compress it. Understanding this information is essential to recommending exercises and activity modification that can help relieve a patient’s symptoms. Patient reported outcome measures can be useful for gathering this information.
A detailed physical assessment is necessary to rule out other more common pathologies such as cervical radiculopathy which can present with similar findings. Since the proposed pathoanatomical cause of thoracic outlet syndrome is compromise of the neurovascular bundle, postural and biomechanical screening is key in understanding what patterns or postures may be contributing to this possible compromise. To get a clear picture of a patient’s presentation, a biomechanical and postural screen should include but is not limited to cervical motion, thoracic motion and scapulohumeral rhythm.
Functional assessment and reassessment can be a useful tool for creating a plan of care as well as helping patients understand what might be triggering their symptoms. The author uses upper extremity elevation as an example. While a patient is raising their arm, the therapist can provide a variety of manual cues or resistance to alter the movement pattern and reassess for symptoms. This could involve shifting the entire shoulder girdle, retracting the cervical spine or facilitating scapular upward rotation.
For treatment, it is important to keep in mind that the goal is often to change the forces moving through the thoracic outlet region. Bearing in mind that some patients are irritated by traction and others can be irritated by compression, the therapist must be mindful of what positions they want to train in while continually monitoring the patient’s response. Manual therapy to the scalenes, pectoralis minor, lower cervical and upper thoracic spine can be beneficial to decrease forces across the region and to modulate pain levels.
Although the goal of therapy is active management of the thoracic outlet region via muscular control, passive modalities such as taping can be used during the initial stages of treatment to help patients manage their pain and decrease their tissues irritability levels so they can respond more favorably to other interventions such as scapular stability training.
Stretching of specific muscles found during physical examination such as the scalenes and pectoralis minor should be done with caution. Although the shortened length of these muscles may be a contributing factor in thoracic outlet syndrome, performing stretches can increase pressure on the neurovascular bundle, exacerbating symptoms. Instead, the author recommends lengthening these muscles with manual interventions while the core and neck are relaxed and supported in the supine position. In this way, there is little to no increased pressure on the neurovascular bundle, but a similar effect can be obtained.
Once a more optimal posture is identified for a patient and they are comfortable in this new position, the course of treatment should shift focus toward building endurance in this new position to help maintain the positive changes discovered during therapy. Additionally, to get carryover into a patient’s everyday life it is necessary to assess and modify the ergonomics of their work and home environments to prevent future exacerbations.
Although positive neural tension testing is often observed with thoracic outlet syndrome, the author cautions against the use of neural gliding or flossing techniques, as these can increase a patient’s tissue irritability rather than decreasing it. The author instead suggests exercise that focuses on thoracic flexion and rotation to get a more favorable outcome.
During an episode of care, it is important to bear a patient’s emotional state in mind. It has been shown that motivational interviewing can be an effective adjunct therapy to help manage a patient’s pain. The physical therapist is in a unique position to help encourage a more active lifestyle for patients as well as to reinforce helpful though patterns that can help patients reframe their pain to help them manage more effectively.
Discussion/Clinical Utility:
This article provides a basic framework for both assessing and treating neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome. Given that thoracic outlet syndrome is considered a diagnosis of exclusion, it is helpful to have some sort of guideline for assessment and treatment planning. This article does a good job of demonstrating the nuance of the condition by explaining not just what treatments might be appropriate but also the rationale of when you may choose one treatment over another.
Reference:
Collins E, Orpin M. Physical Therapy Management of Neurogenic Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. Thorac Surg Clin. 2021 Feb;31(1):61-69. doi: 10.1016/j.thorsurg.2020.09.003. PMID: 33220772.