Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS)
The thoracic outlet is a space where blood vessels and nerves leave the torso on their way to the arm. It is formed by the first rib and the collar bone. The outlet is tightly packed, and there are a number of things that can cause compression to those blood vessels, or nerves, or both. […]
Piriformis Syndrome: the other Sciatica
The piriformis muscle is a deep muscle in the buttock, which primarily rotates the hip. It also flexes the hip (knee to chest), brings the thigh out to the side, and stabilises the pelvis. The reason this muscle is so clinically relevant is that the sciatic nerve interacts closely with it. The piriformis and the sciatic […]
Sciatica
Sciatica specifically refers to symptoms arising from the sciatic nerve. It is an example of a “trapped nerve”. Symptoms The term is a commonly misused. Technically it only refers to pain in the distribution of the sciatic nerve, which typically presents as a clear line of pain down the back of the thigh (fig. B). […]
Degenerative Disc Disease
Each disc in the spine is well attached to the vertebrae directly above and below it. The discs act as a cushion for shock absorbing, and they can be twisted and squashed to allow for movement through the spine. A good analogy for their anatomy is to imagine a jam doughnut, where the outside is […]
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
A nerve running down the arm and into the hand is relatively vulnerable to compression at the wrist. Tis is the median nerve, which supplies most of the palm. When this happens, you may experience pain, numbness, weakness, or tingling in the hand. This is carpal tunnel syndrome. Although there are many possible causes, one […]