Cervical rib

Sir, I have been feeling pain in the upper back on the left side.After consulting an orthopaedician and neurosurgeon,they diagnosed a cervical rib after seeing my X-Ray.They gave some medicinal treatment (Nuvolt-G and vitamin E tablets) for a month but after finishing the course i am witnessing the pain again.I also feel pin point pain in my left fingers and tiredness in the left ribs with a little pain in the mid chest and sometimes a little dizziness.I can't sit for long on a chair as it causes tiredness in the ribs and which starts with the pain in the upper back.It is affecting my proffessional life.
Kindly suggest a treatment so that i will get rid of this very quickly.
Thanks.

Gender : Male
Proffession : Engineer
Age : 25 , Non smoker.

[bhups1]

Hi, cervical rib can lead to thoracic outlet syndrome, although the incidence is less than 10%. Treatment includes:

“Unless there is clear evidence of a lesion impinging on a nerve or vessel, surgery should be a last resort.
Physical therapies include ultrasound, electrical stimulation, superficial heat, stretching exercises, postural correction exercises, and strength and endurance exercises.
Mobilization and manipulation may be performed by a physiotherapist, osteopath or chiropractor. The aim is to release tight contracted or restricted vertebral segments and soft tissue.
Occupational therapy may help with back protection techniques and better working practices.
Injection of trigger points and associated muscles may be necessary. An injection of deep muscular structures, as in a scalene block is dangerously close to the brachial plexus.
NSAIDs have a good analgesic as well as anti-inflammatory action and it may be the former that is rather more important.
Some people recommend muscle relaxants such as methocarbamol but they cause sedation and the benefit is unclear.
Calcium channel blocking agents may possibly be of value where there is vascular instability.
Surgical intervention may help where there is an obvious physical lesion but in many cases where this is not the case it not only fails to improve matters but may lead to deterioration. Damage to the long thoracic nerve or the brachial plexus are possibilities. Patients need careful appraisal before neurosurgery”.  Taken from http://www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/40001959/

[Abhijeet Deshmukh, MD]

Hello.

Cervical rib can cause occlusion of blood vessels or nerves. The pain in the fingers appears to be due to the cervical rib. Cervical rib causes the thoracic outlet syndrome due to compression of the brachial plexus and/or subclavian artery.

Surgical removal of the rib is an effective way of preventing further damage by the rib.

Regards

[shadu]

Sir,
  This is in reference to your reply regarding my cervical rib problem. I also feel strange feeling in my heart as if it beats slowly sometimes. Looks to me like it will stop beating now and sometimes i feel a little pain in the chest area, although i went for ECG couple of times but that is showing 100% normality.Do you think there is some problem with my heart or this is the effect of cervical rib.
       As you know i am having left cervical rib even though it is small in size, the pain starts from the back portion of the left side of the chest close to spine and my upper back becomes exhausted that time.
       If surgery is the best way out to remove cervical rib, tell me it is a minor or a major surgery and will this problem go for ever or not.
       Looking forward to your reply.
                  THANKS.

[shadu]

Sir,
  This is in reference to your reply regarding my cervical rib problem. I also feel strange feeling in my heart as if it beats slowly sometimes. Looks to me like it will stop beating now and sometimes i feel a little pain in the chest area, although i went for ECG couple of times but that is showing 100% normality.Do you think there is some problem with my heart or this is the effect of cervical rib.
       As you know i am having left cervical rib even though it is small in size, the pain starts from the back portion of the left side of the chest close to spine and my upper back becomes exhausted that time.
       If surgery is the best way out to remove cervical rib, tell me it is a minor or a major surgery and will this problem go for ever or not.
       Looking forward to your reply.
                  THANKS.