The thoracic outlet is an area between the clavicle and the thoracic cage, located between the shoulder and the neck (Boezaart et al., 2010). Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS) is a disorder characterized by the compression of neurovascular structures as they pass through the thoracic outlet, resulting in multiple diverse symptoms (Boezaart et al., 2010). By far the most common neurovascular structure affected by TOS is the brachial plexus, with 95-98% cases caused by its compression (Boezaart et al., 2010). Other structures affected include the subclavian artery and the subclavian vein (Boezaart et al., 2010). Compression of any of these structures many occur at three separate points in the thoracic outlet: the interscalene …show more content…
However, it only became known to the western world when David Daniel Palmer coined the term and developed a scientific rationale for the practice in 1895 (ACA, 2016). Over the past few decades, the practice has become increasingly commonplace and sought out in domains previously dominated by allopathic medicine (ACA, 2016). Today, chiropractors are licensed in most developed nations including Canada (ACA, 2016). Chiropractic medicine has received plenty of recognition for its effective treatment of spinal pain; predominantly lower back pain, neck pain and mid-back pain (Dagenais et al., 2015). Spinal pain is a common and costly issue for the North American medical systems, however over a quarter of patients with spinal pain sought out a chiropractor in 2014 (Dagenais et al., 2015). Chiropractic medicine has been found to be as effective as allopathic medicine for the treatment of back and neck pain (Dagenais et al., 2015). When compared to allopathic medical physicians, chiropractors report having greater confidence in their ability to work with spinal discomfort (Dagenais et al., 2015). Furthermore, it has been reported that chiropractic medicine is a more cost effective approach to treatment of spinal issues (Dagenais et al.,