Thoracic Outlet Syndrome

The basic movements you can do in the office are as follows: ① Quadratus Muscle Stretch: Sit in a chair, hold the chair with one hand, and slowly tilt your neck to the opposite side, maintaining the feeling of the side of your neck stretching for 20 to 30 seconds. ② Pectoralis Minor Muscle Stretch: Place your elbow at a 90-degree angle against a door frame, take a step forward, and straighten your chest. ③ Scapular Retraction: Without shrugging your shoulders, bring your shoulder blades back and hold for 5 seconds; repeat 10 times. During periods of heightened sensitivity, gentle repetition is safer than strong stretching, and movements that cause numbness to spread to the hands are a signal to reduce intensity. From the perspective of a Korean medicine clinic, stretching is considered a self-exercise that naturally clears blocked pathways. Movements such as expanding the chest and extending the arms—following the path of energy and blood flow from the chest to the arms—are, in themselves, an extension of treatment that resolves circulatory stagnation. Dongjedang advises that stretching is most effective immediately after loosening hardened scalene and pectoralis minor muscles with acupuncture or fine needles, and recommends a structure where the pathways opened by treatment are maintained through self-exercise. Furthermore, we review dietary habits to reduce waste products accumulated from late-night work and excessive coffee consumption, and if necessary, combine this with herbal medicine to aid circulation, thereby enhancing the efficiency of self-care.