Systematic review: The effectiveness of physical treatments on thoracic outlet syndrome in reducing clinical symptoms

Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is a well-discussed neurovascular condition in upper limbs that prompted the scientists to conduct several reviews and to write articles on the topic during the last three decades. Most of the treatments are surgery and a series of conservative treatments. However, the variation of conservative treatments is wide and not defined. The aim of this systematic review was to define the effectiveness of physical treatments, as one of the conservative managements, for patients with TOS, in terms of pain relief. Eleven articles published during the period 1990–2009 were selected for this review. Results show that physical treatments can reduce the pain of patients with TOS, which is the primary outcome. However, there is no firm evidence to support their effectiveness.