Matt Harvey’s diagnosis of thoracic outlet syndrome raises many questions. Here are the biggest — and their answers:
So what exactly is thoracic outlet syndrome?
It’s a condition that causes symptoms such as numbness in fingers, pain in the shoulder, arm and neck due to a compression of nerves and/or blood vessels in the upper chest. The causes are varied, from rib displacement, to repetitive motions or even scar tissue. The different possibilities are among the reasons it is difficult to diagnose.