According to Souza, which of the following is NOT considered conservative management for TOS?

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Conservative management for thoracic outlet syndrome focuses on fixing how the neck and shoulder girdle move and how activities provoke symptoms. It emphasizes physical therapy with targeted stretches and strengthening to relieve scalene and pectoralis minor tightness, nerve gliding to reduce neural tethering, posture correction to widen the outlet, and activity modification to avoid provocative positions.

Cervical traction doesn’t fit this approach. It aims to pull apart cervical structures rather than specifically addressing the dynamic compression at the thoracic outlet, and the evidence for its benefit in TOS is limited. It can fail to relieve symptoms and may even worsen neural or vascular irritation in some cases. For these reasons, cervical traction is not considered conservative management for TOS in Souza’s framework, while physical therapy, posture correction, and activity modification are.