Brachial plexus injury

Hi Daniel,
Welcome to Connect. You can find more information about brachial plexus care at Mayo Clinic here: http://mayocl.in/2dC9MZj This page also includes additional links to research and patient success stories including this one: http://mayocl.in/2dgmJpM

Also here are a few additional Connect discussions you may be interested in reading where you'll meet other members like @cillamac @susanacj @bessygo and @gjs411 who are dealing with brachial plexus injuries and surgery:

– How do I test for longterm (9 years) suspected nerve avulsion in neck? http://mayocl.in/2c60Aw6
– Brachial Plexus Injury / C-5 palsy – how to deal with pain? http://mayocl.in/2crmAA4
– Severe arm injury resulting in numerous symptoms and no relief http://mayocl.in/2c5Z0dR

Daniel, can you tell us a bit more about your situation? How were you injured? How are you managing pain now and what treatment options are available to you?

Can you give us a little bit more of info. Birth? Accident? Time of injury? Paralysis where? Etc.

Hi this is Brandy, Daniel's wife 🙂 Thank you guys for replying! Danny is 39yrs old and was in an ATV accident April 30th damaging the right brachail plexus, right clavicle fx, right scapula fx along with right broken ribs (flail chest), temporal fx causing hearing loss of right ear, lacerated liver, and hematoma of his pancreas. Everything has progressed very well minus the right arm. I have posted the outcome of our last appointment below. We go for the EMG test today. The Dr thinks that Danny will get movement back from his elbow to your hand and minimal shoulder movement. We began seeing a progression everyday with more feeling coming back and some movement coming back but over the past week or so the progression has been very slight. Danny is able to bend his wrist and fingers down but can not flex up yet. He does have shoulder movement as well. He is starting to experience more tingling sensation in the tricep area (which is the area the edema is still located) The decrease in progression causes us to worry but we are aware that this type of nerve damage can take a while to recover and we are still in the early stages. That is why we wanted to join a discussion board with others who have the same DX.

Doing well. Coping with diagnosis
Pain improving. Discussed weaning down on narcotics.
RICE prn
Improving strength in finger flexion and FCR flexion improving.
Lacks all finger and wrist extensaion
No elbow or shoulder ROM returned.
Sensation improving in the hand per the patient. He has returning tingling inthe radial nerve over the hand. New finding. Improving med/ulnar sensation.
Clavicle fracture xray show near anatomic alingment with intact hardware
Continue NWB
Will send to OT for home exercise for ROM and stretching of hand elbow.
Continue gabapentin.
Will refer to ortho hand for dr matthias to eval for brachial plexus injury and comgt

You need to get to the Mayo Clinic asap. Usually if surgery is needed they try to perform it within 3 months after the injury to get the best results. I had mine even being 7 months pregnant. I hope you get to the right Doctors and he gets much better soon. Best wishes.

We have an appointment the 15th with Dr. Murry

Great!

Treatment of brachial plexus injury suffering from 2 years

Hi @lipun93, I moved your message to this existing discussion about brachial plexus as John suggested so that you can meet others like @arlenej @susanacj and @dgroland135.

Lipun, what treatments have you had?

Hello,
I was in an accident at work in January 2025. A metal elevator counter weight fell on me from 180 feet above while I was on top of the car performing safety checks. My right arm/shoulder was knocked behind me causing a brachial plexus injury. I substantiated a broken humerus, a broken radial, and a ruptured artery all of which was repaired and are healing very slow. The nerve damage is extensive and the pain has been unbearable. I am being treated with opiates and Gabapentin. I receive physical therapy and occupational therapy weekly. Because I was injured on the job it’s a workman’s comp claim through SCIF state fund insurance in California. I struggle with getting proper care in a timely manner. I am forced to use the doctors that performed the surgery’s and treated me in the hospital, since they cannot refuse me due to the insurance situation. Other than that I will have to find a doctor to accept my case, in which I am looking for 3 months now. I was recently cut off my medication due to administrative issues with authorization submission or lack of by the doctors office as well as SCIF putting a hold on every request due to needing more information regarding his treatment from the doctors and why it necessary. Getting off these meds cold turkey is not advisable and I have been living in a nightmare the past 14 days. I went to get acupuncture to help with the nerve pain which feels like I just had my accident again due to the withdrawal and pain. I’m looking for advise on how to manage the nerve pain without opiates, as well as any recovery recommendations. The doctors both Orthopedic and rehabilitation/pain management, I have do not do much as far treatments or recommendations. I go once a month and get new prescription and an X-rays and maybe 1 to 3 minutes conversation and sent on my way. The Ortho recommended peptide therapy injections to assist in the regeneration of muscle and nerves but SCIF denied the therapy which cost $3000. I’m going to ask for “INF therapy” available at Loma Linda University Health, at a nerve pain clinic today but I’m not very hopeful they will approve it. It’s $3800 for eight weeks x 2 weekly treatments. It is used with diabetes patients but I’ll will try anything to reduce the pain without opiates. I was told my bones are healing and the humerus is bridging, I have very little use of my right arm and may take a year to have a better idea of how much use I will regain. The nerves grow back slow, and is very noticeable some days from the change in the pain and numbness moving around. My wrist and hand are currently the source of most of my pain. I can move my wrist and I have some move my fingers. They are stiff and I have to constantly try to keep them straight all day. I spend most of my day doing the drills the PT and OT have taught me and messaging my fingers and wrist out. I use a therapy gun to break up the hard places /scare tissue I believe. The swelling and fluid buildup come and go and I have a dry sauna that is also use to help. Since the weather is warmer I have been swimming in the pool and working on range of motion in my shoulder. Any advise or recommendations would be much appreciated.