Brachial plexus injury

Wanted to find out other people's opinion's on there situations regarding the brachial plexus injury.

Hi @jenn5423. I'd like to invite @bionicwoman, @seathink, and @dleeowen to this discussion who have discussed their experiences with a brachial plexus injury on Connect. Each member has a different route to what caused their injury, but may be able to share some of their experiences with you.

@jenn5423, if you are comfortable sharing, would you be willing to tell a bit more about what caused your injury and how you have currently been managing it?

Hi Jenn, I had/have radiation induced brachial plexus neuropathy so my experience may differ from yours, but happy to share.

Symptoms came on very fast, extreme weakness, volume of arm reduced by 15% over a couple months, total numbness/pins & needles, loss of finger sensation and ability to write or do any fine motor skills.

Brain/shoulder MRI and EMG showed the damage, a now very rare side effect from chest radiation (35 rounds the year before).

Luckily I was still seeing my cancer team and my radiologist at UCLA took point, basically throwing everything at it. I took steroids, Trental and high dose Vitamin E, Vitamin B, Occupational Therapy, and I was still doing PT for my surgeries,and my PT had had a patient once with my type of case.

We were also able to oxygen therapy at the Hyperbaric Chamber at UCLA. It took finessing for the insurance company and a denial, but since it was linked to the radiation my radiologist and the docs at the chamber got me in for 40 rounds. That was a long shot but worked for me. Today I can lift/write/do fine motor skills, and some feeling has returned to my fingers. Some of my arm still feels numb/tingling but it's nothing like it was.

The one thing I don't know about is if the reversal is permanent or not, but it's been a year and a half so far.

Hope this is helpful.

Mine came on through a winding path of surgeries. I fell twice (once broke my clavicle and one broke my humerous bone). I wound up in an emergency room in St. Paul, waited for a week for treatment. The first surgeon put a plate and screws in my clavicle to help it heal correctly, the second surgeon, after a 7 day wait in the emergency ward of the same hospital, did a reverse shoulder surgery. I went back to a local nursing home for a month. Following that was several months of physical therapy, The only clue I was injured somehow came when the sling came off in a session of physical therapy. A lightning bolt went up my right arm (at least that is how it felt). I found out in post-surgery checkups by my shoulder surgeon that I had a damaged axillary nerve. A neurologist ran a EMG test. Axillary Palsy. I went to Mayo Clinic; and I was send home with brachial plexus disorder. Currently have had an MRI that I wanted a long time ago, it seems. Unfortunately, the implant for the shoulder made it almost impossible to read throughly, So I am getting another opinion next Monday on where I am. This is the back story to date. Lee

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.

No information follow-up. Sorry to report that my shoulder is weaker and uglier than I could have imagined. PT didn't do it for me. I am still super TIGHT and feel ugly. If it were strong enough to walk my dogs, I would be happy, but that is not going to happen. I am stuck with this for the rest of my life, I guess.