i've cut and pasted this message from the gen board from someone who has some paralysis following shoulder surgery where a nerve block was used on the BP. Anyone else had these experiences?
Hi. I'm new here. First EMG is scheduled Wed. Apr. 10. I had shoulder surgery with block of BP. Hand is still numb after 10 days, and I can't curl my thumb & index finger, can't grip anything. I feel warm and cool on the skin and get weird pulsing or crawling sensations, pressure but no pain. Anyone have same problem due to nerve block? Is there hope I'll get my hand back? I really am scared out of my wits.
NERVE BLOCK ....help needed
-
jennyb
- Posts: 1183
- Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2001 5:24 pm
- Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: January 1980 Yamaha RD200 vs 16 wheeler truck, result, 1 totally paralysed right arm. I was 21, now 54. I had no surgery, I don't regret this. Decided to totally ignore limitations (easily done aged 21) adapted very quickly to one handed life, got married, had 3 kids, worked- the effect of the injury on my life (once the pain stopped being constant) was minimal and now, aged 54, I very rarely even think of it, unless I bash it or it gets cold, then I wish I'd had it amputated :) Except for a steering knob on my car, I have no adaptations to help with life, mainly because I honestly don't think of myself as disabled and the only thing I can't do is peel potatoes, which is definitely a good thing.
Re: NERVE BLOCK ....help needed
Thanks for pasting this, jen...
Hi Gail, sorry to hear about what you are going through. Have you spoken to the surgeon who operated on your shoulder about what is happening to your arm? or the anaesthetist? The crawly feelings etc, are a pretty good sign usually of re-innervation, so try not to worry too much. Are you having the MRI because of this? It wiil at least indicate if there is any damage.
The only bit of personal experience I can give you, relative to this is; when I was recently in hospital for some tests, it was necessary for the doctor to take some arterial blood for testing. This involved quite a bit of digging around the wrist of my 'good' arm by the dr., because my ateries/veins are buried deep..while he was jiggling the needle around to hit the artery, he touched a major nerve. This set up a kind of numb but pinched feeling which slowly spread all over my hand and into the fingers. Anyway, to cut a long story short, my hand and fingers went very stiff and felt hot all that day, and most of the night, and it hurt to make a fist. I was a bit worried...it's my last one..! ;0) but...it did all return to normal after about 48 hours.
Not the same severity as your symptoms, and not even the same cause, but I hope that helps.
Let us know how the MRI turns out...
Take care..liz
Hi Gail, sorry to hear about what you are going through. Have you spoken to the surgeon who operated on your shoulder about what is happening to your arm? or the anaesthetist? The crawly feelings etc, are a pretty good sign usually of re-innervation, so try not to worry too much. Are you having the MRI because of this? It wiil at least indicate if there is any damage.
The only bit of personal experience I can give you, relative to this is; when I was recently in hospital for some tests, it was necessary for the doctor to take some arterial blood for testing. This involved quite a bit of digging around the wrist of my 'good' arm by the dr., because my ateries/veins are buried deep..while he was jiggling the needle around to hit the artery, he touched a major nerve. This set up a kind of numb but pinched feeling which slowly spread all over my hand and into the fingers. Anyway, to cut a long story short, my hand and fingers went very stiff and felt hot all that day, and most of the night, and it hurt to make a fist. I was a bit worried...it's my last one..! ;0) but...it did all return to normal after about 48 hours.
Not the same severity as your symptoms, and not even the same cause, but I hope that helps.
Let us know how the MRI turns out...
Take care..liz
Re: NERVE BLOCK ....help needed
Thank you so much for your support. You wanted to know how the EMG turned out... I couldn't complete the nasty needle portion of the test due to unbearable pain, but the results that were gathered were very good! My nerves are healing and there is an increase in strength, so I am very hopeful. Apparently, BP injury due to nerve block is fairly rare, and it took finding people like you to help me understand what's going on. The Physical Medicine MD who administered the EMG yesterday has never had a case like mine in her career. If it hadn't been for the hope I got from you highly educated people, I'd have continued to cry my eyes out. I don't know if ALL the damage to the BP will heal, but I should have most of my hand back within the next couple months. I'll keep in touch. Maybe I can offer the same support to someone else.
Gail
Gail
-
jennyb
- Posts: 1183
- Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2001 5:24 pm
- Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: January 1980 Yamaha RD200 vs 16 wheeler truck, result, 1 totally paralysed right arm. I was 21, now 54. I had no surgery, I don't regret this. Decided to totally ignore limitations (easily done aged 21) adapted very quickly to one handed life, got married, had 3 kids, worked- the effect of the injury on my life (once the pain stopped being constant) was minimal and now, aged 54, I very rarely even think of it, unless I bash it or it gets cold, then I wish I'd had it amputated :) Except for a steering knob on my car, I have no adaptations to help with life, mainly because I honestly don't think of myself as disabled and the only thing I can't do is peel potatoes, which is definitely a good thing.
Re: NERVE BLOCK ....help needed
Hi Gail, glad to hear things look better now! Remember to keep all those joints and muscles moving so things don't seize up when it all comes back to life. Email me again whenever you want to, and keep us posted on the recovery :0)
Re: NERVE BLOCK ....help needed
Hi I am new here - my name is Alison & I live in SA. I am so excited about finding this site. I had a car accident in 1997, and I too had nerve blockage in my right arm which caused paralysis for a year. this injury is an unknown one in SA & I have been for the conduction tests, neuroseurgeons, physios, orthapoedics, neuroligists, and still today i have only 60% use of the arm. My condition improves and then I can go back to 3 years ago with the pain & symptoms, & all I get told here is to carry on with life.
-
jennyb
- Posts: 1183
- Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2001 5:24 pm
- Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: January 1980 Yamaha RD200 vs 16 wheeler truck, result, 1 totally paralysed right arm. I was 21, now 54. I had no surgery, I don't regret this. Decided to totally ignore limitations (easily done aged 21) adapted very quickly to one handed life, got married, had 3 kids, worked- the effect of the injury on my life (once the pain stopped being constant) was minimal and now, aged 54, I very rarely even think of it, unless I bash it or it gets cold, then I wish I'd had it amputated :) Except for a steering knob on my car, I have no adaptations to help with life, mainly because I honestly don't think of myself as disabled and the only thing I can't do is peel potatoes, which is definitely a good thing.
Re: NERVE BLOCK ....help needed
hi alison, sorry to hear about your injury. i am in contact with a guy in SA with a tbpi, he has a specialist he's seeing & has had some surgery. i will email him about you and hopefully he'll get in touch. Take care :0)
Re: NERVE BLOCK ....help needed
hi, thanks for the response. It would be awesome to be in contact with someone who may understand this injury. surgery has been ruled out for me as they left it too long before i was referred to a specialist. the injury was from C1-T6. As a result I also have C1-C3 rotation, but c1 rotates left and c2&3 rotate right, so i get other inflammations and both occipital nerves go ito a frenzy. i really would like to know what people do for the pain, as I have a tens machine, every device every invented & yet not much success.
-
admin
- Site Admin
- Posts: 19873
- Joined: Mon Nov 16, 2009 9:59 pm
Re: NERVE BLOCK ....help needed
I am so glad to find this site. I had rotator cuff surgery in April and was not recovering as fast as my therapist thought I should be. I knew I was trying hard with my exercises and was feeling discouraged. All the complaints I told him ( like swelling of my hand, pain in my whole arm, tightness of my wrist) were just "my lack of tolerance to pain", so he'd say. I finally saw another doctor who specializes in hands, had a EMG and was found to have nerve damage and yes I had a NERVE BLOCK!! It was diagnosed as a Brachial Plexus Injury and possibly from the nerve block. I will geet the complete diagnosis at my appointment on Friday. I'll let you know!
-
admin
- Site Admin
- Posts: 19873
- Joined: Mon Nov 16, 2009 9:59 pm
Re: NERVE BLOCK ....help needed
I am so glad to find this site. I had rotator cuff surgery in April and was not recovering as fast as my therapist thought I should be. I knew I was trying hard with my exercises and was feeling discouraged. All the complaints I told him ( like swelling of my hand, pain in my whole arm, tightness of my wrist) were just "my lack of tolerance to pain", so he'd say. I finally saw another doctor who specializes in hands, had a EMG and was found to have nerve damage and yes I had a NERVE BLOCK!! It was diagnosed as a Brachial Plexus Injury and possibly from the nerve block. I will geet the complete diagnosis at my appointment on Friday. I'll let you know!
-
admin
- Site Admin
- Posts: 19873
- Joined: Mon Nov 16, 2009 9:59 pm
Re: NERVE BLOCK ....help needed
I am responding to my own message but I had an EMG and it shows I have nerve damage from the nerve block I had for my rotater cuff surgery. I am so upset because I spend 3 1/2 hours at therapy three days a week. My life is therapy and yelling at my kids to help me around the house. This is a very hard thing to deal with when you can't open the Motrin bottle to take something for pain. I am so mad at the jerk that gave me the nerve block!! I was not told of the possibility of nerve damage. Has anyone sued the doctor for this? I'm also worried thata my insurance will not cover all my therapy. I go to Physical and Occupational Therapy 3 days a week. Would love to here from somebody that has words of advice.