United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Hi Kath,

I've only dealt with BPI for 11 years, but have had hanging pain too. I found massage & acupuncture to be really helpful.

For a while the pain was going up into my neck and causing migraines that made me throw up from the pain. Since I've been doing massage regularly (every 2 weeks) I haven't had any migraines, and my pain is manageable most of the time.

I even wonder if it contributed to my nerve pain dying down--who knows.

I stopped the acupuncture when my new insurance didn't cover it, and I had to choose between the 2 treatments, but it really helped too.

Heddi

Hi Heidi~
Thanks for your advice! But I have tried acupuncture and it was horribly painful. I got light headed and dizzy as well. My hand is so painful and certain areas of my arm and back; I am sure we all have different levels and tolerance for pain. Massage therapy was GREAT; I had a dollar limit on my husbands insurance so it went FAST! Plus I never had time to get there and it made it more stressful for me waiting for my husband to get home JUST IN TIME for me to get there. We have 4 children under 11; the older 3 are in at least 3-4 different sports and activities. I know, complain and complain. The doctors have x-rays showing my arm hanging further and further out throughout the years. Its a matter of time before I have to go back and have it fused into place.
Thank again for your advice and for caring enough to respond to my post.
Kath:)

Hi Kath,

I had my accident in 1986 two weeks after I turned 18, similar as you but I haven't had much of the intense hanging pains, which might be that I am always doing movement to help relieve the pain and positioning the arm to help get the pull off the arm too. I also do lots of neck stretches and range of motion movements to help keep the area from binding up. I think I do all of these fairly subconsciously throughout the day, sometimes consciously when the pain kicks up a little more.

Professional massage is great and does help, but I also do my own message, again, this is something I do daily and usually without really thinking about it or even interrupting the things I am doing.

I have worked very hard to keep all my joints as flexible as possible because it helps me with my sports, especially golf and waterskiing. I also think it helps keep the arm "healthy", don't have much scientific proof on that one, just my way of thinking since the injury. It might not make it healthier, but I know for me this really helps with the pain management in my shoulder area.

As far as pain med's, I haven't taken any other than the stuff after the surgery and that I think was not more than a few weeks. I know everyone has different levels of pain, mine is always there and sometime kicks up to be fairly intense. I have found that the more active I am and involved in work or something that is stimulating my brain, rather than "thinking or focusing" about my arm or the pain, then I don't experience much pain.

Over the years when the subject of phantom pain comes up, people will ask me "are you having them right now" and I always respond, "well now that you asked me about them and I am now thinking about it, yes" I mention this and it is a reminder to myself that the more I can keep focused on other things than my arm, the better off I am.

Kath, based on this conversation and a few others, I wanted to either e-mail you or talk on the phone, but your info is not listed. If you wanted to talk, just e-mail me.

All the best,
Dan

Hi Dan
My e-mail is herff94@yahoo.com
Kath