How many have always had pain? I’ve always had pain. It was more widespread in my youth, but now I just get pains in my left side of chest, neck, shoulder, arm and hand.
Did you ever tell your parents/family you were in pain or did you just accept it as your normal? I told them about my pains especially my mother.
When you complained as a child were you told this injury is not painful? Yes! They told me it can’t hurt because the nerves are dead. When they finally accepted that I was in pain they took me to a doctor but no practical treatment could be offered, and pain killers were discouraged because the situation most likely would not improve.
Did any of you have the shock type pains when you were small? The pain seems to swell up and it’s like a stinging throb. Then it subsides for a few minutes before if swells up again.
Did it occur during growth periods or just out of no where? Probably both.
Does the weather bother you? Yes. It cause the chest to hurt more intensely.
Do you have to take medication for pain and have you always had to take something? No, but that’s a judgment call that each of us makes individually. I don’t want to take any medications so I don’t even though it hurts.
At what age do you think pain begins to be more noticeable? The BPP injury has always hurt.
How many of you were unaware that arm, neck and back problems were related to your arm and compensation? I didn’t realize until fairly recently that these pains are unique to this kind of injury.
Did any of you realize that compensation and bpi may have caused other health problems? No. What other problems?
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How many thought it was only an arm and it did not affect the rest of your body. I thought that when I was a youth.
Did you think that the unaffected arm was so physically strong nothing could change it? No, but others around me had told me that they thought so. I knew my right arm was not especially strong because I couldn’t do chin-ups or push-ups as a child.
How many have had really good follow up care from physicians ... sending you to PT and/or checking to see your arms are moving keeping track of your ROM? Fair amount of follow up care.
If your answer to good follow up care is no
Can you state how the lack of interest in your arm impacted your physical health?
Did you ever realize that no one spoke about your arm during physical exams? They did.
Did you ever receive any instructions on how to care for yourself and prevent injury? Some.
Do you:
have poor circulation No.
lack feeling on some parts of your arm Yes.
lack feeling on some parts of your face No.
lack feeling on some parts of your hand No.
ear and neck No.
Is your arm colder when you sleep? It’s always colder than my right arm.
Do you wake up because your arm is cold? No. I wake up from the pains in the neck, chest, shoulder, arm, and hand.
Do you often find your arm hand is freezing even when using it? Yes.