United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

My physio and I have been working soooo hard with my biceps, they are just not responding how we want them to! We have decided to put some added focus on my triceps, if I can get them stronger, we could transfer part of them for my biceps. This is what we have been doing...... I use a Russian form of electrical stim, it is very strong, with two electrodes on my triceps. Then I use an exersize ball to lay on my tummy on. When the electricity is shoot through me, heheh, I have to roll forward on the ball and weight bear in my BPI arm. Tuesday it was HARD! I cant keep the arm straight!! Yesterday, I could weight bear with just my right arm and right foot, all the weight on my bad side! YEAHH! I have physio again today! i Just thought I would share this! It is also something that can be done at home! Have any questions feel free to ask me!

COurt xx

Hi Courtney, sounds like a fun way to exercise those biceps! ! ! ! I was wondering how straight you can get your BPI arm. I am religously doing my exercises every day and have noticed some improvement in how far I can get my arm straight, but I suppose only being nearly 8 weeks since nerve transfer it will take time. I find at the moment I can only straighten my BPI arm to about 3/4 the way. After accident my arm seemed to be at a 90 degree angle most of the time.

Regards Michael

Blimey, I never did any of this Court and my bicep came in pretty strongly at around 9 months post op...no E-stim or anything like that. When it did start to have movement, I did exercise it every day by trying to bend it across a slippery table, then against gravity. I think it reached its present level of strenth at around 14-15 months.

What nerves were used in your grafts and/or transfers and when? I know you told me, but I can't remember...

Liz/mum

Michael, I can straighten my BPI arm all the way, its the keeping it straight that is so hard for me, with weight on it. Like in a pushup postion.... thats hnard, but Im working on it....

And for me brit mum..... C5 & 6 were avulsed C7 ruptured C8 strectched. I have the nerve graphing done in January 2002been almost 3 years... had the sural nerve taken from my leg, not sure as to where it was out in my brachail plexus though..... then a year ago I had about 15% of my median nerve rerouted for my biceps..... thats about all I can tell ya... damn biceps are too SLOW for me!!!

Does this make any sense??