United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

I have had lower back pain(developed a knot about the size of a quarter on my hip/lower back area affected side) and my affected arm has started getting weaker,too. This started in Dec. 04. I am ROBPI. I am trying to find out if it is related to my birth injury. There are so many unknowns about our injury that it is hard for even doctors to know what is causing our pain or what to do to stop it. This has been my experience ,anyway, the last 10 months. I have also had pain in my leg(affected side). I beleive it is do to overcompensation. I did alot of heavy lifting working in food service. I never could lift the "proper" way, only the way I had learned to adjust to get the job done. I also noticed the morning to be more difficult. I've described the pain as feeling like I'm breaking in half. Have you seen a doctor about this? Please consider it? Tell them about your birth injury!! I do understand your pain and you feel better soon.

Tracy
32yr ROBPI

Hi Christina -
It's very possible that your back pain could be a result of your OBPI. I've been suffering with back pain for over 3 years now; I also have a great deal of pain in my shoulder and neck. I recently saw a doctor in Milwaukee who explained how these problems were a direct result of the OBPI. We learn to compensate for the disability by using other muscles. Sooner or later, these muscles become over-used and painful. I am currently going to Physical Therapy for my shoulder and neck pain, to help stretch the muscles. I've been going to a Chiropractor for about 3 years for my back. Although the pain has not been totally eliminated, it does seem to help keep it from intensifying.
I hope this helps!
Cyndi

I agree it could definitly be connected. I get lower back pain on my affected side I describe as sciatica pain. I also think it's from years of trying to lift my arm as high as I could since most of the stretch came from my lower back.
I had been seeing a Chiropractor years ago and it definitly helped, but it's kind of pricey for me to go to every month.

-Traci

I have had lower back pain along with the "normal" OBPI upper back for years... but recently I have had so much pain and when it began to extend down both legs I decided I had to give in and realize this was not a matter of resting or doing exercise... so I had an MRI and the test shows I have spinal Stenosis of the lumbar region.
http://www.spineuniverse.com/displayart ... cle239.htm


However, I have had MRI of the upper back and they say the doctors say the same thing, along with herniation buldging etc..
It really is only one spinal column but they examine each part according to your symptoms...

They claim that it can come as part of the aging process however those of us with injured backs, necks and the trauma of our birth injuries seems to bring it on sooner for some of us. I have always had what the doctors called a "bad", weak back... of course no one ever mentioned that it was part of this birth injury... As a teenager and in my early twenties I asked why I always had problems with my back and my peers did not... They just said I had a bad back and I never once connected it to obpi.

Kath ( adult/robpi)

Yes, I too suffer from back pain. I have been up since 5 this morning because I just couldn't lay there any longer. I had to get up and stretch out because my back hurt so bad. I was told to have deep tissue massages but who can afford that all the time. I'm really contemplating investing in a hot tub. It really helped me out this weekend.

Hi
I am very interested in this thread and would like to let everyone here posting that our Erb's Palsy group in the Uk facilitated a research study last year into the long term effects of this injury on the body.
All the participants had an obstetric injury and completed a questionnaire asking them if they suffered pain,about the types of pain and areas where they suffered pain.
29 of the 36 respondants reported that they suffered pain and that it was getting worse- most people reported moderate pain on their affected side and a high proportion reported moderate pain in their hips and thighs.
It was a small group and research project- but it did show that the pain associated with this condition is NOT limited to the arm and shoulder, but is widespread throughout the persons body.
Karen
published in; physiotherapy research international journal Vol 9 no 4 2004
by Dr Cecily Partridge and Susan Edwards

Thanks Karen

Someone sent me a link to that report and of course I lost it... I must have filed it with my bpi hand... LOL.

I wrote to Dr.C.Partridge but did not get a response. I asked if they were going to do any more studies?
I would love to know what they will do with a study like this. Is it a first step to better medical attention being paid to the entire body.

I wish some would take the next step and realize that once a child is out of pediatric care ( at least in the USA) there are no doctors familiar with obpi who can give good advice to the adult/obpi.

If you have the link to this study would you post it please?
Nice to see you around I missed you.
Kath

Hi Kath
I still lurk - but I have to say we have been very busy in our group in the Uk and with so few management committee members the work seems to take forever to get done!
Really the study just conculeded that more studies ened to be done in the long term on the adult obpi person - ( tell us something we DIDN'T know LOL)
but the message that came out LOUD and CLEAR at our study day for therapists is that these children with obpi GROW UP into ADULTS with obpi !!
I wish you could have been there to hear it Kath - the therapist Susan begged the other physiotherapists to understand that you can't write a child off at 12-13-18 years ( whatever) and believe that they are "fixed" - that they grow into adults with therapy needs - it was certainly food for thought -
I just hope that someone will pcik up the gauntlet and run with it, and fund a bigger and more comprehensive study- but for a first one, it was interesting reading!
http://www.whurr.co.uk/whurr/display.asp?

Karen
Thanks, I just wish they would spend a few days with me...
I did it all wrong and pushed too hard all the time.
I was so afraid that people would think I was disabled.
I would not let anyone help me.
I discovered much later on in life, that all of my two handed friends thought I was nuts because they had help and were not worried about accepting help.

I think it is so hard to get that balance and parents can't really teach it.
Parents must push the child to be determined and strong and self-reliant.
Then when they try to get us to accept any help under normal circumstance it is almost impossible.

I think they need to send OBPI adult ( 20's) for special OT for future preservation of unaffected arm.
I also think TBPI should have some special OT after then get on their feet...
They seem to develop that same determined " I can do it myself attitude".

For BPI injured that type of OT is really preventive medicine....
Thanks again for the information. I wonder if anyone will do anything with this study. I sure hope so!
Kath /robpi

Kathy H Tried to go to the sight although it says search unsuccessful. Little help please