Anyone get bad muscles spasms? I keep getting crazy ones in my thumb. They don't hurt, but when it spasms a lot it cramps up and I have to use my other hand to unbend my thumb. Just curious if anyone else experiences these spasms.
Michelle RTBPI 5/10/04
BPI Muscle Spasms
- Christopher
- Posts: 845
- Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2003 10:09 pm
- Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: Date of Injury: 12/15/02
Level of Injury:
-dominant side C5, C6, & C7 avulsed. C8 & T1 stretched & crushed
BPI Related Surgeries:
-2 Intercostal nerves grafted to Biceps muscle,
-Free-Gracilis muscle transfer to Biceps Region innervated with 2 Intercostal nerves grafts.
-2 Sural nerves harvested from both Calves for nerve grafting.
-Partial Ulnar nerve grafted to Long Triceps.
-Uninjured C7 Hemi-Contralateral cross-over to Deltoid muscle.
-Wrist flexor tendon transfer to middle, ring, & pinky finger extensors.
Surgical medical facility:
Brachial Plexus Clinic at The Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN
(all surgeries successful)
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
~Theodore Roosevelt - Location: Los Angeles, California USA
Re: BPI Muscle Spasms
Michelle
What is the extent of your injury (which nerves are damaged/injured)?
I get spasms in my trapezius muscle in my shoulder, just where it meets my neck. That comes from over use and over dependance due to lack of surrounding muscles that I've lost from my injury. C5, C6, &C7 are avulsed in my case, so all I've got left in my shoulder area is the trapezius and some rhomboid muscle and because of the over use and constant strain, they don't get stronger as one might think, but get over stressed and weakened. Kind of an oxymoron, you'd think using it all the time would build the muscle up, but it does the opposite.
This is probably what's happening to your thumb. My shoulder ceases and knots up and the only way for me to get it to release is by taking my good thumb and driving it hard thru the center of the muscle to get it to relax. No matter what, you should ask your Dr. what is up...
Hope this helps.
Chris
What is the extent of your injury (which nerves are damaged/injured)?
I get spasms in my trapezius muscle in my shoulder, just where it meets my neck. That comes from over use and over dependance due to lack of surrounding muscles that I've lost from my injury. C5, C6, &C7 are avulsed in my case, so all I've got left in my shoulder area is the trapezius and some rhomboid muscle and because of the over use and constant strain, they don't get stronger as one might think, but get over stressed and weakened. Kind of an oxymoron, you'd think using it all the time would build the muscle up, but it does the opposite.
This is probably what's happening to your thumb. My shoulder ceases and knots up and the only way for me to get it to release is by taking my good thumb and driving it hard thru the center of the muscle to get it to relax. No matter what, you should ask your Dr. what is up...
Hope this helps.
Chris
Re: BPI Muscle Spasms
I had muscle spasms in my thumb also Michelle. My injury was 7/2/2003. My injury is a lower trunk left brachial plexus injury. Basically, all of my damage is in my left hand. The thumb spasms have subsized and I'm getting them in my ring finger now. I think its just taking turns.
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- Posts: 37
- Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2005 12:28 pm
Re: BPI Muscle Spasms
Thanks for the info guys, that helps! Good to know I'm not the only one. My injury is a stretch of the lateral cord, so it effects my bicep and hand the most.
Michelle
Michelle