United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

I'm wondering with a BPI is it normal to have very little pain?

I'm not complaining mind you, The only pain I get is when my clothing rubs on my skin for a long time or I get the picky feelings in the numb areas of the skin.

sometimes if I move my arm just right It feel like a mega shock but that goes away quickly and it only happens once in awhile.

from reading, so very many of you have such great pain, is that what I'm in for? As I begin to recover? It has been a bit over a month since my injury?

I had no movement and now can move arm as far as 45% angle
I've noticed when I've tried to move upper arm it moves in towards my body,only elbow to wrist move normal. I still can't raise arm over head or out to my side.

thanks for the help, the more I read the more questions I have or I don't understand this BPI.

Seems like you are a lucky one! Your injury might not be as severe as the others who have wicked pain all the time.

Mostly I just wanted to add that the more you relearn to d things the proper way (as much as that is possible) and the lees you have to use compensation, the better off you should be. I have come to believe that it is years of compensation that can cause bad pain if you dont already have pain.

I just want to wish you the best in hopes that you never have to experience the pain that the others have. Good luck in your recovery!!!


Hugs,
Amy 20 years old ROBPI from MN -- I am not TBPI but have experienced some wicked pain for a few years. So I thought I would offer up my experience.

Dustin has no pain, which I have been very thankful for. The way the drs at Mayo explained it to us is that depending on the severity of the injury most BPI's will have pain. They said the problem seems to be that when the nerves are regenerating if they can't find the right course they grow like weeds, heading everywhere. So they are sending mixed or confused messages that are not appropiate for what they were meant. These messages are interperated by the brain as pain. So, if this is right it would seem that as you get proper function pain would lessen. Dustin only has stretch injury and has had no pain, which does seem unusual as we read all the posts with people with soooo much pain.
Sue

My son is 6 and his 'injury' happened 16 months ago and he only had a few episodes of pain within the first few days of injury. His nerve damage was from the west nile virus and all five nerves were damaged to the point of complete paralysis of the arm and hand. So to me that is pretty severe, but still had no pain and they told us to expect pain as he recovered but we never saw any. They had him on nuerontin but took him off about a month into it and thank the lord, no pain! That is what i noticed also, that one of the main things all the BPI had in common was pain, so i was curious (but thankful) of why Drake has no pain. That is also why i decided no surgery for scar tissue removal because i didn't want to mess with a good thing!

Has anyone tried hypericum peroratum (St John's Wort) for pain? Drake's chiropractor recommended it. It is a homeopathic medicine. I searched it and it's mainly used to treat depression but is also used for nerve pain. He also said it is being used for nerve regeneration. it took a lot of searching to see where it has been used for that but the nerve pain treatment came up a lot. I was just wondering. I'm not sure i want Drake to take it or not. I know it's homeopathic and not suppose to be harmful but i'm just not familiar with those type medications.

Teresa

Okay, I concede, severe might not be the right word. Dustin has no functional movement of shoulder or biceps so yes I believe his is a severe injury. The thing is that the way they described it to us would mean that nerves that are severed, ruptured, avulsed or herniated would have more of an opportunity to try to grow in a weed like fashion. Where nerves that are stretched would be more likely to follow the path though not always making the connection or making only a partial connection.
Sue

hi sue~
I wasn't meaning anything by putting that i thought Drake's was 'severe'. No one has ever been able to tell me which kind of injury his falls under! Technically he doesn't have a severed, ruptured, avulsed, herniated or srteched nerve. So i'm not sure what he is!:) But you seem very knowledgeable about BPI have you researched anything on these homeopathic medicines? I'm not sure if the benefit of this St John's Wort has been suported by any facts. Any info?
Thanks
Teresa

Teresa,
We have tried several homeopathic remedies. We tried B vitamins which are supposed to help with nerve conditions. We tried Ammino Acids and Whey protein which are supposed to help with muscle growth. Think we have about run the gambit. But, no I don't remember trying St John's Wort, think like you I had heard this was for mood or depression. I know there are a couple of people on here that have studied "alternative medicine". Maybe try shearching "homeopathic" or something and they will come up. I should try something for memory as their names elude me at the present. I can't say that we noticed any notable improvement with any one product and after a few months Dustin would just kind of loose hope and stop taking them. Right now I look at what he can do and what he wants to be able to do and I have come up with some unusual methods to try to get that arm going. Has Drake had any return? Is he able to move the arm at all? Dustin can move out of gravity only.
Sue

I'm really happy I have no pain, mine is a stretch injury.
Today was the best day for movement I've had. I actually held my arm up in the air without it falling down for about a min. maybe I'm recovering very quickly.

Maybe this is why I have no pain. I can't figure it out. if the nerves heal an inch per month how is it possible to heal so quickly? I guess it just depends on how badly the stretch is? I had surgery on the 12/18/07 this is what caused the stretch injury in the first place. so maybe I'm on the road to recovery faster than the dr. thought.

I go for an EMG on the the of Feb. that should tell me exactly what is working and what is not correct?

Thanks,

Mary Beth

oops it shouldbe the 6th of FEB.

that's great Mary Beth! because normally you don't hear fast and bpi in the same sentence! So i'm glad for you!

Sue~ Drake has just been able to bend at the elbow while standing up for the first time this month! Most everything was without gravity so this is a first. He went from awkwardly being able to do it once to now we are adding quarters under a wrist band for weights and he can lift it about 6 times! He can lift his arm only about 30 degrees away but that's with arching the back and lifting the shoulder. His pronation and supination are slightly improving but he still has little finger extension and no wrist extension. His flexion has been good for awhile. His therapist is also getting worried about his scapula starting to wing. I am trying SO hard to get his therapist to try biofeedback but she isn't convinced yet. I have contacted several therapist and doctors and even Karen Pape to try and get enough info for the therapist to try it or to write a letter so my insurance will cover it so i can get one!
Thanks for the input

Teresa