United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

I know I should probably wait for the Drs at Mayo to answer (my son goes back 8/5), but my son has been experiencing sensations (he describes it as tingling, electrical) in his hand. Could this be reinervation? Has anyone had this happen and it means nothing? He previously felt nothing at all. His hand still does not work or his tricep.
As I saiid we go back to Mayo on the 5th and it is almost 11 months since he was shot. Any hope?

raisab,

well i too get the tingling/electric shock sensations when 'percussing' or tapping along the nerve pathway. it is referred to as tinels sign http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tinel_sign
durng my recovery i could tap and find out where i believe the nerve regeneration had progressed to.
further to this, also i get tingling to certain fingers because each nerve corresponds to a finger. for example my ring finger on my left hand gets these tingling/electrical sensations due to the ulnar nerve i believe, which they used for the reinnervation of my bicep and braciallis.

im sure mayo will have the answers to your questions

shaun

Tingling is great...stay positive...keep focused on a good path of healing and a healthy attitude.
All good signs...at various stages of recovery.
Hope your son has great news...in fact even the EMG tests are far inferior to your son's sensory. Nothing to date as far as scientific machines can compare with the complex and sophisticated, or as amazing as the human body..and all that it can do!
Best of Luck!
With Peace,Love & Light
Mardelle

Went to the Mayo last week and got some great news and some not so great. My son has gotten almost total reinervation of the radial nerve and has a 4 out of a possible 5 on use of his tricep and a 5 on his lats!
His ulnar doesn't seem to be reinervating though. Yet the doctors were confused on this because he was getting sensation on a couple of fingers when they performed tinel (sp?) tests.
Dr Bishop wanted to perform surgery to regain some movement of his hand but Drs Shin and Spinner thought it prudent to wait as his radial would be further reinervated and it would give them more muscles to work with. I am hoping if we wait enough maybe a miracle will happen with the ulnar nerve! But there seems to be a silver lining at this point!

Wonderful News! Congrats!
Stay positive...extra protein and staying stress free helps with the nerve recovery. One exercise that is crutial for your son too do. In his mind's eye ( imagination) tell him to imagine him using his fingers, flexing, pulling, pinching, actions etc. Also have him use his healthy hand to mimic the movements to create a bio feedback process through his meesage/damaged cord and the brain...
All amazing efforts with this hard work...if he sticks with it...very soon...the ulner will kick in on it's own...every moment he has ...he is to be imagining doing movements in his mind. He will be able to feel muscles on the inside of his body, long before Dr's or EMG tests will reveal anything. All movement on every level...starts from the journey within ourselves

With Peace, Love & Light
Mardelle