United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

I was wondering what you guys do when you have one of those days where your pain is nearly unbearable? What things make you feel better? Because I am having those days more often, and I don't know how to put off the pain. Is there something you do to get your mind off of it? I usually resort to movies. But what do you do when your pain gets to that God awful level?

Hi MadisonB,

Outside of meds, I've found that hard aerobic exercise (running, cycling, etc) is one of the few consistent ways to break the pain cycle. I've found that if I need to lay off of training for a while (sick, injured, travel, work), the pain gets more frequent.

Here's some tips I posted on another post.........I hope they help.

Nerve pain is really tricky to deal with, especially since nerves heal so slowly. . For me the first 4-6 months were the hardest and then gradually the pain started to recede to something bearable. If you decide to try other medication, just make sure they are specifically for treating nerve pain, like lyrica, tramadol, and neurontin (gabapentin). You have to be patient with them too as they usually start you off small and let the drugs build in your system so it could take several months to find a dose that works.

Some non-medication things that worked for me..............
leaving the radio or tv on when I slept. It seemed to trick my mind into focusing on something besides pain.

Strangely, massaging another part of my body like my leg or tummy......again, seemed to trick my brain so that the nerve pain would calm down

Forcing myself to keep busy enough during the day that my body was just too tired to stay awake

Really good therapy trick........start by rubbing your arm, hand, and shoulder with a soft cloth several times a day and then gradually try to move up to rougher fabrics, sponges, etc. This is to try to help activate the nerves in your arm/hand/shoulder to bring back normal sensation instead of the nerves firing randomly and painfully.

the only thing i found to help with pain is to KEEP THAT ARM AND HAND MOVING. i just spent 2 days in the hospital for other things besides my arm. i was in bed the entire time. (i am fine now). but i kept moving my arm in circles, wiggling my fingers, making as tight a fist as possible, stretching my fingers and arm, and anything else i could do to KEEP MY HAND AND ARM MOVING. if i would not have done that, my arm would be screaming in pain. i know it sounds harsh, but dont let that arm be still for any length of time other than overnight.

another thing i have done a couple of times is to talk to my arm. "hey arm, i miss you. i really would love to have you back...," just talking very caring and lovingly while rubbing my arm, hand, and each finger. that seems to help a lot also.

one thing i am finding out at this point is i spent many months trying to get my fingers bent enough to make a fist. i can almost make a soft fist now. BUT now my fingers are wanting to claw. when you try so hard to get your fingers to bend, dont forget to keep them stretched the other way, too.

HEY MADISON B. SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT THE PAIN,UNFORTUNATELY IT SEEMS TO BE A CONSTANT PART OF THIS INJURY,ASIDE FROM THE MEDS,SOME OF WHICH SEEM NOT TO WORK AT ALL,I'VE FOUND THAT LISTENING TO SOFT,INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC AND JUST CLOSING MY EYES AND CLEARING MY MIND HELPS TO RELAX AND THE PAIN GOES AWAY AND IF NOTHING ELSE I END UP DOZING OFF AND THAT ALWAYS HELPS.I HOPE YOU FIND SOME KIND OF RELIEF,I KNOW IT SEEMS LIKE THERE IS NO ESCAPE FROM THIS INJURY BUT HANG IN THERE AND BEST WISHES.

In my world before treatment, in my case you really need to be creative to adapt to your limitation , over time I became more tolerant to higher-pain level but my injuries were at birth to. Never stop trying to find a pain treatment that will work for YOU to , things and treatment do change in time;) You our on your way to smile more give your self credit to for what you have done so far I hope ,What I have tried is to be with friends it help me over the years, I also over the years try and found ways to lift and support my Erbs arm and hand by taking the weight off my arm that also takes tension off stretch nerve to with pillows . When I was little I used a stuff animal to support that stupid brace , I adapted but never new it for pain when I was little, It just wried how you body adapts to a lost . I do fill up and freezes a dixie cup and Ice it. I take it and cool the nerves it help me a lot, Will it help you. Think about things you want to do and ask here it will help the pain to I know I really try to be positive its me, it comes over time Its happen in time as you have seen here to by adapting your way in life of others, So much experience here , I am so proud of the postings here of true ways to adapt or overcome limitation by asking it help the emotional pain to I think that you do have time if you never heard of a treatment or another doctor tells you, You should of seen me sooner, IT MAKES ME SO MADD!!! sure start the emotional pain DOC!!!! Tell people who are trying the best they can, I scuba dive to be weight less it helps my pain the most Water and floating help to maybe you to. I all ways hope I help It is all about in time and you do have it

Tom

O.K. i am ready for the hacksaw! some days i just want to take a hacksaw to this %%^$#&* arm. if i dont spend at least a couple hours a day messing with it in one way or another, it gets stiff as a board. and the numbness is horrible. i have a brace to wear at night to keep my fingers from curling, and it does quite well keeping my fingers from clawing and being stiff in the morning.

I would like to help you get past this one arm idea I can only hope I can think of ways to show you how to adapt with your limitation What usage do you have at all ?? The only uses I have in a life time is a enough stretch to lift my arm enough to hold on with simple grasp to a semi steering wheel with my erbs. My other issues I have to that you say. Do you still get therapy for your limitations I have to mess with my erbs side all the time to use it the best I can to not have it turn purple when it gets cold or pins and needle felling all the time ? But I drove semi like this for years , I also am one of the crazies who dont care if they fail its all about the trying I hope I can find ways for you to adapt that help me, will they help you ?? I can only hope I have is to show you ways to adapt with your limitation as a tool to assist in trying things. This is the reason I write hear anyway, but some hear write awesome hear and I wish my writing was better. Some times I could explain things better ???? I am on the private board to I played volleyball one arm with my erbs,. You need more to keep the blood flowing I massage my erbs . I took a glove and put a ball in it and sleep like this for the cramping finger problem it help me with morning stiffness. I am old school in the way I did things to adapt in life I am in AW what others say here, Treatment do change , It would be better to have a arm than not I think for treatment that may come up in the future. I hope what I say helps??

Tom

i really dont want to cut my arm off!!! i just get overly frustrated when it hurts a lot and it dont want to cooperate when i try to do something with it. i have a little function in my hand, but it is extremely weak, numb, and dont have any movement in my fingers other than bending them.

HANG IN THERE JMAR,I DON'T EVEN WANT TO GET INTO THE THOUGHTS THAT CROSS MY MIND ON A DAILY BASIS REGARDING THIS INJURY...BUT ONE OF THE VERY FEW AND I MEAN VERY FEW THINGS THAT HELPS TO KEEP ME GOING IS YOU GUYS ON THIS FORUM,IT'S THE ONLY REMINDER THAT THERE IS SOMEONE ELSE OUT THERE WHO CAN TRULY UNDERSTAND MY PAIN AND THEY HAVEN'T GIVEN UP!WE CAN ALL RELATE TO THE REGULAR SOCIAL/PERSONAL PROBLEMS THAT EVERYONE FACES LIKE FINANCES,RELATIONSHIPS,JOBS,FAMILY....BUT YOU THROW THIS BPI STUFF ON TOP AND IT CAN GET PRETTY DARK AT TIMES,I TELL YOU SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE A LEPAR ,LIKE I'M THE ONLY PERSON I KNOW WITH THIS INJURY...LOL...SOMETIMES MY FRIENDS COME BY TO GET ME OUT AND SOMETIMES I GO BUT ALOT OF TIMES I DON'T BECAUSE I KNOW AT SOME POINT THE PAIN IS GOING TO KICK IN,THE WINGED SCAPULA IS GOING TO HAVE MY BACK HURTING AND I'M GOING TO BE DOWN RIGHT UNCOMFORTABLE OH YEAH AND THE NUMBNESS DRIVES ME CRAZY AND THEN I HAVE TO GO OFF TO THE SIDE AND SIT DOWN LIKE AN OLD GRANDPA(NOTHING PERSONAL OLD GRANPAS OUT THERE..LOL) AND IT JUST TAKES AWAY FROM THE FUN OF BEING OUT AND I KNOW MY FRIENDS DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND THE PHYSICAL DISCOMFORT I'M IN AND IT JUST MAKES ME FEEL BAD ALL AROUND.BUT I GET ON HERE AND SPILL MY GUTS AND I KNOW I'M NOT ALONE AND I'M SPEAKING TO PEOPLE WHO UNDERSTAND AND IT MIGHT SOUND CORNY BUT AS MUCH AS THIS INJURY SUCKS AND HAS INVADED MY LIFE,I FEEL A LITTLE BIT BETTER KNOWING YOU GUYS ARE OUT THERE AND ARE FIGHTING TO GET THROUGH ANOTHER DAY JUST LIKE ME.SO THANK YOU ALL,STAY STRONG AND KEEP FIGHTING!!!!!