United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

My 13 year old daughter has been being treated for shoulder instability for about 4 months. Her orthopaedic just referred her to a surgeon who decided that a new course of physical therapy was in order before surgery. On our first day with the new physical therapist I believe she sustained a brachial plexus injury by the physical therapist.

She was laying on a foam roller and he was stretching her muscles. During this stretch her arms began to go numb, he said this would be temporary. She left the office and never told us that the feeling never returned. That night her arm was limp, numb and she had no feeling in her thumb and for finger. I was told to give it time. A week later I took her to ortho and the feeling was beginning to come back, but she has pain in her arm, neck back, spasms and shaking in her hand. If she holds a pen, fork or glass it feel like she is going to drop things.

We are now 2 1/2 weeks since this incident and we are seeing our ortho tomorrow (instead of the oncall) and I hope to get some answers for her. She is in so much pain and I really feel this PT was negligent. Any advice?

WOW... I am sorry to read this! I would advise you to DOCUMENT the heck out of everything (dates, times, symptoms, etc) and follow up with PT clinic!

Best of luck to you both!

Courtney

DO NOT just see an orth for this. see a BPI SPECIALIST and do not wait. the waiting game costed me severely. i feel like if i would have been treated a lot sooner, my permanent status would not be as bad as it is. even if it does heal on its own, she might still have some problems with it.

oh and video tape her trying to do things with that arm. and do so every month or so.

jmar wrote:DO NOT just see an orth for this. see a BPI SPECIALIST and do not wait. the waiting game costed me severely. i feel like if i would have been treated a lot sooner, my permanent status would not be as bad as it is. even if it does heal on its own, she might still have some problems with it.

oh and video tape her trying to do things with that arm. and do so every month or so.

Agreed 1,000%

The waiting game that the majority of neurologists in the country where schooled by and unfortunately continue to practice and repeatedly teach new medical students had cost countless individuals a fighting chance to recuperate what they could have with a seasoned and skilled BPI SPECIALIST.

DON'T WASTE TIME UNLESS YOU ENJOY BEING PARALYZED.

Christopher

thank you christopher. I DO NOT ENJOY the torture of the strange sensations, lack of feeling and movement, or the "floppyness" of my arm. i do, though have fairly good function but no strength. i can not pick up a 5 pound weight with my hand. if i pick up the 5 pound weight with my good hand and put it in my bad hand, i make sure i have my toes covered up because i will drop it. this is after 20 months.

THIS IS WHAT THE WAITING GAME GOT ME!!!

DO NOT WAIT!!!