United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Have right sided obpi and in last 4-5 years have numbness, tingling and occasional burning sensation in thumb and index finger which has got progressively worse. Any suggestions to cope with fingers?

Hi Cheryl

Welcome to the board...

I hope you don't mind but I have a few questions for you.

Have you seen a Neurologist in the last few years?

Have you seen one that understands OBPI and its many complications?
How they treat this burning sensation and tingling depends on what is going on.
I started to have nunbness and tingling used a massage therapist who told me it was the radial nerve and the ulna and I went for a year.
I have the same problem only worse on the healthy arm...from overuse and compensation and I go to a physicial therapist from time to time to help ease the problem...
A lot of what can be done for you depends on your age and the initial injury.
One of the "girls"...had surgery last year and gained range of motion... Her surgery was done at the Texas Children's Hospital by Dr.Nath... check the resource page for information.
I have never had surgery... Read the information and medical sites and make sure if you do go to a doctor that he/she has other bpi paitents. It is important to get someone who specializes in this field...

Oh... I am also right obpi and 62...
Please let us know how you make out.
Kath

Kath, thanks for the reply. I'm middle age and have not had a lot of therapy or treatment on arm. Went to neurologist before Christmas and all he determined was that current problem was due to obpi. However...EMG seems to have made a problem for upper arm. Since that test have a lot of discomfort in that area that I never had before unless someone or thing bumped me. I do not have access to a large medical center so am trying to work through problems on my own. Do go for massage therapy which does help with other aches and pains. As I have got older it seems that I feel more and more "physically unbalanced". Reading other messaages was in a way reassuring - there are others out there that have similar problems.

Thanks for reply Kath. Have not had much treatment/therapy on arm. Do go for masssage therapy occasionally. Saw a neurologist before Christmas and had EMG. This test seemed to lead to more problems as since then have had a lot of discomfort in upper arm. Never had that before unless was accidently bumped. I do not have easy access to large medical center as live in sparsley populated area. Have recently found that a "myofascial release therapist" lives relatively close (not sure what term is used to refer to this person) and wonder if that would help any. As I have got older find that I feel my whole body is "unaligned".

Cheryl

Myofacial release is really helpful... When I go for PT this is what the therapist uses along with e-stim and he is also a Chiropractor...

The body is out of alignment! it comes with years of compensation trying to do so many things and having one side of the body weak.

I had my first emg and have had problems with index finger and thumb and palm of hand... I think its because of the atrophy and hypersensitive in our arms. That was the first needle I ever had on obpi arm. From all of the literature I have read our arms are mapped differently then normal... because of the birth injury when our arms grow the nervers have to find new paths and the veins are small and one muscle compensates for the other... my arm is a little more then 3 inches shorter then the other and now the unaffected arm is really the worst as far as numbness and tingling.
That is why I finally had to stop working. I was really worried about loosing the unaffected arm from years of overuse...
Kath