How to Treat Brachial Plexus

Your brachial plexus is a group of nerves that carries messages from your spine to your shoulders, arms and hands. If these nerves are stretched or torn, it can result in symptoms ranging from a burning sensation in the arm to severe pain and inability to move your arm. This sort of injury is common in contact sports but can result from other types of injuries among other causes. If you suspect you have a brachial plexus injury, you should see your doctor. If the nerves are not torn, it will heal on its own eventually but if the nerves are torn, you will need surgical repair.

Instructions

• 1

  Rest the affected area and avoid moving your arm as best you can. Ask your doctor for guidance on appropriate and inappropriate activity and what kind of timeframe you should follow regarding how long to rest and when to ease back into activity.

• 2

  Talk to your doctor about available pain medications. This injury can be quite painful, and you will probably need some sort of prescription medication for a more serious injury. Your doctor might prescribe opioid pain killers, antidepressants or anticonvulsant drugs. Pain killers dull the sensation of pain while the other medications interfere with chemical signals that cause you to perceive pain. Your doctor will determine the most appropriate medications for you. Take as directed.

• 3

  Use TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) to ease pain. This device attaches electrical nodes to your body and delivers weak electrical currents. Your doctor can advise you how to use this machine.

• 4

  Consider physical therapy. The therapist can show you exercises to relieve pain and promote healing. Your physical therapist will most likely suggest a schedule for performing exercises at home. Continuing your therapy at home will provide maximum benefit.

• 5

  Talk to your doctor about surgical options if you have torn your nerve. Surgery involves taking nerves from another part of your body and transplanting them into the brachial plexus. For optimal results, you should have your surgery within three to six months after the injury. After your surgery, your doctor will suggest a course of rehabilitation and offer guidance on other aspects of recovery.