The Effects of a Brachial Plexus Injury

A brachial plexus injury is the damage to nerves that send signals from the spine to the muscles in the shoulder, arms, and fingers. Normally, such injuries heal on their own, but more severe cases occasionally need surgical treatment. The brachial plexus injury is most commonly found in contact sports such as football or judo, difficult births, or traumas such as automotive accidents. In general, the motion of this injury is the shoulder being forced down while the head and neck are being forced up. The nerves are stretched or, in severe cases, torn.

First Effects

• The first effect of receiving a mild form of this injury is a feeling of an electric shock going down the arm. In addition, there might be substantial pain, as well as numbness or weakness in the arm. For more mild injuries of this type, healing is done naturally, without medical assistance.

Severe Effects

• For the more severe form of this injury, the initial effects are a loss of control in the arm, fingers, or elbow. The shoulder can also be numb and out of control. The arm, in the most severe cases, cannot move at all. Severe pain is another clear effect of the severe form of this injury.

Later Effects

• In severe forms of brachial plexus injury, where the nerves are torn rather than stretched, lasting effects are often seen. These include stiff joints and constant pain. In these cases, nerves can take a long time to repair naturally, sometimes up to two years. In addition, as the nerves are repairing themselves and movement in the affected arm is weak, muscles can begin to atrophy. In only the most severe cases can paralysis result from this form of injury, though this level of severity is rare and is found only in the worst kind of automotive or industrial accidents. It is likely that the worst effect for severe brachial plexus injury is a chronic weakness in the arm and/or shoulder.