DESCRIPTION
Babies, teenagers, and adults can all injure the brachial plexus. The brachial plexus is a complicated network of nerves that help the muscles in the shoulder, arm, and hand to move. They also help a person feel temperature, pressure, and pain in those areas. There is more than one nerve in the brachial plexus. Most people with brachial plexus injuries do not damage the entire network of nerves. Rather, they damage a part of it.
Brachial plexus palsy is similar to a problem with a phone charger. If a phone charger gets bent, stretched, or cut, it does not charge the phone as well. If the nerves between a child’s neck and fingers get bent, or stretched, or cut, their shoulder, arm, or hand may not work correctly. A child with a brachial plexus injury may not be able to lift their arm into the air, bend their arm at the elbow, or hold things between their fingers. Sometimes, the shoulder, arm, and hand are affected.
In children, brachial plexus injuries generally fall into two categories:
Upper (or lateral) plexus injuries.
These affect the upper nerves of the brachial plexus. They most commonly occur in babies and are triggered during delivery. Doctors today are trained to minimize the chances of injury to a baby during birth. This has greatly reduced how often BPP occurs. However, it can still happen, despite a doctor doing everything right.
Lower (or medial) plexus injuries.
BPP is not life-threatening. Children and adolescents do not die from this condition. Children with a brachial plexus injury may not be able to move their shoulder, arm, or hand at all, or may not notice any difficulty. Most children get better without requiring any additional treatment and do not experience long-term problems.
OUTLOOK
Upper brachial plexus injuries are often less severe than lower or total brachial plexus injuries. Upper injuries often have a quicker and more complete recovery.
Most children with BPP recover full use of their arm within several months. Some children require several years of physical therapy to regain full use of their arm. Unfortunately, children with the most severe types of brachial plexus injury experience life-long problems using their arm, particularly the wrist and hand.
Resources
United Brachial Plexus Network
The United Brachial Plexus Network is a nonprofit organization striving to inform, support, and unite all of those concerned with the impact, treatment, prevention, and cure of brachial plexus nerve injuries from all ages worldwide. Some of the opportunities UBPN provides are: educational resources, information on disability benefits, awareness programs, and Camp UBPN. They host Brachial Plexus Nerve Injury and Erbs Palsy Support Group: UBPN, a private Facebook support group with over 5,000 members.
Midwest Brachial Plexus Network
The Midwest Brachial Plexus Network (MBPN) is a non-profit organization aimed at providing support, information, resources, and awareness to those affected by brachial plexus injury (BPI). MBPN also promote BPI awareness within the medical community to help reduce the number of injuries and facilitate prompt and comprehensive care if an injury does occur.
One of our major projects is the annual MBPN Summer Camp session for children with BPI and their families. Since 2001, BPI families from across the U.S. have traveled to the Rotary Club Youth Camp in Lee’s Summit, Missouri for a weekend of fun, relaxation, and friendship. Families of the MBPN, the volunteers, and supporters raise funds each year so families can attend the camp at no charge.
