At Arms Way (Brachial Plexus Injury)
Melanie Ann Aldea Jenkins
PTA 2050
July 23, 2017
Steve Winkler, PT, DPT, MSH/A
South University, Savannah
Abstract
The paper talks about what Brachial Plexus Injury is. How it affects an individual and their families. What are the financial burdens the family must go through, the social issues one must handle because of the injury and emotional issues that may run through the course within oneself and the people that surrounds them.
Before we talk about the brachial plexus injury, let me tell you some information about the Brachial Plexus, is a group of nerves that sends signals from your spine to your arm. These nerves control the muscles of the shoulder, elbow, wrist…show more content… Other conditions, such as inflammation or tumors, also affects the brachial plexus. Severe or major injuries: are auto or motorcycle accidents, stab wounds, fracture, surgical procedures injury, and falls. Severe injuries can leave your arm paralyzed, with a loss of function and sensation. It can be damaged by stretching, pressure or cutting. Remember if it is severe the nerves can tear out of the spinal cord in the neck. Pressure can occur from the crushing of the brachial plexus injury between the collar bone and the first rib, which can happen during a fracture or dislocation. These accidents cause C5-C6 injury, also known as Erb-Duchenne Paralysis, where your arm limply hangs on the side and internally rotated and the forearm is pronated which slightly flexes the wrist also known as the “waiter’s tip” position of the hand. Other injury is caused by extreme Abduction such as when a person falls from the tree and tried to stop it by hanging into a branch reaching overhead trying to stop it. It can also happen during delivery when the baby is pulled by the arm from the birth canal. These causes injury to C8 roots and T1 roots. It compromises the muscles in the forearm and hand, resulting to what we call Klumpke’s paralysis, typically with “claw hand” in which the fingers are flexed. The Brachial Plexus Injury (BPI) signs and…show more content… If the patient is the bread winner of the family, then financial constraints is one major problem for all. The financial burden will run from buying the medicines needed, paying for doctor’s fee and visits to the rehabilitation clinic or hospitals to do Physical Therapy. With that it will also hinder the regular social interactions the patient had before the injury. The family needs to be stronger and should reach out and asked for help and resources. There are organizations that can help them, like the Christopher and Dana Reeves Organization/Brachial Plexus
