Brachial plexus injury treatment addresses severe damage to the brachial plexus, a set of nerves that runs between your spine and your shoulders, arms and hands.

1. Houston Plastic and craniofacial Surgery
Brachial Plexus Injury –
Symptoms and
Treatment

2. Brachial plexus injury occurs when a network of nerves originating in the neck and
branching off from the spine to the shoulders, forearm and hand, is damaged. Typically, this
is a painful condition that affects the direct functioning, feeling and growth of the upper
arm, and negatively impacts normal function. The injury occurs when the brachial plexus
nerves are compressed, stretched or cut. The compression of brachial plexus nerves may
happen due to inflammation or a tumor pressing on the nerve. The severity of the injury
would depend on the extent of the nerve damage.
Brachial plexus injuries can be caused during contact sports such as football as well as auto
or motorcycle accidents or falls. In babies, the injury may occur when there is difficulty in
delivering the shoulder during birth.
Symptoms
The signs and symptoms of brachial plexus injury would differ depending on the type,
severity and the location of the injury. Here are symptoms that call for attention
 Weakness or inability to use certain muscles in your hand, arm or shoulder
 Swelling in the arms
 Joint stiffness
 Lack of sensation
 Pain
Treatment
The plastic surgeon will first evaluate the patient to determine the type and severity of the
injury so as to know whether there is potential for spontaneous recovery. The evaluation
will involve history taking and clinical analysis, and electrodiagnositc and imaging studies to
determine the exact nature of the injury. Based on this, an appropriate treatment option
plan is developed. If it is found that the nerve injury cannot heal on its own, a suitable
surgical option will be suggested to restore the function and growth of the affected limb.
Surgical procedures for treating brachial plexus injury include
 Nerve Transfer – When a nerve root has been torn apart from the spine, the
plastic surgeons often select a less important nerve attached to the spinal cord and
fix it or hook it in to the nerve that is not attached.
 Nerve Graft – The damaged nerve is removed and replaced with sections of nerves
cut from other parts of body.
 Muscle Transfer – A less important muscle from another area is removed and
transferred to the arm.
 Physical Therapy – Physical therapy is a vital part of the treatment and
recommended to maintain muscle strength.

3. Erb’s palsy treatment is the treatment for children born with brachial plexus injuries. As
there are different unique treatment options for brachial plexus injury, make sure that you
consult a qualified and experienced plastic surgeon for proper management and treatment
of the condition.
About The Author
Houston Plastic and Craniofacial Surgery, the office of Dr. Sean Boutros, is dedicated to
understand all your concerns and responding with the best treatment options. Our plastic
surgeons are renowned for their expertise in brachial plexus, rhinoplasty, DIEP flap breast
reconstruction, breast augmentation, microtia/ear reconstruction, and more. To know more
about treatment regarding brachial plexus injury in Houston, please visit
www.drseanboutros.com.