The brachial plexus is a network of nerves that carries signals from the spine to the shoulder, arm and hand.
Symptoms of injury
- a limp or paralyzed arm;
- poor muscle control in the arm, hand or wrist;
- loss of feeling in the arm or hand.
Causes
- shoulder trauma;
- tumors;
- inflammation;
- childbirth: when a baby's shoulders get stuck during delivery, the nerves can stretch or tear.
Recovery and treatment
Some injuries heal without treatment. Many babies injured at birth improve or recover by 3 to 4 months of age. Treatment includes physical therapy and, in some cases, surgery.
Sources
Based on "Brachial Plexus Injuries," MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, drawing on the NIH National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke; a work of the United States government in the public domain.
Licence: CC0 1.0 (public domain) · Adapted from medlineplus.gov
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