Beware the Brachial Plexus Injury

An injury to the brachial plexus is a possible cause of shoulder, arm or hand pain. What’s the brachial plexus? It's a network of nerves that comes from the spinal cord and controls muscle movements and sensation in the shoulder, arm and hand.

Most brachial plexus injuries occur as a result of trauma when the head is forced away from the shoulder. They can occur during contact sports like football and wrestling, or as result of a car accident. An infant can sustain a brachial plexus injury during birth; it's known as Erb's palsy.

Mild brachial plexus injuries feel like a stinging or burning in the upper arm, but serious injury in which the nerves are torn or ruptured can cause severe upper arm muscle pain, as well as a loss of movement and feeling in the arm or loss of control of the arm muscles or the fingers.

Consult a specialist if you think you have a brachial plexus injury. Use our free clinician finder to locate a clinician in your area.