nerve pain and foot drop
 

11 yeas after my bracial plexus injury im now suffering from horrible pain in my shoulder and stump. it feels like im being stabbed by a knife and also like my stump is being constricted. ive seen a few doctors and tried injections, electric units, non narcotics, and therapies but nothing works. the only thing i havent tried is opiates and thats becuase no doctors in my area will prescribe them to me. im in horrible pain and need some help. also my right leg is smaller than my left leg causing me to lose motor function, suffer from foot drop, and it feels like i have a constant charlie horse. i had a bone density scan but nothing was shown. i cant get a mri due to metallic clips in my chest. please help

Zach

I remember you well--as I recall, you had avulsed all of your nerve roots and I neurotized your suprascapular nerve using an extraplexal donor nerve. After we performed your above elbow amputation, due to a flail extremity and hand, you could elevate your upper arm to about "horizontal"---and we fit you with a prosthesis.

Regarding the pain at your stump---this might very well be a neuroma from overgrowth of the nerve ends. If you have not been able to successfully manage this with an adjustment of your prosthesis, then surgical revsion---trimming of the nerves --may help.

Regarding your foot drop, have you had any back pain that might indicate that you have a disc herniation, or an evaluation of your peroneal nerve at the knee level to ensure that you do not have any kind of a growth that could be bothering the nerve that allows you to bring your ankle up?

Regarding the ability to have an MRI---often with the passage of time, retained metal is not a contraindication to an MRI. If still regarded as one, then at the very least you might benefit from a CT-myelogram.

I recommend that you try to see an Orthopaedic surgeon who has an expertise in peripheral nerve disturbance for a thorough neurologic assessment, or even a Neurosurgeon. Good luck to you.

Matt