Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Brachial Plexus Injuries
The brachial plexus is a network of nerves that sends signals from the spine to the shoulder, arm, and hand. Damage to the brachial plexus can cause symptoms such as:
- A limp or paralyzed arm
- Lack of muscle control in the arm, hand, or wrist
- Lack of feeling or sensation in the arm or hand
Brachial plexus injuries can happen because of shoulder trauma, tumors, or inflammation. Sometimes they happen during childbirth when a baby's shoulders become stuck during delivery and the nerves stretch or tear.
Some brachial plexus injuries may heal without treatment. Many children who are injured during birth improve or recover by 3 to 4 months of age. Treatment includes physical therapy and, in some cases, surgery.
It sits within Brain and Nerves and Injuries and Wounds.
The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Brachial Plexus Injuries
141 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research currently under way
- Intravenous Dexamethasone With Single-Shot Versus Continuous Brachial Plexus Block for Rebound Pain After Shoulder SurgerySeoul National University Hospital
- Validity and Reliability of the Turkish Version of the Impact of Brachial Plexus Injury Questionnaire (IMBPIQ)Biruni University
- Evaluation of Pain, Upper Extremity Function, and Social Appearance Anxiety in Adults With Obstetric Brachial Plexus Palsy Who Underwent Shoulder Tendon Transfer SurgeryBiruni University
- Perineural vs Intravenous Dexamethasone as an Adjuvant to Brachial Plexus Block in Pediatric Hand SurgeryPoznan University of Medical Sciences
- Cortical Recording and Stimulating Array Brain-Machine InterfaceMichael Boninger
- Ketamine Infusion for Neuropathic Pain in Brachial Plexus InjuriesMayo Clinic
Research already completed
- Brachial Plexus Injury After Prone PositioningFondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico
- Effect of Intravenous Dexmedetomidine Versus Dexamethasone for Management of Repound Pain After Supraclavicular Brachial Plexus BlockAssiut University
- Study of the Biological Function of Muscle Satellite Cells From Patients With Obstetric Brachial Plexus PalsyUniversity Hospital, Montpellier
- Interscalene Brachial Plexus Block and Early Wound-Related Symptoms After Open Rotator Cuff RepairYuzuncu Yil University
- Efficacy and Safety of Hematoma Block Versus Brachial Plexus Block for Closed Reduction of Extra-Articular Distal Radius Fracture: A Prospective StudyKathmandu University School of Medical Sciences
- Biceps to Flexor Digitorum Superficialis Tendon Transfer for Finger Flexion Reconstruction After Pan-brachial Plexus InjurySiriraj Hospital
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Learn More
- Brachial plexopathyMedical Encyclopedia
- Brachial Plexus InjuryNational Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
- Brachial plexus injury in newbornsMedical Encyclopedia
- Burner (Stinger)Nemours Foundation
- BurnersAmerican Academy of Family Physicians
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Brachial Plexus InjuriesNational Institutes of Health
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Brachial Plexus Neuropathies. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Brachial Plexus Injuries, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.