United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

I have stinging, sizzling, burning, pain that radiates from the shoulder down to my hands. I sill have full use and pain medicine does not stop the burning stinging and cold feeling I keep getting when I use the arm. My doctor wants to do a mri of the bp. Just had one on the neck, and although i have a lot of scar tissue from a surgery in 90 on c5c6/c6c7 w/fusion, and some other disk bulges, no cord compression. could this be bpi? Do you think my doctor is on the right track. Most I read says that you can not use the arm but I can use mine. Anyone have experience with these kinds of sensations? Sizzling, stinging, pin & needles coldness, throughout the whole arm but espeially from the elbow down to fingers.

Hi Luciile, and welcome. The severity of bpi is very widely varying, there are a lot of people posting here who got their bpi in road accidents, so theirs are often very severe, but there are lots of people with bpi who can use their arm and hand. The very mildest injuries resolve themselves within days, those people probably never find this message board, they don't need to. I'm not sure from your post if this sizzling sensation has been going on since the surgery, or if it's just started up, either way it could certainly be a bpi and an mri would probably help in the diagnosis. Most of us here could relate to the sizzling and burning feeling :0( It's great that your doctor is onto it, and hasn't sent you away, I'm assuming he's not the one who did the surgery. If you search down the message board there are quite a few others here with bpi which happened during surgery, the surgeons often refuse to accept anything is wrong. Get it checked out and let us know what happens :0)

Thank you so much for your reply. I will have the mri probably this week. I will let you know how it goes. My problem only started about 3 months ago. Don't remember any injury. My surgery was 10 years ago so I don't think they are related although it resulted from a car accident where I went through the windshield head first. I'm hoping like you said it may be a minor injury and will go away by itself within time. I do have a 3 year old which I lift a lot. So you've given me hope that it a minor problem and I will not need any surgery, that's what really scares me. Thanks again. Lucille

I swear by the drug called Neurotin-- it helped to ease the firings and electrical pings! I have BPI(bypass heart surgery).

It has made it easier to do therapy and help to sleep w/ out the electrical stings! Does not have side effects of regular pain meds.

Hi Lucille
I have a right tbpi from a mva accident 5 years ago, & I have about 60% use of my arm. I can relate to the sizzling stinging sensation you refer to, as I seem to live with it on adaily basis - some days are worse than others - could be the way I slept, the way I sit in fact sometimes it just seems to do it because it wants to. I have not had any surgery, but have a lot of scar tissue, and spend my bad days in a hot bath with bubbles, relaxation music and insence and quieten my mind. My injury was C1-T6, & they said that C5-C6 & c6-C7 was narrowing - which they consider normal..I have just found this site a few weeks ago & find comfort in the knowledge that there are others who understand what I am going through & have found everyone very supportive. I hope your pai & injury is short term, & will be thinking of you - look forward to hearing your outcome.

Thanks Rita, I am going to ask my doctor about it.

Ali, I have narrowing as well that showed up in my mri of neck, and the same sensations, some days worse then others. I too just found this site, and never heard of this bpi until the neurologist mentioned last week. My MRI of the brachial plexus is Friday. Will let you know how it goes. Thanks for the support. It does help to know you are not alone. The aromatherapy sounds wonderful, I'm gonna give it a try. My best to you.