United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Hello everyone! I've been told by someone else who has a Brachial Palsy injury like me to share my experience with a Chiropractor for gaining strength in my ROBPI arm. I've managed over the years to get around my injury from birth. When I drive a car I have to start the ignition with my left hand. Since late Novemeber 2010, I have been seeing a Chiropractor in Vernon, NJ to have me help build strength in my ROBPI arm. His name is Dr. Sheehan. He's been helping patients with back problems & injuries for at least 30 years. He has never dealt with my case before in terms of it being a 'birth injury' only has had patients who have had this injury due to playing sports. He told me he could not reverse my injury but only build strength to get more use out of my arm. I had to go through a some trial sessions first to see if he can help and if it could benefit me. He wanted me to come every week but it can get costly so I'm only going every other week. I've gained 20 lbs of strength so far and I'm more confident in doing more things that I would get nervous doing. If I mistakenly had a bottle of juice or something else in my right hand, more than likely I used to drop it involuntarly and now I can pour from a pitcher of a drink into a cup I'm holding with my right hand. It may not seem like much but it's a lot to me.

That is great news!!! I am happy to see that this is helping you.
Judy(49 ROBPI)

Thank you Judy. Do you have any posts or anything about the surgery you had several years ago?

Thanks for sharing this, "blueelmmo", I've heard that Chiropractors can really help us "OBPI-ers". I am still learning from Y'all !!
Carolyn J
LOBPI/72++

My 4 year old grandson has a LOBP injury. He goes to therapy twice a week. I've never heard of a chiropractor helping someone with this type of injury. Could you tell me what a chiroprator does that a therapist doesn't? How are they different? Thank you.

Responding to :

momo5 wrote:My 4 year old grandson has a LOBP injury. He goes to therapy twice a week. I've never heard of a chiropractor helping someone with this type of injury. Could you tell me what a chiroprator does that a therapist doesn't? How are they different? Thank you.

Every appointment I go to I get adjusted,my neck is cracked on both sides and other spinal adjustments are done while I am on my stomach, on my back and when I also lay on my left side. Some sessions he has massaged the back part of my armit area to 'wake up' the muscles' in my shoulder and upper arm area to release muscle tension and alleviate pressure on the nerves. Some sessions he measures how far I can reach my arm straight out to the right, forward and backwards. He's given me excercises to do when I'm not at a session. I think seeing a physical therapist is great for your grandson. I've attended physical therapy sessions when I was his age. They had me try to get used to using right handed children's toys from what I remember. I'm not sure what physical therapists do for children this young with this condition now. I just happened to hear how this chiropractor helps someone I'm close to (back problems due to work and a health problem) and that he was very knowlegable in more than just being just a chiropractor so I took a chance to see if he can help and I'm glad I did.

Hi, great to hear you are getting good results. My baby boy could only shrug his shoulder at 3 months of age before visiting a chiropractor, 2 days after that visit he started using his arm whilst laying down, he now at 4 and half months has anti gravity elbow function. I am absolutely thrilled with the progress he has made and would recommend anybody go see a good chiropractor and just give it a try, hopefully you will also see some good results.

Hello 'siobby'! Thanks for sharing. I hope the good results continue with your son seeing a chiropractor. Good luck if you decide to have the surgery done. Please let us all know.

Well it's been approximately 6 months since I've seeing a chiropractor now. Now I can turn on and off the ignition of a vehicle. I can drive and drink coffee in the morning on my way to the office in the morning without worrying about spilling it on my shirt. I can hold a plastic chocolate mold in my right hand while I paint colors with my left (I make chocolate pops souvenirs for baby showers, birthday parties, Baptism parties, etc). I can plates in both hands from the dinner table to the sink with no worries. My front range has increased 300%. Not bad for only seeing a chiropractor once every other week. I'd go more than every other week but it's not affordable to me right now. I'm sure there's more I can do but I just haven't discovered it yet.

Sounds like u have made great progress after seeing a chiropractor. I have never heard of a chiropractor helping BPI patients but I will look into it now that I've heard of your sucess story. Thanks for sharing!