What Is Brachial Neuralgia?

Brachial plexus neuralgia refers to the pain that occurs in the area within its control when the various parts that make up the brachial plexus are damaged. The clinical feature is pain in the shoulder and upper limbs with different degrees.

Chinese name: Brachial plexus neuralgia

Foreign name: Brachial Plexus Neuralgia

Causes and common diseases of brachial plexus neuralgia

Brachial plexus neuralgia is usually divided into two categories, primary and secondary, with secondary being common.

The cause of primary brachial plexus neuralgia is still unknown; secondary brachial plexus neuralgia can be caused by a variety of causes. The brachial plexus is composed of the anterior branch of the spinal nerve from the neck V to the thoracic . It mainly controls the sensation and movement of the upper limbs, and the parts that make up the brachial plexus are damaged. Produces pain within its dominance. According to the lesions of this disease, it can be divided into root brachial plexus neuralgia and dry brachial plexus neuralgia. Root brachial plexus neuralgia is often caused by cervical spondylosis, cervical disc herniation, cervical tuberculosis, fractures, dislocations, epidural metastatic cancer, arachnoiditis, and so on. Dry brachial plexus neuralgia is mostly caused by rib-clavicular syndrome, trauma to the cervical ribs, brachial plexus, and brachial plexus neuritis.

Differential diagnosis of brachial plexus neuralgia

1. According to the typical symptoms of brachial plexus neuralgia, such as radiation neck and arm pain, tenderness in the cervical transverse process, the brachial plexus area or the peripheral nerve trunk of the upper limb, positive nerve traction symptoms and sensory dyskinesia in the upper limb corresponding parts The diagnosis is generally not difficult.

2. The etiology and clinical manifestations of brachial plexus neuralgia are relatively complicated. In order to make a clear diagnosis, you must ask the medical history and physical examination carefully, and perform X-rays and other auxiliary examinations if necessary.

3. The disease should be distinguished from periarthritis of shoulder, epicondylitis of humerus (tennis elbow).

Brachial plexus neuralgia examination

Physical examination of brachial plexus neuralgia

There are sensory disorders, muscular atrophy, and autonomic disorders in the brachial plexus innervation zone.

Brachial plexus neuralgia laboratory test

X-ray, CT or MRI examinations can help find the causes of cervical spondylosis, cervical disc herniation, fractures, cervical spinal tumors, cervical ribs, and sulci. Cerebrospinal fluid examination can help detect inflammatory changes.

Brachial plexus neuralgia treatment principles

Modern medicine treats this disease mainly with painkillers, B vitamins, hormones, vasodilators and other medications. Surgical treatment can be considered when conservative treatment is ineffective. Specific medications such as aspirin, indomethacin, vitamin B ₁ , vitamin B ₁₂ , terrestrial Dexamethasone, prednisone, diabazole, etc.