The brachial plexus is a collection of nerves, one on each side of the body, that help to provide sensation to the shoulders, the arms, the hands, and the chest. Damage to this area, which can occur in many ways, may create a condition called brachial neuritis, which typically affects the shoulders most and is most likely to affect men. It is very difficult to ignore this condition, given the extreme discomfort it creates when it first appears.

Symptoms of brachial neuritis include an onset of pain in the shoulder, usually on one side only. This pain may be observable with other symptoms like loss of reflexes or impaired range of shoulder motion. In complicated cases, since this illness can exist for a long time period, other parts of the brachial plexus fail to supply appropriate impulses to the arms or to the chest, and though rare, breathing may become affected with this failure.

People should see their doctors, and most do because of the pain, to get a diagnosis, but cause isn’t always easy to determine. Doctors evaluate symptoms and if they suspect brachial neuritis they still may not have an answer as to cause. There are numerous cause of this disease, including a genetic form of the illness. Other potential risk factors for the condition include having certain autoimmune illnesses, being recently sick with bacterial, viral or fungal infection, or getting immunizations. Alternately, some tumors may result in brachial neuritis symptoms.

Treating brachial neuritis must then be a twofold endeavor. First, pain management is needed and depending on pain tolerance, patients might require opiates or they could respond well to over the counter medicines. Any underlying illness present may need treatment. Autoimmune diseases could fall into this category, as could lingering bacterial or parasitic infections.

After initial treatment to control pain, one problem with the disease is that it can continue to be uncomfortable for a long time period, frequently up to two years. Doctors usually highly recommend physical therapy to preserve range of motion in the shoulder and prevent muscle wasting. In rare instances, these steps are not enough, or breathing is affected. Physicians might consider more aggressive measures of treatment at this point, including surgery to change the way the brachial plexus sends and receives nerve responses. Surgery is generally considered only when other treatment is not effective.

Many people who have brachial neuritis make a full recovery. This is less likely if the condition occurs simultaneously, affecting each brachial plexus, which is fairly rare. In general the condition, though perhaps not its cause, is fairly easy to diagnose because of its sudden and fairly alarming and uncomfortable onset. Fortunately, the disease itself has a low occurrence rate, though a person who suspects he/she has it, should consult with a doctor right away.