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Erbs palsy is a nerve disorder that causes a loss of sensation and/or function in one or both of a person's arms. Any injury that tears or completely separates the arm's nerves from the spine will cause a person to suffer from erbs palsy.
In most cases, those with erbs palsy develop the condition before or during birth, as fetal development problems or medical mistakes can cause nerve damage that results in erbs palsy injury.
Occasionally, however, adults may also be diagnosed with erbs palsy. Such cases typically occur following a sports-related injury or a car (or motorcycle) accident.
The precise erbs palsy symptoms a person experiences will depend on the nature and severity of his/her injury. In general, the symptoms of erbs palsy include some combination of:
When the symptoms are present, doctors will run a series of tests for erbs palsy to make or rule out a proper erbs palsy diagnosis.
After assessing the cause of the initial injury (either by talking to adult patients or by examining babies' medical records), doctors will test the nerves' sensory and functional responses. To do this, doctors will use one or both of the following tests:
If this initial phase of the erbs palsy diagnosis indicates nerve damage, doctors will then call for imaging tests, specifically an MRI, to get an internal view of the precise condition or your nerves. Torn nerves, as well as those completely separated from the spine, can be pictured in the results of an MRI.
In some cases, a computerized tomography (CT) myelography may be needed as a follow-up imaging test, as MRIs don't always yield clear results during an erbs palsy diagnosis. A CT myelography involves taking an x-ray of a patient after giving him a spinal tap with contrasting dyes.
If the diagnostic process indicates that a patient suffers from erbs palsy, the doctor will then develop a treatment plan, which may include medication, surgery and/or physical therapy.
While medication is often prescribed to subdue pain and/or tingling sensations, surgery is only indicated in the more serious cases, such as when the nerve is entirely disconnected from the spine.
In milder cases, no action may be needed following an erbs palsy diagnosis, as some of the less serious instances of this condition are known to clear up on their own.
Contact an erbs palsy attorney for more information about erb’s palsy.
The parents of a boy born with Erb's palsy have filed a lawsuit claiming their child suffered from shoulder dystocia at birth and was born ...
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