Identification

• The brachial plexus is a collection of nerves that send signals from the brain to the shoulders and arms. Brachial plexus neuritis is a mysterious condition that also goes by the names Parsonage-Turner syndrome and neuralgic amyotrophy. It is a condition that creates pain and numbness in the neck, shoulder and arm of one side of the body or potentially on both sides.
  
  One of the things that makes brachial plexus neuritis so difficult to diagnose is that it mimics exactly a nerve condition known as cervical radiculopathy. The primary difference between the two conditions is that surgery is considered an option for cervical for radiculopathy, while surgery is not normally considered for brachial plexus neuritis because it tends to repair itself over time, whereas cervical radiculopathy can result in permanent damage. The close proximity of the brachial plexus to major arteries in the neck also increases the possibility of complications due to infection, which can deter surgery.
  
  

Symptoms

• The symptoms associated with brachial plexus neuritis normally involve pain or some level of discomfort. These symptoms include a burning pain that starts in the upper shoulder and radiates down the arm, but has no known origin. As the pain progresses, there may be a tingling sensation in the arm reaching down to the fingers, and a sharp pain will continue to radiate back and forth between each shoulder. In some cases, there may be a feeling of numbness that occurs in the affected arms, but in most cases of brachial plexus neuritis, numbness is rare.
  
  

Long-Term Dangers

• The long-term effects of untreated brachial plexus neuritis include possible loss of use of one or both arms; a lack of sensation in the fingers or in parts of the entire arm that could eventually lead to a total loss of sensation; and a possible change in the fingers that could cause the fingers to look deformed. One of the side effects that people suffering from the long-term effects of brachial plexus neuritis need to be aware of is recurrent injuries that happen to the arm and hand that go untreated because the person cannot feel the injury.
  
  

Initial Onset

• The American Academy of Family Physicians points out that brachial plexus neuritis is characterized by a sharp and sudden pain in the shoulder area that could eventually lead to a loss of sensation in the upper body. The initial pain is so intense that it could wake the person from a sound sleep. This process of a sharp pain that eventually leads to loss of sensation in the upper body is one of the major characteristics that separates brachial plexus neuritis from other major upper-body neurological conditions such as cervical radiculopathy.
  
  

Prevention/Solution

• Treatment of brachial plexus neuritis is normally confined to pain medication to help deal with the painful symptoms, and then a long period of physical therapy to try and prevent too much nerve damage from taking place. Surgery is not necessary, as the pain involved with brachial plexus neuritis will subside after about a week, and the weakness in the upper body will improve over a long period of time. In rare cases, where the nerve damage continues to get worse, surgery may be used to try to relieve the pressure.