The upper limb paralysis caused by the injury to the brachial plexus nerve trunk or root at birth is also known as birth paralysis or birth palsy.
Western medicine believes that the maternal delivery personnel pull the baby’s head too sharply and vigorously, causing excessive separation of one side of the neck and shoulder, which causes traction and tearing of the brachial plexus; or due to fetal malposition, obstructed labor or stalled labor when squeezed by the forceps or external pulling, which causes nerve damage and paralysis.
The most common is the 5th and 6th cervical nerve injury resulting in upper arm paralysis, followed by the 8th cervical nerve and the 1st thoracic nerve injury causing forearm paralysis, there are also serious injuries to the brachial plexus nerve bundle injury resulting in whole arm paralysis.
Symptoms: Upper limb paralysis is the characteristic.
(1) Upper arm palsy: mainly manifested as drooping of the affected limb, inability to abduct the shoulder, slight flexion of the elbow and rotation of the forearm forward.
(2) Forearm palsy: the symptoms are not obvious and are often detected quite some time after birth, with atrophy of the interphalangeal and microphalangeal areas of the hand and weak flexor muscles, often with arm sensory disturbances.
(3) Total arm paralysis: The upper arm, forearm or whole arm cannot move autonomously, and there may be swelling in the supraclavicular fossa due to hemorrhage; there is usually muscle contracture of the upper limb with internal retraction and internal rotation, and the humeral head is subluxed and the shoulder peak is drooping, and there is loss of sensation in the radial part of the forearm.
Manual treatment: (1) The child takes a sitting position, and the physician operates with the thumb from the large vertebrae along the shoulder well, Tianzong, shoulder chin, shoulder s and so on for 5min round trip. (2) Press and rub the shoulder k, Quchi, hand Sanli, Waiguan and Hegu, up and down for 5min round trip. (3) Rub the Zhongfu with the index, middle and ring fingers, and turn to the Jiquan point for 1~2min round trip. (4) The physician fixes the child’s shoulder, elbow and wrist joints with the thumb and index finger of the left hand. (4) The doctor’s left thumb and index finger fix the child’s shoulder, elbow and wrist joints, and make appropriate flexion, extension and rocking passive movements for 5 to 10 times each.
Caution: Be gentle with the infant and avoid rough and heavy manipulation. The passive movement should be gentle, do not pull or pull hard.