Axillary Nerve Damage and atrophied deltoids, Please Help!

Hey. I am a 21 year old male who had dreams of being a professional martial artists and fitness competitor. Now, I am seeing my dream die as my left shoulder is completely atrophied due to an axillary nerve damage that occured from a shoulder dislocation fifteen months ago.

The shoulder dislocation occured in a slam during the wrestling tournament, and the initial diagnosis was that I would heal in 3-6 months. However, 5 month later, I found out I had nerve damage as well as torn labrun.

I had phantom limb and complete numbness during that time, and acupuncture helped me get some feeling back in the shoulder (0% to perhaps 30% feeling), but the deltoids muscles themselves still would not fire or function.

I have been fighting this condition for almost a year and a half now, seeing all the doctors and physical therapist I could, to no avail. My most recent EMG test show that there was extremely slight improvement over the year-period, but way less than normal. The doctors believe the nerve trunk itself is still intact, but cannot figure out why the nerve is not healing.

These days, I also get intense pain/stimulation in the nerve for 10-60 seconds almost daily for four months now, and I hope that is a good sign, but I cannot be sure.

I am currently facing a possible nerve transplant from my radial nerve of the long-head of the tricep to the axillary nerve. I really do not want to go through with this operation, but I am not sure what else to do. It is possible that I lose not only my shoulder, but my triceps as well if the surgery does not work, since it is uncertain if my shoulder will take in the radial nerve.

Any advice you have, experiences, knowledge, information, resources, anything at all would be much appreciated. I heard about all these stories of people losing their nerve and getting it back. I told my doctors about it, and they said the only thing I can do is just wait more or do the surgery that has no certainty of improvements and even chances of making things worst, permanently! I am mad that everyone everywhere keeps telling me there is nothing I can do but wait for the nerve to come back or do this risky surgery that could cause me to lose both my shoulder and part of my triceps!

Please help. I am sure someone, somewhere, has to know a way to heal such a injury and point me in the direction to get back on track. Thank you so much.

Training:

I am lifting, on average, almost 50% less than I used to due to this injury, as it affects other lefts such as bench, pull ups, squats, etc. My shoulder lifts themselves are at 1% of what they used to be. I been working so hard everyday to heal and to get my body better. I did everything the physical therapists tell me to do and I am just crushed right now. I promised myself I would be healed in three months, then six, then nine...and I am really losing hope of ever being able to go after my martial art and fitness dreams.

Nerves can regenerate after injuries but it is a very slow process that does require patients.

Now you have 2 choices,either you let it heal on its own or risk having the surgery and it failing.

If you are working out everyday give your body a rest and do it every other day.

Trying a vitamin b complex and alphoric lipid acid may help the healing process along.

You can still have your dreams,they may just take a little longer.Your young so that helps and your in good health.

Thanks for the advice and support. It's been tough. I'm just afraid of it ever healing, as the doctors told me it should have healed by itself within one year, and it's almost one and a half year now.

I'm taking a multi daily with 200 mcg (3,300%) vitamin b 12. Is that enough? Any specific recommendations? From what I understand, you can't get too much vitamin B since it's liquid solvable, so I guess taking more can only help.

What's the benefits of alphoric lipid acid? Any good brands in particular?

Thanks for all the help.

Take care.

Andrew,

We all heal in different ways and time.

I miss spelled it alpha lipic acid 600mgs 2x a day.I take it for nerve pain caused by MS.Some take a 1000mgs of B12.And yes,its water soluable so it won't hurt you.Any brand GNC has a wide variety.

But seriously if you are lifting everyday you need to give yourself a break every other day and give you body time to heal.If not you never will.

Originally Posted by nuffs3

Andrew,

We all heal in different ways and time.

I miss spelled it alpha lipic acid 600mgs 2x a day.I take it for nerve pain caused by MS.Some take a 1000mgs of B12.And yes,its water soluable so it won't hurt you.Any brand GNC has a wide variety.

But seriously if you are lifting everyday you need to give yourself a break every other day and give you body time to heal.If not you never will.

Hey Nuff,

Thanks for the tip. I do different parts of my body daily (push, shoulder, pull, shoulder, leg, shoulder) so hopefully my boy can heal up from that. I also heard things about how you work out your CNS everyime, so it's good to take more rest. Maybe I'll try that too. I just want my shoulder to heal, whatever it takes.