Diagnosis

To diagnose your condition, your doctor will review your symptoms and conduct a physical examination. To help diagnose the extent and severity of a brachial plexus injury, you may have one or more of the following tests:

• X-ray. An X-ray of your shoulder and neck can tell your doctor if you have fractures or other associated injuries.
• Electromyography (EMG). During an EMG, your doctor inserts a needle electrode through your skin into various muscles. The test evaluates the electrical activity of your muscles when they contract and when they're at rest. You may feel a little pain when the electrodes are inserted, but most people can complete the test without much discomfort.
• Nerve conduction studies. These tests are usually performed as part of the EMG, and they measure the speed of conduction in your nerve when a small current passes through the nerve. This provides information about how well the nerve is functioning.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This test uses a powerful magnetic field and radio waves to produce detailed views of your body in multiple planes. It often can show the extent of the damage caused by a brachial plexus injury and can help assess the status of arteries that are important for the limb or for reconstruction of it. New methods of high-resolution MRI, known as magnetic resonance neurography, may be used.
• Computerized tomography (CT) myelography. Computerized tomography uses a series of X-rays to obtain cross-sectional images of your body. CT myelography adds a contrast material, injected during a spinal tap, to produce a detailed picture of your spinal cord and nerve roots during a CT scan. This test is sometimes performed when MRIs don't provide adequate information.