From the Dutch Neuromuscular Research Center

This Dutch Neuromuscular Research Center site is one of the better web pages I have seen about NA and HNA.

Something I have been trying to determine for myself is whether I have the idiopathic or the hereditary version; NA or HNA. Here it is suggested that at least statistically speaking, I may have more of a chance to fall into the hereditary group.

From the site:

“In the idiopathic form of NA, patients usually suffer only one attack in their life. Only 1 out of 20 people suffer a second attack, sometimes within months, sometimes many years after the initial one. In the hereditary form, attacks recur more frequently, and the average number of attacks is one per 6.5 years.”

It is still not proof of anything, but the time from my first to second attack was around 6.5 years. I certainly would not want to upset the average.

The site also warns against possibility of developing a frozen shoulder if the pain never allows enough full movement. I was lucky there I guess. My pain was not bad enough to cause any further movement problems.

The ailment is varied with how it impacts each person. From the site:

“Because of this clinical variability, it is difficult to predict an individual patient his or her prognosis, unless the personal course and severity of the paresis are fully taken into account. Most textbooks say that after 2-3 years, over 95% of the patients will have recovered fully; however, our own experiences with both INA and HNA patients in the past 8 years have not been as hopeful. Although most people do show signs of recovery, and keep improving in the first 2-3 years after an attacks, many are left with persisting impairments or handicaps because they have not regained full strength or endurance of some muscle groups, or have shoulder joint instabilities and altered mobility which causes tendomyogenic pains. In a previous survey, 1/3 of patients with HNA were permanently unable to work because of their disorder.”