Brachial Plexus Rehabilitation

The brachial plexus is a network of intertwined nerves that control movement and sensation in the arm and hand. A traumatic brachial plexus injury involves sudden damage to these nerves, and may cause weakness, loss of feeling, or loss of movement in the shoulder, arm, or hand. Sports injuries, traffic accidents, and childbirth can cause a brachial plexus injury, which is not very common. Symptoms might include paralysis of the musculoskeletal system in serious cases. Abrasions to the brachial plexus can result in a wide range of symptoms. The location and severity of the injury determine the clinical picture of the damage. Mild brachial plexus injuries may heal without treatment. More severe injuries may require surgery to regain function of the arm or hand. The most common symptoms of brachial plexus injury include:

• Weakness or numbness
• Loss of sensation
• Loss of movement (paralysis)
• Pain

A tingling or stinging feeling may be described as a symptom in mild situations. Partial or complete paralysis of muscles in the hands, forearm, upper arm, and sections of the hip can occur in more severe cases. These individuals may have arm weakness or stiffness that corresponds to the damaged location.

A Long-Term Recovery Methodology

Patients may not experience improvements for six months or even a year following surgery due to the delayed regeneration of nerves. Following surgery, many people continue to make progress for several years. Even if they don’t experience immediate effects, we teach them that it is critical to remain moving in order to maintain joint flexibility. If the joint is stiff, even if the nerve is finally able to reawaken the muscle, functioning will be impaired.

During this recovery process, our occupational therapists teach patients how to use the unaffected arm to perform daily activities like eating and personal hygiene. Our therapists also assist with adaptive techniques for one-handed dressing, bathing and other daily activities. If the patient is unable to use the hand he or she writes with, therapeutic techniques can also train the other hand to perform this function.