Brachial Plexus Injuries

Among the more famous causes of brachial plexus injury is the birth injury in children  and bike  injury in adults.

 Interesting facts

Remember ‘B’ in brachial plexus injury

B- birth injury due to faulty application.

B- Bike injury fall on the shoulder in young adults (combination of depression of shoulder band forced lateral flexion of the neck)

B-Bad prognosis most of the times.

 Brachial plexus can be

Closed: here injury could be due to birth trauma or bike trauma  as mention above

Open:  rare injury could be due to penetrating or gunshot injuries.

PHYSIOTHERAPY MEASURES

During the initial stage

  • Splinting
  • For pain control TENS is best suited
  • To prevent contractures and deformities, a careful passive ROM exercises under supervision of physiotherapist.

 

During the later  stages

  • Measures to strengthen the muscles
  • Reeducation of the  muscles
  • Modifying the splints and dynamising it helps
  • TENS to control pain
  • After two years reconstructive surgeries are planned fpr the residual paralysis and deformity