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Brachial Plexus Injury Rehabilitation
There are many treatments to facilitate the process of recovery in people who have brachial plexus injuries. Improvements occur slowly and the rehabilitation process can take up to many years. Many factors should be considered when estimating a time of recovery. Factors such as initial diagnosis of the injury, severity of the injury, and type of treatments used. Some forms of treatment include nerve grafts, medication, surgical decompression, nerve transfer, physical therapy, and occupational therapy.

Physical Therapy
Having an effective occupational and physical therapy program is important when dealing with the unfortunate circumstances of brachial plexus injuries. One of the main goals of rehabilitation is to prevent muscle atrophy until the nerves regain function. Electrical stimulation is an effective treatment to help patients reach this fundamental goal. Exercises that involve shoulder extension, flexion, elevation, depression, abduction and adduction facilitate healing by engaging the nerves in the damaged sites as well as improve muscle function. Images 1,5, and 6 shown below are examples of some of these exercises being performed. Stretching is done on a daily basis to improve or maintain range of motion. Stretching is important in order to rehabilitate since it increases the blood flow to the injury as well as facilitate nerves to function properly. Images 2,3, and 4 shown below are examples of stretches that will promote healing. For image 2, the patient will be asked to sit next to a table with their elbow rested on the surface. They will then use their uninjured had to supinate and pronate their palm as far as it can go. While make sure the elbow does not move during the stretch to get the maximum benefit of joint mobility improvement. In image 3, having the patient reach behind their head and touching their neck will stretch the external rotators of their shoulders. As for image 4, internal rotation of the shoulder occurs when the knuckles are along the thoracic and lumbar spine.

Treatment
The exercises mentioned above can be done to help rehabilitate from mild cases of the injury. However, in more serious brachial plexus injuries surgical interventions can be used. Function can be restored by nerve repairs, nerve replacements, and surgery to remove tumors causing the injury. Another crucial factor to note is that psychological problems can hinder the rehabilitation process due to a lack of motivation from the patient. On top of promoting a lifetime process of physical healing, it is important to not overlook the psychological well being of a patient. This is due to the possibility of depression or complications with head injuries.