The brachial plexus is an important network of nerves which controls muscles in the shoulder, armpit and hand. Physical therapy exercises and routine can help preserve function and avoid joint contracture.
NYU Langone doctors can assess the type and severity of injuries to the brachial plexus with clinical examination, MRI imaging and electrodiagnostic testing. If nerves don’t recover enough to return arm and hand function they may suggest surgery as a means to restore function.
Hand Gripping Exercises
Your brachial plexus is a network of nerves running from your spinal cord through your neck, shoulder and arm to control muscles in your shoulders, arms and hands. Injury to this nerve cluster may lead to muscle weakness, numbness or even paralysis if left undiagnosed and treated quickly – early diagnosis and treatment is key to ensure a full recovery from injuries to this critical nerve cluster.
If the nerves are only slightly torn, they should heal themselves over time without surgical treatment. If however, your nerves have been completely torn or scarred beyond repair and do not recover without intervention, surgery will likely be required to heal them. Your healthcare team may begin by performing X-rays of your neck, chest and shoulder to determine if nerves have been damaged by bone fracture or injury; and/or ordering a CT myelogram scan that uses both X-rays and dye injection around spinal nerves in order to gain clear pictures of what structures lie within your body – getting clear pictures of structures within you is also likely.
Similar to cervical radiculopathy, brachial plexus injuries typically result from the tearing or overstretching of nerves in the brachial plexus. Your healthcare team may offer different surgical procedures depending on the nature of the injury – these may include muscle transfer to replace paralyzed ones and nerve grafting using healthy nerve fibers from another part of your body connecting damaged ones.
Finger Abduction Exercises
The brachial plexus is a group of nerves that exit your spinal cord in your neck, providing signals between your brain and spine, as well as controlling movement and sensation in your shoulders, arms, elbows, forearms and hands – from shoulder to fingertips. Damage sustained to this nerve network during childbirth may lead to brachial plexus birth palsy or Erb’s palsy which prevents movement or sensation from reaching affected arms – in severe cases, you may no longer be able to move or feel affected arms at all.
Brachial plexus injuries vary in terms of both their location and severity, which will dictate your optimal treatment options. Beginning treatment early increases your chance of full function recovery; your doctor will conduct an exam of all nerve groups controlled by the brachial plexus to ascertain this information. Narrowed pupils and drooped eyelids (Horner’s syndrome) indicate nearness to spinal cord; shooting nerve-like pain when tapping on areas affected (Tinel’s sign) indicates distance from spinal cord.
Mild cases may allow for recovery without surgery; for more severe conditions, however, surgery might be required in order to restore function and enhance quality of life. Such treatment options include nerve grafts – where healthy nerve from another part of your body patches an injured brachial nerve – or nerve transfers where healthy muscle fibers replace an injured nerve connection.
Biceps Curls
Injurys arising from sports contact, motor vehicle accidents or birthing processes all put undue strain and compression on the brachial nerves which may eventually tear them away (avulsion). Exercise programs designed to include elbow flexion and wrist extension may help protect these nerves while simultaneously ensuring maximum use from muscle rehabilitation once they have been repaired.
Biceps curls are an effective way to target both the front of the upper arm as well as the muscles at the base of the forearm (brachioradialis and brachialis). To perform one, hold one hand with its elbow bent at 90 degrees while leaning forward holding a dumbbell in your other hand and slowly curl your arm back and up until it reaches an almost vertical position before slowly lowering weight – repeat for 1-3 sets of 10-16 reps and begin again.
The C6 spinal nerve provides muscle supply to those performing elbow flexion and wrist extension. For optimal workout results, make sure that this nerve is being utilized correctly during exercises like bicep curling. When changing handgrips while performing this move, variations in excitation of biceps brachii, brachioradialis and deltoid interventions to stabilize the humeral head can occur simultaneously [3]. These results demonstrate how including various handgrips into biceps curl routine could provide unique neural and mechanical stimulation of upper limb muscles for maximum stimulation [3].
Wrist Curls
The Brachial Plexus (BP) is an integral network of nerves running from the spine through the neck, armpit, and arms. An injury to this region of nerves may cause weakness, numbness and in severe cases paralysis of shoulder, arm, or hand function. While surgery may sometimes be an option, physical therapy has shown to be successful at returning patients back to full levels of functionality.
Grip strength is an integral component of many activities, and the wrist curl exercise helps build it.1 Strengthened grips enable lifters to more safely control heavy loads during exercises like deadlifts and bench presses as well as sports such as boxing and wrestling that require firm handholds such as boxing.2 Furthermore, having strong hands helps people perform everyday tasks such as opening jars or carrying groceries bags more effortlessly.
Doing a wrist curl requires one dumbbell. To perform this exercise, kneel on a bench with your forearms supported and the dumbbell hanging freely off of its end of bench pad with your palm facing upward. Slowly lower weight to just above elbow and hold this position for brief moment before slowly returning it back to its original starting position without releasing grip, extending arm, or leaning forward or backward. Repeat process on remaining dumbbells on each side.
Elbow Extension Exercises
The brachial plexus is a network of nerves that regulate movement and sensation in your shoulders, arms, and hands. When these nerves become damaged they can cause pain, weakness, or loss of feeling in these areas. When they exit the spinal cord high up in your neck they connect directly to hand/finger nerves while arm-controlled nerves travel down through upper chest to armpit – damage may range from minor stretching to complete disruption (avulsion) of their root from exiting spinal cords.
At times, brachial plexus injuries can result from traumatizing accidents like car wrecks, falls, or sports injuries. Tumors and radiation treatments to the chest or neck area may also put pressure on these nerves, and this damage often affects children due to difficult births.
Physical therapy is an integral component of treating brachial plexus injuries, but selecting the appropriate medical provider is of equal importance. Consider consulting with doctors or physical therapists who specialize in neurology or orthopedics as they understand more fully the unique aspects of these injuries and how best to treat them. Below are videos showcasing exercises prescribed by Cornell Health physical therapists for brachial plexus injuries – if in doubt as to whether these exercises apply or are suitable, speak to one directly about how best to proceed with your injury treatment!
Triceps Strengthening Exercises
The Brachial Plexus (BRAH-keyel PLEK-sis) is a nerve network that gives movement and feeling to your shoulder, arm, and hand. Nerves supporting your arm leave from high in your neck; those supporting fingers/hand leave from lower down.
Injurys often occur when raising one arm above your head – such as when reaching over or performing an overhead lift – while other times they arise when your upper body is supported by something such as a bench or bar.
To assess the severity of a brachial plexus injury, various tests will need to be administered in order to ascertain its full impact. This may include physical exams, CT or MRI scans as well as electrical stimulation to measure nerve activity.
Your doctor will use these results to customize a treatment plan tailored specifically to you, which could involve surgery or physical therapy – or possibly both!
If your doctor determines that your brachial plexus injury could heal without surgery, they may postpone any procedures and recommend physical therapy as a means of relieving joint and muscle stiffness – this may help restore strength and functionality to your injured arm.
