Can Children With Brachial Plexus Injuries Recover?

Posted on April 13, 2015 by Shapiro Law Group

When new parents receive the news that their child has brachial plexus palsy or Erb’s palsy, they want to know how the condition is treated and how long it will last. Brachial plexus injuries can cause paralysis of the arms and hands, to varying degrees of severity.

Providing an illustrative example can help parents understand how health care professionals work with children who have a brachial plexus injury. The story of 1-year-old Grace, who suffered from brachial plexus palsy as a newborn, can show our readers how different approaches to physical therapy can help children with potentially disabling conditions.

Grace’s story may sound familiar to many parents who have children with a brachial plexus injury. Grace was injured at birth, leaving her right arm and hand disabled. Initially, her physical therapy centered on a daily range of motion exercises, but all of them failed. Doctors eventually told the family that Grace would need surgery at the age of four if she were to regain the use of her right arm and hand.

Can Physical Therapy Help Children With Brachial Plexus Injuries?

It did not take long for a new method of physical therapy to come along. A physical therapist was able to ‘trick’ Grace’s brain into moving the damaged arm. To accomplish this, the physical therapist positioned her limbs in a way they were not used to moving due to the injury.

After a while, Grace’s body was trained to move as if her right arm was fully functional. As the physical therapy lessons progressed, Grace continued to gain more functionality.

Children with brachial plexus palsy can recover in some cases, if they receive the right form of treatment. To learn more about birth injuries, please continue to explore our website. For regular updates from Shapiro Law Group, follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

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