Physical Therapy For Injured Radial Nerve
Symptoms of Radial Nerve Injury
Symptoms of radial nerve injury include some abnormal feeling or sensation in the thumb, index, and middle fingers. Burning pain may be felt in the arms. You may be unable to straighten your wrist and fingers. Sometimes, you may even experience difficulty, straightening the arm at the elbow. During diagnosis, the physiotherapist will check these areas for such symptoms.
Physical Therapy For Radial Nerve Injury
Physical therapy helps strengthen your arms, to avoid the risk of radial nerve injury. It teaches proper balance exercises, to avoid falls. The correct posture at the workplace and during sleep is also taught to the patient. Physical therapy can help you manage medical conditions, such as diabetes and kidney stones, thus, preventing the risk of radial nerve injury.
A physiotherapist uses modalities such as electrical stimulation (TENS), to help with the pain from the radial nerve. The electrical impulses sent from the TENS unit help desensitize the radial nerve endings. Physical therapy involves the use of massage therapy. Massage therapy can help reduce any swelling that compresses the radial nerve. This happens because massage therapy helps drain fluids from lymph channels.
Most importantly, physical therapy facilitates the recovery of an injured radial nerve, by improving blood circulation. It also returns mobility to the wrist and fingers through gripping exercises. These gripping exercises help with conditions such as wrist drop.
Recovery
Minor cases of radial nerve injury, given time, heal by themselves. Physical therapy only assists with the recovery.
Prevention Of Radial Nerve Injury
- Avoid repetitive arm movements.
- Do not stay long in cramped spaces or positions that restrict your arm movement.
- At work and during sleep, adopt a healthy posture and switch between tasks often.
Radial nerve injury can aggravate to radial nerve palsy, a much more serious condition. Get in touch with an expert physiotherapist if you notice symptoms of radial nerve injury.