Erb’s palsy is a condition in children where a bundle of nerves in the arm, called the brachial plexus, is injured during delivery. During delivery, if the baby’s neck is stretched too far, the bundle of nerves becomes stretched or torn and causes dysfunction. Not all the nerves in this bundle may be affected, so the child may have movement in the shoulder but not the fingers, or vice-versa. At first, the affected arm will be close to the body and does not actively move. Nerves can regenerate, but at a slow rate, so over time both sensation and movement can return.
Symptoms include:
- Unresponsive to touch
- Arm paralysis
- Movement of only certain parts of the arm
Physical therapy can help to start returning motion and can start as early as 3 weeks after birth! Physical therapy is important for maintaining proper length of muscles, strengthening weak muscles once motion returns, and learning how to compensate using other muscle groups as needed.
We treat patients with Erb’s Palsy in the 34711 area!
