Rehabilitation of the upper limb is specifically focused on improving the movement and function of the shoulder girdle, elbow, forearm, wrist, fingers, thumb and trunk. At NRG, we provide rehabilitation for the upper limb following any neurological injury to the brain, spinal cord or peripheral nerves. 

Depending on your condition and presenting symptoms, your therapist will complete a thorough assessment looking at your upper limb movement, look for the presence of joint contracture (when muscles become tight and shorter) or muscle spasticity, consider your sensation, coordination, ability to manipulate objects with your hand, awareness of your left or right side or space, movement planning, muscle endurance, and consider the presence of pain or tremor.  

Rehabilitation of the upper limb requires a package of treatment as the impairments can be complex with multiple factors involved. Your therapist will device a step-by-step treatment program to address your specific impairments to help you to achieve your goals.  

Rehabilitation of the upper limb may involve a variety of treatments including: 

• Facilitated hands on movement retraining of your reach and shaping of your hand for grasp

• Strength retraining of the weakened muscles of your upper limb which may include prescription of a gym program or referral to one of our exercise physiologists

• Repetitive part practice of the task and practice of the function you are working towards  

• Constraint Induced Movement Therapy program in which the less affected limb is constrained for periods of the day during the therapy burst  

• Sensory retraining

• Consideration of focal spasticity treatment in consultation with your neurologist

• Serial casting

• Functional Electrical Stimulation using a device such as NeuroTrac or TENS

• Graded motor imagery including mirror therapy and mental practice of movement (Graded Motor Imagery - Noigroup)  

• Interactive games such as Wii, boardgames, or sporting skills  

• Consideration of a shoulder brace, resting or functional splint through our orthotics clinic

• Fitting and trial of dynamic SAEBO hand splints such as the SAEBOGlove and SAEBOFlex https://www.saebo.com/  

• Education and training to reduce learned compensatory strategies or learned nonuse of the upper limb, positioning and chronic pain 

• Carer training of your support worker or loved one to support your therapy practice outside of the clinic  

They may also consider onward referral to our therapy colleagues in the community for a multidisciplinary approach such as occupational therapists or hand therapists.