Shepherd Center - A Catastrophic Care Hospital

The Upper Extremity Rehabilitation Clinic at Shepherd Center offers a comprehensive therapy and treatment program to improve upper extremity function for individuals with catastrophic injuries who have limited function in their arms, wrists and hands. This Clinic is available to those in the inpatient and day programs at Shepherd Center, as well as on an outpatient basis.

Rehabilitation Program

The Clinic provides a comprehensive rehabilitation program for people who are experiencing the following issues:

·         Brachial plexus injuries 

·         Orthopedic related issues such as carpal tunnel syndrome, overuse syndromes, and trauma-related issues

·         Pain in the shoulders, elbows, wrists or hands

·         Rotator cuff injury

·         Spasticity and tone in the upper extremities

·         Stiffness, immobility, or contractures in upper extremity joints that has resulted in limited functional performance

·         Tendon Transfer Restoration following paralysis

Surgical Interventions

Brachial Plexus Surgery- Depending on the type and location of the brachial plexus injury, surgery may be recommended to repair the brachial plexus. Surgery may involve the removal of the damaged nerves, nerve grafts, or transferring a nerve from its original attachment to another nerve site, which then restores functional ability. (Click link for more information)

Tendon Transfer Surgery – A surgical option that is commonly used to effectively restore arm, wrist and hand functions, such as wrist extension, grip and pinch. Surgery involves transferring a muscle with good strength from its original attachment to another muscle site, which then restores functional ability. (Click link for more information)

Surgery for Orthopeadic Issues – The clinic also offers surgical options for other orthopeadic-related issues, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, overuse syndromes, contractures and trauma-related issues.

Who Qualifies?

Each patient is evaluated by a team of rehabilitation professionals at Shepherd Center to determine the source of the upper extremity dysfunction and a plan is developed with the team. If a patient is determined appropriate, a course of aggressive therapy may follow. Surgical interventions are also considered if deemed appropriate by the team.

Your Team

The Upper Extremity (UE) Rehabilitation Clinic team includes:

Orthopedic UE and Hand Surgeons:

Allen Peljovich, M.D., M.P.H.– Orthopedic surgeon with specialized training with paralysis due to tetraplegia, brain injury, brachial plexsus injury, stroke

Douglas Murray, M.D.- – Orthopedic surgeon with specialized training in shoulder and elbow injuries

Occupational or Physical Therapist – Specialized training in Upper Extremity Rehabilitation

Nurse - Assist in coordinating surgery and post-operative needs

Case Manager – Coordinates care during surgical and rehabilitation process