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Hand and Upper Extremity Rehabilitation Clinic

The Hand and Upper Extremity (UE) Clinic at Shepherd Center offers a comprehensive rehabilitation therapy and treatment program to improve upper-extremity function for people with spinal cord and brain injuries who have limited function in their arms, wrists and hands. This clinic is available to Shepherd Center inpatients, day program patients and outpatients.

What is Upper Extremity Rehabilitation Treatment?

Loss of upper extremity function can be caused by a variety of injuries, and the Hand and Upper Extremity (UE) Rehabilitation Clinic provides treatment specifically tailored to each patient’s condition. Our comprehensive inpatient or outpatient clinic offers rehabilitation 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, resulting in limited functional performance
Tendon transfer restoration following paralysis

Find out if you are a good match for our hand and upper extremity rehabilitation programs by reaching out to schedule an appointment. Call us at 404-350-3102.

Who Qualifies for the Upper Extremity Clinic?

The hand and upper extremity clinic is open to current and former Shepherd Center patients, as well as community members with a previously diagnosed neurologic injury. 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.

Upper Extremity Surgical Interventions

To ensure that each patient receives the best possible treatment at our inpatient or outpatient clinic, surgical intervention may be recommended depending on the severity of the patient’s condition. Our team of highly skilled orthopedic surgeons offer the following procedures:

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 damaged nerves, nerve grafts or transferring a nerve from its original attachment to another nerve site, which then restores functional ability.

Tetraplegia Surgery: Tendon transfer surgery is a surgical option that is most 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. Nerve transfers are a newer surgical option that can help improve the results of tendon transfers in select individuals.

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