Functional recovery in patients with ulnar nerve injury

Purpose: Painful sensations that occur after peripheral nerve injury are a major problem for patients. The type and severity of nerve injury determines the extent of pathological changes, the capacity for regeneration and the prognosis for recovery. The aim of the study is to shorten the duration of the rehabilitation process and increase the functionality of the affected limb by timely recognizing the symptoms and starting the rehabilitation treatment of the patients, so that the patient would return completely to the activities of everyday life. Material and methods: The study included 10 patients (5 men and 5 women) in whom an ulnar nerve injury was diagnosed at examination. They are treated at the University Clinic of Physical medicine and rehabilitation in Skopje, for a period of 20 working days. The effect of the conducted physical and kinesitherapy procedures is evaluated. The following were used during the treatment: paraffin therapy, electrical stimulation, Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation, galvanic current, diadynamic currents, kinesitherapeutic exercises (pastoral and actively assisted). Results: After finishing the treatment and summarizing the obtained results, a comparison was made of the achieved changes after two and four weeks. Through the obtained data, a significant improvement in the condition of most patients is observed. Conclusion: With timely recognition of the symptoms and starting the rehabilitation treatment of the patients, the duration of the rehabilitation process is shortened and the functionality of the affected limb is increased. Key words: ulnar nerve paresis, cubital syndrome, functional recovery