Brachial Plexus Clinic Visits - What to Expect
Initial Visit | Clinic Overview | What to Bring l Child's Comfort l
Care Plan l Where to Find the Brachial Plexus Center
Initial Visit to the Brachial Plexus Center
The Brachial Plexus Center's Clinics at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center take place on Tuesday afternoon or Friday morning. At the initial visit, your child is assessed by the team's physicians and therapist. The evaluation may include:
- X-ray
- Muscle testing
- Testing for sensory function, diaphragm involvement and skeletal structure
- Standardized scoring classifications
- Observation of functional movement
- Family input
Additional testing may include:
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Brachial Plexus Center Clinic Overview
It may be necessary for your child to have X-rays taken prior to meeting with the Brachial Plexus Center team at Cincinnati Children's. X-rays are taken in the Radiology Department adjacent to the clinic area. Once testing is complete, a nurse will accompany you and your child to a treatment room to gather medical history and / or other necessary information.
The team will then meet with your entire family in the treatment room to develop the best treatment plan to meet your child's needs.
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What to Bring to Your Visit
- Reports from previous doctors visits, including those to pediatricians, orthopaedic specialists, neurologists, neurosurgeons and / or therapists
- Test results from past EMGs, MRIs and / or X-rays
- A written list of questions for team members
- A written list of arm function goals that you and your child would like to work towards
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For Your Child's Comfort
- Please dress your child in a manner that allows access to the entire affected arm as well as the shoulder and upper back.
- Please feel free to bring a snack for your child as clinic runs into the lunch hour.
- Please feel free to bring one or two of your child's favorite toys to clinic. This often helps make the wait seem shorter and may assist with motivation during the evaluation.
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Individualized Care Plan
Based on the assessment, an individualized treatment plan and therapy program will be developed for your child. The goal is to optimize function of the extremity.
Therapy referrals may include aquatics, orthoses and electrical stimulation. Therapeutic taping may be used to facilitate positioning.
If you live in the Greater Cincinnati area, therapy is available at Cincinnati Children's main campus or at one of our eight conveniently located outpatient centers. Aquatic therapy is offered at our Children's facility at the Drake Center.
If you live outside the Greater Cincinnati area, the Brachial Plexus Center team will be happy to consult with therapy providers in your area.
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Where to Find the Brachial Plexus Clinic
The Brachial Plexus Clinic at Cincinnati Children's is located in the Orthopaedic Clinic area on the main concourse of Location A. The receptionist will assist you in registering at the front desk.
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Please contact the Brachial Plexus Center for more information about the program or to request an appointment.
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