Objective: To explore the effect of a high-quality nursing model employing low-frequency pulse electrical stimulation combined with early systemic functional exercises on the function of the affected limb in brachial plexus injury patients.
Methods: A total of 98 brachial plexus injury patients admitted to our hospital were recruited as the research cohort. All the patients were treated with surgery to repair, release, and transfer or transplant nerves according to each patient's condition. After the operations, the patients were randomly divided into one of two groups: the control group (n=49) or the research group (n=49). The control group did early systemic functional exercises, while the research group was administered low frequency pulse electrical stimulation in addition to doing the early systemic functional exercises. The clinical efficacy, the visual analogue scale (VAS) scores before and after the treatment, the brachial plexus function scores, the nerve conduction velocities and amplitudes, the SF-36 questionnaires, the incidences of complications, and the nursing satisfaction were compared between the two groups.
Results: After the treatment, the overall response rate to the treatment in the research group was significantly higher than it was in the control group (95.92% vs 81.63%, P<0.05). The VAS scores in both groups were decreased, and the scores in the research group were lower than the scores in the control group (P<0.05). The upper limb, lower limb, and the whole brachial plexus scores were increased in both groups, and the scores in the research group were higher than the scores in the control group (P<0.05). The motor conduction velocities, the sensory conduction velocities, and the amplitudes of the ulnar and median nerves in the two groups were increased, and the research group had higher levels than the control group (P<0.05). The emotional function, physical pain, physical health, role function, social function, mental health, energy, and general health scores in the two groups were increased, and the research group was higher than the control group (P<0.05). The incidence of complications in the research group was lower than it was in the control group, but the nursing satisfaction was higher than it was in the control group (all P<0.05).
Conclusion: The high-quality nursing model based on low-frequency pulse electrical stimulation combined with early systemic functional exercise can effectively promote the functional recovery of the affected limb in brachial plexus injury patients. It can reduce pain and the incidence of complications and it can improve the quality of life and the satisfaction with the nursing at the same time.
Keywords: Brachial plexus injury; early systemic functional exercise; functional recovery of the affected limb; low-frequency pulse electrical stimulation; quality of life.
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