Your patient injured her ulnar nerve falling up some steps and catching herself on the medial side of her hand 2 days ago.She currently has constant tingling and decreased sensation to pressure and touch in the little finger and ulnar half of the ring finger.Your intervention during the first week of treatment will be all of the following except:
A)Protect the nerve by immobilizing the wrist in a splint.
B)Teach active ROM to wrist and fingers.
C)Emphasize the importance of resistive exercises to prevent muscle atrophy.
D)Inform the patient about ways to protect the hand from further injury.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Emphasizing the importance of resistive exercises to prevent muscle atrophy may not be appropriate during the first week of treatment for an ulnar nerve injury as it may exacerbate symptoms and delay recovery. The focus should be on protecting the nerve by immobilizing the wrist in a splint and teaching active range of motion exercises to prevent joint stiffness. Informing the patient about ways to protect the hand from further injury is also important.

Your Patient Injured Her Ulnar Nerve Falling Up Some Steps