The 3 most common nerve compressions in the upper limb - easily alleviate symptoms at home!

Welcome to the video all about upper limb nerve entrapments. If you know exactly which entrapment you have, go to the timestamps below, but if you don't have a clue then check the whole video through.

Median nerve. Do you feel that your hand is going numb in the area of the thumb, index finger and middle finger, and you are wondering what is happening? If you suffer from this kind of peripheral nerve problem, typical symptoms include tingling, numbness and prickling sensations, or electric-shock-like sensations in the hand. This condition is the number one issue when it comes to upper limb nerve entrapment.

Let's start with the anatomy - understanding the nerve pathway and any structures that might put pressure on it can help us grasp the overall picture and what contributes to the symptoms. The median nerve starts its journey from the sixth, seventh and eighth cervical vertebrae and the first thoracic vertebra. Its role is to control the movement of the forearm, wrist, hand and fingers, as well as to provide sensory information to specific areas. The nerve travels from the cervical structures downwards towards the armpit, from there continues along the inner surface of the upper arm to the elbow area, and in the forearm descends medially towards the wrist, passing underneath the transverse carpal ligament bundle, branching out in the area of the thumb, index finger and middle finger.

If you don't have any injuries in the upper arm, it's essential to carefully examine the structures on the inner side of the forearm. If you find extremely tender structures, or pressing on them reproduces your familiar symptoms into the hand, then it's advisable to relax these areas with light massage. If your wrist mobility is severely limited, gentle stretching might be helpful as well - here is a handy stretch for both upper limbs. Remember not to experience pain during the movement - if you do, you are stretching the structure too aggressively. The intensity of the external rotation will affect the stretch.

To test the difference in nerve gliding between the affected and unaffected side, do the following: gently press the shoulder down, abduct the upper arm to 90 degrees, perform external rotation of the upper arm, rotate the forearm into external rotation with the palm facing the head, bend the wrist downwards and try to keep your fingers straight, extend the elbow until symptoms are provoked. In this position you can experiment with side-bending the head towards the hand to see if it affects the upper limb symptoms - in some cases side-bending away from the hand may provoke the symptoms. Additionally you can explore how different wrist positions affect the sensations in the arm. After testing both sides, if there is a clear asymmetry present, the goal should be to achieve symmetry in nerve gliding, meaning both nerves should slide in the same manner. After treatment and stretches you can retest and see how the asymmetry has improved.

For light nerve gliding, follow these steps: imagine the nerve moving within the structures - move your hand into the stretched position and side-bend the head towards the hand. This is relatively safe. If you need a more aggressive stretch, take the nerve into a taut position and pump through the wrist, elbow or head for a minute, focusing on the movement that clearly intensifies your familiar symptoms - if any movement doesn't reproduce your typical symptoms, avoid doing it. Perform nerve gliding in a few minutes per session, spread through the day, three or four sets. Additionally, if needed, apply soft tissue management for the duration of your favorite song, and follow up with gentle pain-free stretching if there is significant restriction.

Ulnar nerve. Are you experiencing issues in your little and ring fingers and wondering how to relieve this discomfort? The nerve responsible for this area is the ulnar nerve, and it originates from the eighth cervical level and first thoracic nerve root. From the neck it travels to the area under the armpit, then down the inner surface of the upper arm, passing behind the medial epicondyle in its own groove, and finally reaching the wrist area. In the wrist region it innervates the bending of the little finger and certain muscles in the hand.

If you feel tenderness above or below the medial epicondyle, and light pressure in these areas causes familiar symptoms in the fingertips, you should try to relax the areas with gentle massage. If there's restricted movement in the wrist, light stretching may be helpful - you can stretch these structures by pulling your little finger and ring finger gently towards your arm while keeping the upper limb straight. During the stretch there should be no pain, and if you experience any, you are applying too much force.

To test the difference in nerve mobility between the affected and unaffected side, do the following: gently press the shoulder downwards, abduct the arm to a 90-degree angle, rotate the forearm inwards, bend the fingers and wrist, perform external rotation of the arm, move the little finger and ring finger towards the ear. In this position you can assess if tilting the head towards the hand affects the upper limb symptoms - in some cases bending the head away from the hand may provoke symptoms. Additionally, you can see how wrist flexion position affects the feelings in the hand. If you find a clear difference between the sides, aim for symmetry in nerve mobility - both nerves should slide similarly after treatment and stretching. You can retest to see if you've improved. ---