Ulnar Nerve Pain? Fix Numbness in Ring & Little Finger

Are you experiencing issues in your little hand, ring finger and you are wondering how to relieve this discomfort? Most likely, it's the second most common upper limb peripheral nerve problem which manifests as tingling, numbness, tingling, electric shock like sensations in the hand and, in more advanced cases, changes in skin sensations. In this video we will go through everything you need to know and how to relieve this condition. Let's start with the anatomy.

You might ask why? The answer is that when we understand the nerve path, we can identify the structures along the pathway that might put pressure on the nerve, potentially contributing to upper limb symptoms. It's essential to address these factors. The nerve responsible for this area is the ulnar nerve and it originates from the age cervical level and the first thoracic nerve root.

On the neck it travels to the area under the armpit and then it goes down in the 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 cause familiar symptoms to fingertips, you should try to relax these areas with a gentle massage. If there is a restricted movement in the wrist, light stretching may be helpful.

You can easily stretch these structures by pulling your little finger and ring finger gently towards your arm while keeping the upper limb straight. During the stretches, there should not be pain and if you experience any, you are applying too much force. To test the difference in the nerve mobility between the affected and unaffected side, do the following. Gently press the shoulder downwards.

Abduct the arm to 90 degrees angle. Rotate the forearm inwards. Bend the finger and the wrist. Perform external rotation of the arm.

Move the little finger and ring finger towards the ear. In this position you can assess if the tilting of your head towards the hand affects the upper limb symptoms. In some cases, the bending of the head away from the hand may provocate the symptoms. Additionally, you can see how the wrist flexion position affects the feelings in hand.

If you find clear difference between the both sides, then you should aim for the symmetry in the nerve mobility, meaning the both nerves should slide similarly. After treatment and stretching, you can retest to see if you've improved asymmetry. If you want to perform light nerve gliding, here is how you can do it. In this demonstration, the tube is demonstrating the nerve movement in the structures.

Assume the nerve testing position, and as you move your fingers towards the ear, simultaneously tilt your head towards the hand. This is relatively safe, and if you need more intense stretch, find the position where the nerve is taught and pump it through the wrist, elbow, or neck for a minute. Focus on the movements, but clearly amplify your typical symptoms. If any of these movements doesn't affect your symptoms, you don't need to do them.

I recommend doing the nerve gliding in sessions within few minutes, spreading them through the day three or four times. Additionally, if necessary perform soft tissue manipulation for the duration of your favorite song, and follow it with the pain free stretching if there is a significant restriction in wrist. If these instructions are not sufficient to elevate your typical symptoms, I recommend seeking the help from the doctor or skilled physiotherapist. If you want to know more about the most common upper limb nerve entrapment, you can find video topic in here.

And if you want to access my health-related videos, through the playlist, here you go. Hope you to see at the next one.