This Nerve Pain Is Often Misdiagnosed — Don't Miss These Key Signs!

is the hand numb from the more distal part of the upper arm, from the back of the forearm, and also from the palm side between the thumb and index finger. If you suffer this kind of peripheral nerve problem, typical symptoms include tingling, numbness, prickling sensations, electric shock-like sensations in the hand, and more in advanced cases, the normal sensations of the skin may begin to change. This condition is the third most common upper limb nerve entrapment, and in this video we will go through everything what you need to know to find the relief to this problem. Firstly, we start with the anatomy.

It's essential to understand the nerve pathway because there might be structures along its course that put pressure to the nerve, contributing to the upper limb symptoms. The radial nerve originates from the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th cervical nerve root, as well as the first thoracic vertebra. From the armpit, it wraps around the upper arm, moving to the radial side of the forearm, and it continues towards the fingertips. Its sensory innervation indicates pink areas in this image, mainly supplying the triceps, forearm, and hand extensor muscles.

If you don't have any upper limb injuries on the background, then it's crucial to examine the structures on the outside of the forearm. If you find extremely tender structures or pressing of them causes familiar symptoms to upper limb area, then it's necessary to relax these areas through the light massage. If the wrist mobility is severely limited, gentle stretching may be beneficial. Here's a useful stretch for the muscles on the back of the forearm.

During the stretching, it's important not to experience pain. If you do, you are most likely doing it too forcefully. If you want to test the difference in nerve gliding between the affected and unaffected side, do the following. Gently push the shoulder downwards.

Abduct the arm about 10 degrees from the body. Bend the elbow to 90 degrees. Internally rotate the forearm. Flex the fingers.

Begin to strengthen the elbow until the symptoms are provoked. In this position, you can explore the effect of the tilting of the head towards the hand on the upper limb symptoms. In some cases, tilting of the head away from the hand may worsen the symptoms. Additionally, you can test how different wrist flexion positions affect the sensations in the hand.

After testing both sides, if there is a clear difference, then you should aim for the symmetry in nerve gliding, meaning both nerves should glide similarly. After the treatment and stretching, you can retest the feelings before and afterwards of those. If you want to perform light nerve gliding, here's how you can do it. Demonstration of the nerve movement can be provided with this tube.

As I flex my hand into the stretched position, I tilt my head towards the arm. This is relatively safe, and if you need to increase the stretch more aggressively, then take the nerve in the tightened position and gently pump through the wrist, elbow and head for a minute. Focus on the movements that clearly intensify your familiar symptoms. If any of these movements doesn't affect your typical symptoms, then I wouldn't be doing those.

I would be performing the nerve gliding 1-2 minutes intervals sprinkled through the day, for 3 or 4 sets per day. Additionally, if you need soft tissue treatment, do it for the duration of one good song on the background. If your wrist is really restricted, then do also pain-free stretches for one good song. If these instructions don't ease your symptoms, then I would be recommending seeking advice from the doctor or skilled physiotherapist.

If you want to know about the second most common upper limb nerve compression, you can find that related video in here, and if you want to access the playlist of the health-related videos, go over here. I hope to see you at the next one.