Nerve Injuries of the Hand

The types of hand nerve injuries are defined by the three nerves that communicate information between your hand and brain: the median, ulnar, and radial nerves. The median nerve is located between the forearm and the hand palm, the ulnar nerve is between the shoulder and hand, and the radial nerve runs down the arm to the wrist and fingers. Each nerve is responsible for differenthand functions; thus, the symptoms vary based on which nerve is injured. Below are examples of the most common hand nerve injuries:

• Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by pressure on the median nerve, and it’s often experienced by people who perform daily, repetitive hand movements.
• Cubital tunnel syndrome is caused by pressure on the ulnar nerve, and it’s often experienced by people who maintain bent elbows for extended periods of time.
• Radial nerve palsy is an injury to the ulnar nerve, often caused by trauma to the arm, elbow, or wrist.
• Ulnar nerve entrapment is another type of ulnar nerve injury, often caused by repetitive elbow movement.

Hand nerve injury symptoms present in a number of ways, and they often interfere with muscle movement and sensation. If you experience any of the symptoms listed below, it may be a sign that you have nerve injury in the hand:

• Numbness or tingling
• Weakness
• Loss of feeling
• Intense pain radiating from your hand to arm
• Skin color or temperature differences

Hand nerve injury symptoms present in a number of ways, and they often interfere with muscle movement and sensation. If you experience any of the symptoms listed below, it may be a sign that you have nerve injury in the hand:

• Numbness or tingling
• Weakness
• Loss of feeling
• Intense pain radiating from your hand to arm
• Skin color or temperature differences

As mentioned above, the symptoms of nerve injury vary based on which of the three hand nerves are damaged. Because damage can occur from acute injuries or everyday habits, you may expect doctors to ask about your medical history, accidents, and surgeries, as well as your lifestyle. This information, along with a physical exam that evaluates your symptoms, will give Dr. Knight hints as to whether there is nerve damage, and if so, which nerve may be injured. Imaging tests, such as ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), will allow for a more specific diagnosis regarding the location and severity of the injury.

Treatments for hand nerve injury include both non-surgical and surgical options. Non-surgical options include:

• Physical therapy: Through exercises and stretches, you can improve muscle strength and hand coordination that have been impaired by your nerve injury.
• Medication: While medications cannot heal your nerve injury, they can be used to alleviate pain that would otherwise interfere with your daily activities. When experiencing pain, you can use over-the-counter remedies such as ibuprofen. In cases of extreme pain, your medical provider can prescribe you stronger pain relief medications, anti-inflammatories, and steroids.
• Occupational therapy: Occupational therapists focus on improving skills that allow you to continue working, even when you’re still experiencing nerve damage. This involves learning new ways to perform work activities, using devices that help you do those activities, and recognizing any limitations your injury imposes on your work life.
• Splints and braces: Wearing protective gear on your injured hand encourages its recovery by limiting hand movement and retaining the optimal hand position for healing the nerve. You can consult your medical provider on which gear is best for you.

Your injury may require surgery if the nerve was severed. In this case, Dr. Knight may be able to reattach each end of the nerve, though full recovery of movement and sensation is not guaranteed.

Recovery from hand nerve injury varies depending on your age, the type of injury, which nerves are affected, and the course of treatment. Because nerves grow back very slowly,recovery time could take months or years. If you're experiencing symptoms of hand nerve injury, it's important to consult amedical provider as soon as possible to maximize your likelihood of full recovery over a shorter time period.

The information above describes general symptoms, treatment, and recovery of hand nerve injury. However, to ensure that you receive the best care for your hand issues, it's best to seek personal advice from a trained medical provider or wrist specialist. Dr. Knight has over 25 years of experience in diagnosis, preventative care, pain management, and rehabilitation in wrist and hand disorders. Through his expertise, many patients experiencing disabling hand injury have recovered the full use of their hand while avoiding long-term or even lifelong complications and symptoms. If you're experiencing pain, movement difficulty, or loss of sensation, consider making an appointment with Dr. Knight today at the Hand and Wrist Institute.

How is it possible to injure the nerves in the hand?	Nerve injuries to the hand can be caused by several different kinds of trauma, such as laceration or crush injuries. Overuse or repetitive motion is also a common cause. Conditions like Carpal Tunnel Syndrome are a type of nerve injury.
Are nerve injuries to the hand something I can treat at home on my own?	It is not advisable for nerve injuries to be treated at home. While some may not require as much medical intervention, all do need some, and having a doctor leading the treatment of your nerve injuries will give a higher likelihood of success.
What types of medications can be used to treat nerve injuries of the hand?	Nerve injuries can be treated with painkillers, in order to relieve the discomfort that often occurs, as well as anti-inflammatory medications if the surrounding tissues are responsible for the problem. In more severe cases, steroid injections may help relieve pain and swelling as well.
Will the effects of the nerve injury to my hand ever go away, or can they heal on their own?	If left untreated, some nerve injuries are capapble of healing themselves, but the majority require medical intervention in order to resolve. Nerves are delicate threads that carry very important information from the brain to the body, so letting them heal on their own can be a dangerous prospect without a doctor's oversight.
If I injure the nerves of my hand, what kind of treatments can I expect?	Nonsurgical treatment of nerve injuries can include rest, splinting, icing, and physical therapy. If the nerve has been severed, then surgery will be necessary to rejoin the disconnected ends and restore function and feeling.

Can nerve injuries heal themselves?

If the sheath in which the nerve resides is not damaged by whatever trauma injures the nerve itself, then there is a possibility of non-surgical treatment of the condition. This requires careful therapeutic work in order to retrain the nerve to speak to the brain and vice versa, and this can take time, but in order to avoid surgery, steps must be taken.

Can painkillers cure nerve pain?

While painkillers can be effective in reducing the pain that often accompanies nerve injuries to the hand, they are not a permanent solution, and overuse of most anti-pain medication can lead to dependence and a strong likelihood of abuse and addiction. Neuropathy, or nerve pain, may be quite severe when the injury is first acquired, but if proper medical treatment is sought and acquired, then repair to the injured nerves is a far more effective and permanent solution to the damage you have received.

What are symptoms of nerve damage in the hand?

Symptoms of nerve damage in the hand can vary widely depending on the type of injury that you receive affecting the nerves. in the case of crush or pressure injuries, or when the nerves are compressed, as in the various Tunnel syndromes, numbness and tingling are the primary symptoms, accompanied at times by pain in the fingers. Other forms of nerve injury can result in tingling, burning, loss of sensation, hypersensitivity, and phantom pains as a result of the nerves not communicating properly with the brain and the feeling centers.

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