Learning About Median Nerve Injury

What is the median nerve?

The median nerve, is one of the major nerves in our body which runs down the length of the arms and through the carpal tunnel in the wrist.   The nerve connects the thumb and all fingers of the hand, except the little finger.  Because the median nerve starts out in the cervical spine by the neck, in runs through the arm and forearm as branches, until it gets to the wrists, where the nerve comes together and compresses to go through the carpal tunnel and reach the fingers. The median nerve controls sensations in the hand and fingers, nerve function in the inner side of the thumb, and general nerve function of the upper portion of the arm.

What happens when you injure the median nerve?

When the medium nerve gets injured, it can result in seral different conditions depending on where on the arm the trauma in incurred.  For example, trauma above the elbow will not have the same effect as trauma on the forearm.   It can be damaged through a blunt force trauma, or a repetitive stress.  Damage will cause is to swell, become painful and can cause numbing in the wrist, hand, and fingers aside from the pinky. The most common median nerve injury is carpal tunnel syndrome, where the nerve gets pinched in the wrist.

Here are some ways the medium nerve can be affected according to where on the arm the injury occurs:

Above the elbow

·         Injury often caused by a supracondylar fracture

·         Can cause a loss in the ability to roll the forearm

·         Can cause weakness in the ability to bend the wrist, fingers and free range movement of the thumb

·         There can be a loss of sensation in the fingers and their nail beds, as well as in the palm/thumb area

At the elbow

·         Can cause nerve compression at the elbow or forearm

·         This type of injury can often cause a condition known as pronator teres syndrome

Within the proximal forearm: 

·         Often causes the condition known as anterior interosseous syndrome

·         This injury can happen because of a tight cast, or a forearm bone fracture

·         Can cause a loss of pronation, the inner rolling movement of forearm

·         Can cause loss of the ability to bend some of the fingers and the thumb

At the wrist:

·         Can happen though wrist laceration

·         Can cause weakness in the ability to bend some fingers and free range of movement of the thumb

·         There can be a loss of sensation in the fingers and their nail beds, as well as in the palm/thumb area

Within the wrist:

·         Often causes the condition known as carpal tunnel syndrome

·         This injury can happen by overuse in activities like typing on the keyboard or cooking 

·         Can cause weakness in the ability to bend some fingers and free range of movement of the thumb

·         Some people also experience numbness and tingling in the fingers and nail beds

What are the treatments available for median nerve injury?

Most often, rest and allowing a median nerve injury to heal is treatment enough.  If the issue persists, however, these are some other treatments used:

·         Over-the-counter or prescription painkillers

·         A wrist splint to protect the area

·         Ice or cold compress to reduce swelling

·         Corticosteroid injections

·         Physical therapy

·         Surgical intervention, where other treatment don’t work