The radial nerve runs down the arm and to the fingertips.
Its typically a sharp, radiating, or burning pain.
Often, the pain is accompanied by the inability to fully straighten your arm or fingers.
Verywell / Gary Ferster
It receives sensory messages to send back to the spinal cord and brain allowing you to feel sensations.
Depending on where the nerve damage occurs, sensory and motor (movement) symptoms can vary.
This article discusses the different locations of radial nerve injuries and the symptoms you may have with each.
It also covers how these injuries usually happen, what the prognosis is, and how they are treated.
It then travels under the arm close to the armpit (axilla).
Improper use of crutches is a common cause of radial nerve compression at this point.
Its situated in a channel known as the spiral groove.
The nerve can become compressed within this groove.
It can also happen with a condition known as Saturday night palsy.
This is due to falling asleep with an arm draped over the back of a chair.
This is responsible for straightening muscles below the elbow.
As a result, injuries are characterized by muscle weakness but no abnormal sensation.
At that point, the nerve is most susceptible to injury at the wrist.
This could happen when the wrists are bound or handcuffs are worn too tightly.
Surgery may be necessary if the nerve is entrapped, torn, or compressed by a growth.
An injury near the armpit can cause arm weakness, particularly in the back of your arm.
Injuries in the spinal groove can make it difficult to bend your wrist back or open your hand.
Injuries to the posterior interosseous nerve can make it impossible to extend your fingers.
And an injury at the wrist can cause numbness through the thumb or pins-and-needles sensations in the hand.
Treatment for radial nerve injuries may include wrist splints, over-the-counter pain medication, physical therapy, or surgery.
Injuries can take a couple of weeks or up to six months to heal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Your primary care doctor or aneurologistwill usually evaluate and treat radial nerve pain.
If you need surgery, you will see a hand surgeon.
As part of your treatment, you may also see aphysical therapist.
Full recovery after radial tunnel release is expected to take between about six and eight months for most people.
However, if the nerve has been extensively damaged before surgery, it can take longer than that.
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