A nerve is a bundle of fibers that uses electrical and chemical signals to transmit sensory (feeling) and motor (movement) information from one body part to another. Nerves run all throughout your entire body and are perhaps the most essential part of our human anatomy! Without nerves you would not be able to feel the sand between your toes on the beach, nor would you even be able to walk on the beach because your legs wouldn’t be able to function!
In your hands there are 3 major nerves… the Median Nerve, the Radial Nerve and the Ulnar Nerve. In the image above the nerves are the structures pictured in yellow, and the other colors (pink, purple & blue) refer to the area of sensation that each nerve is responsible for. Therefore, if you are experiencing issues with sensation (symptoms such as numbness or pins & needles) in your index and middle finger, there may be an issue with your Median nerve.
These nerves are also responsible for providing your muscles with the ability to contract. Therefore, weakness in the hands/arms could also be a symptom of nerve damage.
The nerves in your hand are coming all the way from your brain, down your spinal cord and are released at different levels of your neck to make their way down the arm. With that being said…there is a long distance the nerve must travel to be able to make it successfully from the brain to its end point in the hand. It must travel between the bones in your neck, under the muscles in your chest and through tight tunnels of fibrous tissues, which makes for many places for the nerve to be disrupted.
Is something “getting on your nerves”?
If you or a friend are experiencing any of these neurological symptoms, come to ProMet today, where our Physical Therapists could help to figure out what may be going on and how to best address the situation!
Katherine Gili, DPT