Nerves in the Arm and Hand
Why the nerves in your arm matter
Nerves travel from the spinal cord in your neck, out through the shoulder, and all the way to the tips of your fingers. Along the way they control the movement of your arm and hand and carry sensation — the ability to feel touch, temperature, and pain.
Because these peripheral nerves travel such a long distance and have to squeeze through several tight spaces, there are many points where they can be compressed or injured. An injured nerve can cause chronic pain, tingling, numbness, weakness, or loss of feeling. Read below to learn more about the nerves of the arm and hand and how they can be damaged.
Because these peripheral nerves travel such a long distance and have to squeeze through several tight spaces, there are many points where they can be compressed or injured. An injured nerve can cause chronic pain, tingling, numbness, weakness, or loss of feeling. Read below to learn more about the nerves of the arm and hand and how they can be damaged.
Carpal tunnel syndrome
At the wrist, the median nerve travels through a tight passage called the carpal tunnel. When this nerve is compressed, it can cause numbness, tingling, and pain in the thumb, index, middle, and part of the ring finger — often worse at night — along with weakness or clumsiness of the hand. Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most common nerve compression problem.
Cubital tunnel syndrome
On the inside of your elbow, the ulnar nerve passes through a narrow channel called the cubital tunnel — the spot most people know as the “funny bone.” When the ulnar nerve is compressed here, it can cause numbness and tingling in the ring and little fingers, aching on the inside of the elbow, and a weakening grip. Cubital tunnel syndrome is the second most common nerve compression in the body.
The brachial plexus — the nerve network of the arm
Every nerve in your arm begins at the brachial plexus, a network of nerves that starts at the spinal cord in your neck (levels C5 through T1) and branches through the shoulder to form the major nerves of the arm — including the median, ulnar, and radial nerves. A brachial plexus injury — from trauma, stretching, pressure, or compression — can affect movement and sensation across the entire arm and hand.
Thoracic outlet syndrome
As the brachial plexus leaves the neck, it passes through a narrow space between your collarbone and first rib called the thoracic outlet. When the nerves — and sometimes the blood vessels — are compressed in this space, it can cause pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness in the neck, shoulder, arm, and hand. This is known as thoracic outlet syndrome, and symptoms often worsen when the arm is raised overhead.
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