U L N A R N E U R O P A T H YNeuropathy simply refers to an injured nerve. The most common medical (i.e. non-surgical) neuropathy are those seen in Diabetes, The most common surgical neuropathy is the compressive neuropathy of the Median Nerve as seen in Carpal tunnel Syndrome. Ulnar Neuropathy most frequently occurs at that point where the Ulnar Nerve passes through the Olecranon Notch of the elbow. But the Ulnar Nerve can also get compressed in the wrist as it Passes through Guyon's Canal.
We will focus this section on the most common form of Ulnar Neuropathy known as Tardy Ulnar Neuropathy.
I. Anatomy:
Look at your right arm with your Palm facing up. Feel the bone on the inside of your elbow. The Ulnar N. hooks under this portion of your elbow. You can feel the groove the nerve lays in. This in fact, is your "funny bone." If you gently tap with your finger along this groove you can often get an electrical sensation. this electrical sensation is generally abnormal and is not normally present in healthy nerves. If you have a mild twinge, it is indicative of early compression of your Ulnar nerve. An exquisite or prominent electrical twinge (known as a Positive Tinel's Sign) is characteristic of significant nerve compression.
II. Signs & Symptoms:
Most people with Tardy Ulnar Neuropathy will have varying degrees of numbness or "pins & needles" sensation from their elbow down into and/or only in the little and ring fingers of the hand. This can be quite painful, but most commonly is only annoying. The inability to spread ones fingers (as if playing the piano) is the most common form of muscle weakness seen in Ulnar compression. This can also be associated with atrophy (shrinkage or withering) of the interosseous muscles of the hand. Are the the muscles on the top of your hand shrunken so that the tends are very prominent? Compare both hands. The tendons on your hand should be seen, but only mildly grooved between.
III. Indications for Surgery:
The most common indication is pain. Most people can easily cope with mild weakness. Significant weakness which interferes with hand function is the second most commonly seen reason to consider surgery.
IV. Surgery:
The surgical procedure of choice is referred to as an Ulnar Transposition. As constant stretching and compression of the nerve in the Olecranon notch is the culprit, simply moving the nerve to the topside of the elbow, is often sufficient in stopping pain. This transposing of the nerve will often stop further muscle wasting as well, but any atrophy present in the hand, is generally irreversible.
What is Cervical Radiculopathy?
Cervical radiculopathy is the clinical description of pain and neurological symptoms resulting from any type of condition that irritates a nerve in the cervical spine (neck).
Cervical nerves exit the cervical spine (neck) at each level, C1 - C7. Nerves in the neck exit above the designated vertebral level at all levels except the last one (C8 exits below the C7 vertebra), and then branch out to supply muscles that enable the shoulders, arms, hands and fingers to function. They also carry sensory fibers to the skin and muscles that provide sensation.
See Cervical Spine Anatomy and Neck Pain
When any nerve root in the cervical spine is irritated through compression or inflammation, the symptoms can radiate along that nerve's pathway into the arm and hand.
The patient's specific cervical radiculopathy symptoms will depend primarily on which nerve is affected. The symptoms may also be referred to as radicular pain.
See Radiculopathy, Radiculitis and Radicular PainCauses of Cervical Radiculopathy
Any condition that injures or somehow irritates the cervical nerve can cause cervical radiculopathy. The most common causes include:
Cervical Herniated Disc. If the inner material of the cervical disc herniates, or leaks out, and inflames and/or impinges on the adjacent nerve, it can cause a cervical radiculopathy.See Cervical Radiculopathy from a Herniated Cervical DiscCervical Spinal Stenosis. As part of the degenerative process of the cervical spine, changes in the spinal joints can lead to tightening of the space for the spinal canal.Read more: Cervical Stenosis with MyelopathyCervical Degenerative Disc Disease. When the cervical spine degenerates over time, it can result in degenerated discs and a pinched nerve.See Cervical Degenerative Disc Disease
Infrequently, cervical radiculopathy can be caused by other conditions, such as a tumor, fracture or sarcoidosis, which can compress or cause damage to the cervical nerve roots.2
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Cervical Radiculopathy Symptoms
Patients with cervical radiculopathy typically feel pain, weakness or numbness in the areas served by the damaged nerve. Pain can be in one area only, like the shoulder, or progress along the entire arm.
The type of pain also can vary. Some patients describe dull, all over pain; others describe the pain as severe burning or sharp. Patients may feel tingling, "pins and needles," or numbness.
See Acute Pain, Chronic Pain, and Neuropathic Pain
Certain neck movements, like bending the neck back, side to side, or rotating it, may increase the pain. Some patients report that pain decreases when they place a hand behind their head; the movement may be relieving the pressure and traction on the nerve root which then lessens their symptoms.
In This Article:
What is Cervical Radiculopathy?Cervical Radiculopathy VideoTreatment for Cervical Radiculopathy Video
Types of Cervical Radiculopathy
Cervical radiculopathy symptoms differ depending on which nerve is affected. For example, if the nerve root that runs above the C6 vertebra is affected, a physician will use the term “C6 radiculopathy”.
While any patient's specific symptoms can vary widely, the following are common descriptions for the types and symptoms of cervical radiculopathy:
C5 radiculopathy can cause pain and/or weakness in the shoulders and upper arms. Especially may cause discomfort around the shoulder blades. It rarely causes numbness or tingling.C6 radiculopathy (one of the most common), causes pain and/or weakness along the length of the arm, including the biceps (the muscles in front of the upper arms), wrists, and the thumb and index finger.1C7 radiculopathy (the most common) causes pain and/or weakness from the neck to the hand and can include the triceps (the muscles on the back of the upper arms) and the middle finger.2C8 radiculopathy causes pain from the neck to the hand. Patients may experience weakness in hand grip, and pain and numbness can radiate along the inner side of the arm, ring, and little fingers.Cervical radiculopathy.
