What You Need to Know About Radial Nerve Injury


The radial nerve can be located in the arm as it helps to control the way and manner in which the triceps move, the extension of the fingers and wrist, as well as the sensation in that area of the hand. Radial nerve injury can eventually cause an individual to feel extreme pain and lose proper functioning of the hand, wrist, and fingers. This condition is commonly referred to as radial nerve palsy. For someone with this condition, it is important to go for the best treatment for nerve pain in order to prevent it from getting worse.

What Is a Radial Nerve Injury?

A radial nerve injury is considered damage that occurs to the nerve located in the upper arm of the human body. The nerve is responsible for controlling the triceps muscle and, due to the fact that the nerve is close to the upper arm bone, it is very prone to injury, which is why there is a need for radial nerve pain relief.

Diagnosis of Radial Nerve Injury

A doctor will be required to perform a physical assessment in order to properly diagnose a radial nerve injury and offer the best treatment for nerve pain. The medical doctor will move the joints around that area while the patient will be told to report any sensation of pain, tingling, or stretching. However, they may be required to perform other tests to be certain of the exact location of the injury. These include

Electrodiagnostic testing

Imaging tests

Treatment

When it comes to offering the most appropriate radial nerve pain relief, the treatment is dependent on both the cause and severity of the nerve damage. For mild injuries, one might just need to rest well and not use the hand for a period of time. Also, if one experiences pain or swelling, you might be required to take a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. However, if the injury is quite severe, then such a person needs to undergo surgery. Some of the best treatments for nerve pain that a doctor may recommend include:

Nerve Repair: This operation requires a doctor to sew the nerve back together. However, if the situation seems to be quite severe, they might need to employ nerve transfer or grafting.

Tendon Transfer: This surgical operation deals with removing the damaged tendon and replacing it with a functional tendon taken from another part of the body. After the surgery is done, such an individual may be required to wear a cast or sling for a couple of months in order for the tendon to heal properly.

Functional Muscle Transfer: for cases in which the situation is quite extreme and the doctor can no longer operate on the nerve, they may be required to perform a muscle transfer instead. Although this is a new method of replacing a nonfunctioning muscle with a donor muscle taken from other part of the body.

Conclusion

It is essential to note that radial nerve injury can result in radial nerve palsy which can cause an individual to experience extreme pain and inability of the wrist hands, and fingers to function properly.

 

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