Your arm might also feel weak if you hurt the nerve.
Ulnar nerve injuries can happen from a variety of causes, including accidents and overuse.
What Is The Ulnar Nerve?
Shidlovski / Getty Images
How Nerves Work
Nervesare structures that help information travel between your brain and your body.
They carry important signals that let you feel sensations and make movements.
When it leaves the brachial plexus, the ulnar nerve travels down the arm.
This can happen when there is pressure or inflammation around the nerve.
However, the location of pressure on the nerve is near the elbow joint.
The pain from a nerve condition usually comes with numbness and tingling.
It will usually feel like a burning sensation that travels along the path of the nerve.
People with nerve pain often described it as shooting or like an electric shock.
If you hurt your ulnar nerve, you might have trouble doing certain activities or strength maneuvers.
Holding both hands side by side can make it easier to see signs of wasting.
Who Is at Risk for Ulnar Nerve Lesions?
There’s a higher risk of ulnar nerve lesions in pregnant people and those diagnosed withdiabetesor rheumatoidarthritis.
Some people have an occupational risk because of repetitive elbow and wrist motions.
The condition is categorized as compression neuropathy of the upper extremity.
Its the second most common pop in of compression neuropathy, aftercarpal tunnel syndrome.
One of the most common reasons for nerve compression in Guyon’s canal is so-called “handlebar palsy.
Funny Bone
Thefunny boneis the name people use to describecontusion injuriesto the ulnar nerve behind the elbow.
In this location, the ulnar nerve wraps behind the arm bone (humerus) just underneath the skin.
Traumatic Injuries
Traumatic injuries occur as the result of sudden, often violent damage to the nerve.
Finding the location of a nerve injury can be straightforward or more challenging.
Your provider will ask you about your symptoms and do a physical exam to diagnose an ulnar nerve injury.
Patterns of nerve function can help a healthcare provider to identify and treat an ulnar nerve lesion.
Most people have the same nerve patterns in their bodies.
In some cases, though, anatomical differences can lead to symptoms of weakness and paresthesia.
Tinel’s Sign
Many examination techniques are used to isolate and test nerve function.
One specific test used to examine people with suspected nerve abnormalities is calledTinel’s sign.
The procedures can cause discomfort.
Often, symptoms of the nerve injury are not felt at the location of the damage to the nerve.
In some cases, this just requires removing pressure on the nerve in a minimally invasive surgical procedure.
Your provider can use different tests to figure out the source of the problem and recommend the appropriate treatment.
Bertelli JA.Prior to Repair Functional Deficits in Above- and Below-Elbow Ulnar Nerve Injury.J Hand Surg Am.
2020 Jun;45(6):552.e1-552.e10.
2020 Dec 24;10(6):e112070.
Johns Hopkins.Cubital tunnel syndrome.
Colloca L, Ludman T, Bouhassira D, et al.Neuropathic pain.Nat Rev Dis Primers.
2016;9(2):178184. doi:10.1007/s12178-016-9327-x
Mount Sinai.Muscle atrophy.
2023 Apr 10;11(4):e4927.
American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.Ulnar nerve entrapment at the elbow (cubital tunnel syndrome).
Mankowitz SL.Laceration management.J Emerg Med.
2017 Aug 24;2(1):6345. doi:10.51894/001c.6345.
2023 Feb 22;13(5):830. doi:10.3390/diagnostics13050830.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Carpal tunnel syndrome fact sheet.
2017;12(3):e0174294.
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0174294
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering.Ultrasound.
2016;17(9 Suppl):T50T69.
2021 Apr 23;42(1):91-103. doi:10.2478/prilozi-2021-0008.
