About this topic
The radial nerve is in the arm. It starts near your armpit and goes down the back of the upper arm. At the elbow, the radial nerve divides into two branches. One is the superficial radial nerve. The other, the posterior interosseous nerve, goes into the lower arm below the elbow. Sometimes, your nerve can become squeezed or trapped. Then, you will have pain, weakness, numbness, and tingling in the back of your lower arm. It may be on the back of your hand or near your thumb. ‚
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What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do.
- Rest from activities that make your problem worse.
- Place an ice pack or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a towel over the painful part. Never put ice right on the skin. Do not leave the ice on more than 10 to 15 minutes at a time. Ice after activity may help decrease pain and swelling. Never ice before stretching.
- Prop your arm on pillows to help with swelling.
- Use a brace or splint at the forearm or wrist if your doctor suggests you to use one.
What follow-up care is needed?
Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits. Your doctor may send you to physical therapy (PT) for treatments and exercises to help you heal faster. Your doctor may send you to a bone doctor called an orthopedic surgeon. ‚
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Help with pain and swelling
- Prevent an infection
The doctor may give you a shot of an anti-inflammatory drug called a corticosteroid. This will help with swelling. Talk with your doctor about the risks of this shot. ‚
Will physical activity be limited?
You may need to rest your arm for a while. You should not do physical activity that makes your health problem worse. If you work out or play sports, you may not be able to do those things until your health problem gets better. ‚
What problems could happen?
- Partial or full loss of wrist or hand movement
- Partial or full loss of feeling in the hand
- Mild to very bad deformity of the hand
- Recurrent or unnoticed injury to the hand
What can be done to prevent this health problem?
- Avoid having to do tasks over and over with your hands and wrists.
- Avoid pressure on your upper arm.
When do I need to call the doctor?
- More weakness or numbness in the hand
- Health problem is not better or you are feeling worse
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my condition.
- I can tell you what may help ease my pain.
- I can tell you what I will do if I have more weakness or numbness in my hand.
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
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Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚