Signs and Symptoms of Right Wrist Nerve Damage

Nerve Damage, or Just Exhaustion?

Many individuals who have had feelings of discomfort in their right hand and wrist simply ignore the problem for a long period of time, assuming it is a result of being tired. They may shirk off their symptoms as nothing to be concerned with. Failing to follow up on the symptoms of nerve damage in the right wrist could lead to more serious long-term complications.

Common Symptoms

Nerve damage in the right wrist may present as pain in the wrist, forearm or back of the hand. This could be a dull continued ache or a stabbing pain that comes and goes frequently and unexpectedly. These symptoms may be accompanied by a numbness in the fingers that lie closest to the thumb and a mild shock through the hands upon movement. It is not uncommon for individuals to feel a “pins and needles” sensation without warning throughout the hand and fingers. This feeling may also come and go at random. It is often reported that the feeling can be relieved temporarily by shaking the hand, as though to wake it back up.

Tell-Tale Signs

Along with the feelings of pain reported as symptoms of nerve damage in the right wrist, many report an inability to grip certain objects or an inability to use the hand in a coordinated manner. Some have a feeling of sudden weakness in the thumb, fingers and back of the forearm connecting to the wrist. This is often relayed as the hand feeling “dead or lifeless” from the forearm to the fingers. Patients also report an occasional feeling of disconnect between the fingers and the hand, as though they are not working in conjunction with one another. These feelings can run the length of the forearm, from the elbow joint through the fingers.

Potential Causes

One cause for the symptoms of nerve damage in the right wrist could be carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), which occurs by the compression of the median nerve. This can happen because of a break in the wrist, long term overuse of the hand or a crushed wrist or forearm. CTS can also be a result of arthritis in the wrist. Some individuals more susceptible to nerve damage in the right wrist are those suffering from diabetes, hypothyroidism and the elderly. This type of damage also affects many individuals who use the hand for such activities as typing and hand sewing on a long-term basis for long periods of time. Another possible cause could be due to major nerve injury from an accident or broken bone.

Possible Treatments

Some of the treatments for the symptoms of nerve damage in right wrist include medication; rest for the wrist; immobility, with the assistance of a brace; and, in extreme cases, surgery. The longer the condition remains untreated, the more likely permanent damage is to occur.

References

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: Disorders, https://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/carpal_tunnel/detail_carpal_tunnel.htm

Neurosurgeon.com: Conditions, https://www.neurosurgeon.com/conditions/ulnar_neuropathy.htm