What is it about ?
Nerves run throughout the body and are used to conduct information between the brain and the rest of the body.
This can be done in both directions:
- From the brain to the body when we want to move a limb, it is motor skills;
- From the body to the brain to make us feel things is sensitivity.
This information travels through the nerves in the form of electricity (electrical stimuli). In some places the passage is narrow and the nerve can easily get stuck. We speak of “compression” or pinching when the stuck nerve can no longer transmit stimuli. This causes compression-related disorders that your doctor can easily recognize.
We can thus distinguish two forms of compression:
- Compression by something outside the body (a wall, a table,…). This problem occurs mostly in places where there is little tissue between the nerve and the outside environment. At the elbow, for example;
- Pinching of a nerve between several internal structures of the body, between 2 vertebrae for example.
How can you recognize them?
There are two types of symptoms:
- Sensory disorders: tingling or tingling sensation, increased or decreased sensitivity, pain. These symptoms are usually more disturbing at night and can extend all the way up the nerve;
- Motor disorders: loss of muscle strength and / or decrease in muscle volume. These problems can be permanent if they are not corrected quickly enough.
The nerve damage site is sensitive to pressure and causes symptoms that can spread to the rest of the body.
How can your doctor recognize them?
The location of your symptoms allows the doctor to deduce the location of the pinch:
- Wrist (carpus): this syndrome is known as carpal tunnel syndrome. It causes symptoms such as loss of strength in certain fingers (thumb, index and middle fingers), accompanied by numbness at night, often in both hands. Sometimes surgery is necessary;
- Elbow: muscle weakness and pain in the little finger (little finger) and its neighbor (ring finger), difficulty in doing the scissor movement;
- Calf: sensitivity disorders in the inner part of the sole of the foot with difficulty walking on tiptoes;
- Palm of the hand: muscle weakness in the pincer movement with the thumb and forefinger, often in tilers, cyclists and in cases of hand wounds;
- Upper arm: also called “Saturday night paralysis”. Occurs while sleeping on the hand or arm. Accompanied by sensory disorders of the wrist and fingers. Recovers spontaneously;
- Outer side of the leg (fibula): causes sensory disturbances on the upper part of the ankle and foot and difficulty lifting the toes. Small steps, inability to walk on your heels;
- Outer side of the thigh: painful burning sensation and / or numbness. There is usually no problem with the thigh, the pinching of the nerve is rather in the crease of the groin. Wearing tight clothing and being overweight are often the cause of symptoms;
- Lower back: pain in the leg, numbness and tingling, possibly accompanied by reduced reflexes. The decrease in the space between 2 vertebrae can be the cause.
What can you do ?
Report symptoms to your doctor and don’t wait too long to get checked. Note the precise location of the symptoms, specify if they are only sensitivity disorders or if they are also accompanied by muscle weakness. If you experience symptoms of overwork (as is often the case with carpal tunnel syndrome), it is helpful to seek help with household chores.
To avoid overwork, it is advisable to adapt your work environment. Discuss it with your doctor, your employer, the occupational doctor and possibly an occupational therapist (via your mutual insurance company or the back school).
What can your doctor do?
The doctor will be attentive to your symptoms and perform a general examination. He will often have to ask for additional examinations and the opinion of a specialist. There are no real treatments for many of these problems. Adapting the way of life and the working environment can contribute to an improvement. Sometimes it is necessary to stop working for a while to limit the overwork. It is important to know the possible triggers and to manage them. It may be recommended to lose weight and not to wear tight clothes. Surgery may be necessary.
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