Neuritis (neuropathy) of the radial nerve most often affects the upper limbs of a person. The causes of the disease, usually occurring in a dream, are damage to the radial nerve during prolonged tracking of the arm located under the head or body. Usually such a deep sleep occurs with severe physical fatigue or heavy alcohol intoxication.
Sometimes damage to the radial nerve occurs when it is squeezed with a tourniquet, crutches, or with a fracture of the humerus. It happens that the radial nerve is affected by an improperly made injection directed to the outer part of the shoulder. In rare cases, the disease is infectious in nature, when the lesion occurs due to infection in the body with influenza, pneumonia, typhus or general intoxication resulting from poisoning by alcohol or heavy metals.
Most often, a place located on the border of the middle and lower third of the shoulder is compressed in the area where the septum between the lateral muscle fossa and the nerve itself is located.
Radiation nerve: symptoms of neuritis
The disease manifests itself in the form of all kinds of violations and changes in sensitivity in the field of innervation. The clinical picture becomes clear only after determining the level of nerve damage.
In the case of severe damage to the radial nerve, which is located in the axillary fossa located in the upper third of the shoulder, the development of muscle paralysis is possible. These include the muscles of the hand, the main phalanges of the fingers, extensors of the forearm. Patients with radial nerve neuritis begin to lose the reflex of the triceps tendon, while the carporadial reflex weakens.
Before starting treatment, diagnostic tests are performed that determine the degree of damage to the radial nerve.
When the patient raises his hands in a horizontal position, the brush hangs down. Fingers are very close to each other. It is almost impossible to straighten your forearms or hands. The possibility of flexion of the joint at the elbow is lost. At the same time, the extensor and carporadial elbow reflexes are significantly reduced, the sensitivity of the first three fingers decreases, and limb numbness occurs.
In a milder form, the radial nerve allows extension of the forearm, elbow joint, shoulder sensitivity remains normal.
If the radial nerve is damaged, diagnostic tests give the following results. The patient can not take his thumb away, being in an upright position with his arms down. It is not possible to touch the inside of the palm of your fingers at the same time. When the patient’s hand is placed on the table with his palm down, a person cannot put his middle finger on the neighboring ones. When breeding the phalanges, they are not retracted, and the fingers only bend and slide.
To prevent or stop the development of the disease, it is necessary to perform mandatory neurological examinations.
The degree and depth to which the radial nerve is damaged makes it possible to diagnose the electron-histogram (ENG) procedure. Using this method, you can make a prognosis of recovery.
Radiation nerve: treatment of neuritis
To combat the disease, the administration of vitamins E, C and B is prescribed. The administration of anticholinesterase, antiviral agents and homeopathic medicines is also important. For treatment, massage, acupuncture and physiotherapy are prescribed.
With the help of neurostimulation, you can get rid of pain and restore the strength of the muscles of the hands. If after the start of treatment for several months there are no positive results, mandatory surgical intervention is necessary to eliminate the neuritis of the radial nerve and restore strength.
To improve the condition of the patient, folk remedies are used, for example, tea from the leaves of coltsfoot.