Inflammation of nerves in the tooth
A dental nerve can become inflamed when bacteria reach the nerve through deep-seated caries. External stimuli such as pressure (from excessively high fillings) or heat (e.g. when drilling) can also damage the sensitive tooth nerve. The painful inflammation of the dental nerve can be stopped by early treatment, otherwise the nerve can also die.
Nerve inflammation in the hand
If symptoms of nerve inflammation occur in the hand area, such as sensory disturbances (tingling), muscle weakness or pain, one should consider the possibility of carpal tunnel syndrome. This involves pinching the median nerve, the nerve that is responsible for the feeling in the palm of the hand from the thumb to the inside of the ring finger and that innervates the muscles of the ball of the thumb, among other things. In carpal tunnel syndrome, this nerve can become smaller due to the disturbed function of the nerve. In the early stages of the therapy, splints and analgesic and anti-inflammatory drugs are used. If conservative therapy remains unsuccessful, surgical decompression may be necessary.
Nerve inflammation in the elbow
At the elbow, a nerve (nervus ulnaris) on the inside of the arm between the tip of the elbow and the bony process of the humerus passes through the so-called cubital canal. This nerve innervates some muscles of the forearm (finger flexion muscles) and the hand motor. It also sensitively innervates the skin on the side of the little finger on the hand.
If the nerve is compressed at the constricted point on the elbow, for example by prolonged support of the elbow, bony changes or local proliferation of nerve tissue, the result can be a “ulnar groove syndrome”/”cubital tunnel syndrome”. Symptoms are numbness in the fourth and fifth finger, the edge of the hand and the inside of the forearm. In the later course of the disease, pain may occur at the elbow that radiates into the forearm and hand. Finally, paralysis of the hand muscles can also occur, which manifests itself in difficulties with the “pointed grip” (writing, opening bottles). The cubital tunnel syndrome is comparable to the carpal tunnel syndrome on the wrist and is also treated according to the same principle.
