Exam 7: peripheral nervous system Flashcards
Anesthesia
no sensation (at a certain body are)
Paresthesia
abnormal sensations (tingling, pins and needles, unusual nerve pain, feeling hot or cold)
neuropathy
pathology of the nerve fibers or transmission of information; often results in anesthesia, paresthesia, chronic pain
where is the median nerve located
down the middle of the forearm on the ventral side; covers the thumb, pointer, middle, and half of ring finger, palm, and fingertips of designated fingers on the dorsal side
what is the median nerve involved in
flexion and allows us to grip
high median nerve injury
proximal forearm or above; loss of wrist flexion strength; ulnar deviation of the wrist; loss of thumb opposition; loss of finger flexion of thumb, index, middle, and PIPS and DIPS
cannot completely flex hand
low median nerve injury
the fingers are still able to flex, but thumb opposition is often lost
wrist or below
median nerve injury
hand experiences muscular dystrophy, may develop some deformity
carpal tunnel syndrome
median nerve is compressed at the wrist, resulting in numbness or pain
what is the radial nerve involved in
extensor, dorsal, release grip, wrist grip, follows the radius to the dorsal (everything but the fingertips) thumb, index, middle, half of ring finger
client can’t grip, this is caused by an injury in the ….
median nerve
client can’t release grip, this is caused by an injury in the ….
radial nerve
radial nerve injury
results in loss of extension of the wrist, fingers, and thumb
clients can’t release grasped objects and thus this injury leads to significant disability
WRIST DROP (can’t keep wrist extended so the wrists drop)
radial tunnel syndrome
overuse of the arm to push or pull, overuse of the hand gripping, pinching, or bending the wrist can irritate the nerve
wrist drop
weakness of the wrist and finger extensors
wrist drop treatment
wrist drop splint
what is the ulnar nerve involved in
controls most of the little muscles in the hand and help with fine movement
controls some of the larger forearm muscles that form grip
your funny bone
dorsal and ventral side of palm on the ulnar side, half of ring finger and full pinky
symptoms of ulnar nerve damage
numbing and tingling of the ring and pinky
weakening of grip and difficulty with fine motor coordination
atrophy
claw hand (ring and pinky flexed in)
complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
severe condition
chronic pain
skin changes
inflammation
temp in body parts changes
very hard to treat
better to prevent and notice early on
ergonomics and joint protection
prevention: task simplification and education of joint protection and ergonomic principles
goal of ergonomics
reduce or eliminate risk factors for development of work related musculoskeletal disorders
physical risk factors related to ergonomics
repetition
force
awkward or static posturing
prolonged direct pressure on soft tissue
vibration
exposure to cold
inappropriate or inadequate hand tools
5 L’s of Lifting
strong lumbar
head in neutral position
upright torso
knees tracking over (but not beyond) toes
feet shoulder width
weight on heels
crease of hips below parallel
LOAD
LEVER
LEGS
LUMBAR SUPPORT
LUNGS
6 principles of joint protection
- respect pain
- use the strongest muscles to accomplish the task
- distribute the load across the several joints
- use well-designed tools
- use wrist and fingers in a neutral position
- avoid static positions
autonomic nervous system
sympathetic: excitatory (fight or flight)
parasympathetic: calming (rest and digest)
* most organs are innervated by both
autonomic dysreflexia
dangerous
spinal cord injury at or above T10
triggered by “noxious” stimuli (cold, pain, full bladder, infection)
sudden and extreme SNS response - very life threatening
symptoms: severe headache, high blood pressure, facial flush, sweating
types of peripheral nerve injuries
irritation of the nerve (hitting funny bone)
compression of the nerve (temporary condition)
crushing of the nerve (more permanent injury)
severing of the nerve
tension of the nerve (excessive stretch)
peripheral nerves overview
can regenerate
slow process, symptoms resolve slowly
sensory and motor components can be impacted, or just sensory
thoracic outlet syndrome (tos)
compression of the nerves or blood vessels
poor posture is a cause
carrying heavy loads
repetitive overhead arm movements
treatment for TOS
body mechanics
improving posture
exercise program
IASTM (grasston techniques)
TOS symtoms
swelling
discoloration
feelings of heaviness
fatigued body parts
superficial vein distention
muscle weakness
difficulty with fine motor
pain
tingling and numbness
additional brachial plexus injuries
burner or stinger syndrome
erb’s palsy
saturday night palsy
CRPS
complex regional pain syndrome
TOS
thoracic outlet syndrome
IASTM
instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization
