The Saturday Night Palsy or Why You Should Be Nice To Your Nerves
Jonathan Blood-smyth asked:
It is a common scenario played out in every city and town in the land on Friday and Saturday nights. After getting showered, aftershaved and dressed up the young guy goes out to meet his mates in a pub he typically frequents. He starts the drinking which will continue for the next five or six hours at least as he has a few pints with his friends and then follows them into the nightclub until early in the morning. Leaving there they are all hungry so they go round to the take-away and have a kebab, heading to the one of their houses to watch a film, plus a few more drinks.
It’s all pretty much going as expected so far. He won’t be surprised when he wakes up with a hangover tomorrow, but what he doesn’t realise is the effect his next actions are going to have. Sitting in the chair he hangs his arm over the back of the chair as he watches the television, but the late hour and the alcohol mean he falls asleep like that too. He wakes up several or many hours later in the same position, with his arm over the back of the chair, only to find he cannot move it and it feels odd, a bit like waking up with a dead arm at night.
But what he has not realised is that he was drunk and that makes all the difference. If he was sober he would have woken up when his arm became uncomfortable and moved himself to a better position. What has happened is that a much greater pressure has been applied for a much longer time than usual to the tissues in his armpit. He starts to get worried when the arm does not recover quickly like he expected but remains semi-paralysed, numb and yet uncomfortable to some degree.
Reacting to stimuli is what nervous tissues are designed to do but they can react in negative fashion if the applied stimulus is too large or lasts too long. Pressure applied for a long period or a direct blow to an area can both cause nerve trauma, with honeymooners’ palsy being the term for nerve damage caused by one partner using the other’s arm as a pillow during sleep. Longer term nerve pressure can disrupt the blood supply to the nerve and compromise the function of the nerve, a condition called neurapraxia.
Nerve damage is classified into three categories: axonotmesis, neurotmesis and neurapraxia. Neurapraxia is the mildest variety of nerve trauma and there is internal biochemical damage to the nerve but no break in the internal axon or the nerve itself. The nerve being intact, it does not need to regenerate but recover. Nerve impulse conduction is disrupted by the area of nerve trauma and gives paralysis of the muscle with some difference in feeling. Compression may cause avascular damage to the nerve, resulting in inflammatory changes.
The paralysis which leads to loss of function of the arm is temporary and can resolve in hours. However, in even average cases it can be six to eight weeks before the slow improvement occurs and normal strength returns to the arm. There is mostly a greater interruption of muscle power with feeling and sweating/circulation control of the arm less affected. As this can be serious the person should be examined by a doctor, for although there may be little to be done but wait, the sufferer needs to have the problem explained and be instructed how to look after their arm until it recovers.
Since the arm is paralysed to a greater or lesser degree a sling may be needed for shoulder support and to keep the arm out of the way. If there is loss of feeling the person needs to check carefully what they are doing with the arm and examine it regularly for signs of damage. Vigilance is important as the arm can be damaged without being aware of it. Nerve trauma like this can also occur in sporting activities or long term pressure events such as falling asleep on a toilet.
Taking Fioricet
It is a common scenario played out in every city and town in the land on Friday and Saturday nights. After getting showered, aftershaved and dressed up the young guy goes out to meet his mates in a pub he typically frequents. He starts the drinking which will continue for the next five or six hours at least as he has a few pints with his friends and then follows them into the nightclub until early in the morning. Leaving there they are all hungry so they go round to the take-away and have a kebab, heading to the one of their houses to watch a film, plus a few more drinks.
It’s all pretty much going as expected so far. He won’t be surprised when he wakes up with a hangover tomorrow, but what he doesn’t realise is the effect his next actions are going to have. Sitting in the chair he hangs his arm over the back of the chair as he watches the television, but the late hour and the alcohol mean he falls asleep like that too. He wakes up several or many hours later in the same position, with his arm over the back of the chair, only to find he cannot move it and it feels odd, a bit like waking up with a dead arm at night.
But what he has not realised is that he was drunk and that makes all the difference. If he was sober he would have woken up when his arm became uncomfortable and moved himself to a better position. What has happened is that a much greater pressure has been applied for a much longer time than usual to the tissues in his armpit. He starts to get worried when the arm does not recover quickly like he expected but remains semi-paralysed, numb and yet uncomfortable to some degree.
Reacting to stimuli is what nervous tissues are designed to do but they can react in negative fashion if the applied stimulus is too large or lasts too long. Pressure applied for a long period or a direct blow to an area can both cause nerve trauma, with honeymooners’ palsy being the term for nerve damage caused by one partner using the other’s arm as a pillow during sleep. Longer term nerve pressure can disrupt the blood supply to the nerve and compromise the function of the nerve, a condition called neurapraxia.
Nerve damage is classified into three categories: axonotmesis, neurotmesis and neurapraxia. Neurapraxia is the mildest variety of nerve trauma and there is internal biochemical damage to the nerve but no break in the internal axon or the nerve itself. The nerve being intact, it does not need to regenerate but recover. Nerve impulse conduction is disrupted by the area of nerve trauma and gives paralysis of the muscle with some difference in feeling. Compression may cause avascular damage to the nerve, resulting in inflammatory changes.
The paralysis which leads to loss of function of the arm is temporary and can resolve in hours. However, in even average cases it can be six to eight weeks before the slow improvement occurs and normal strength returns to the arm. There is mostly a greater interruption of muscle power with feeling and sweating/circulation control of the arm less affected. As this can be serious the person should be examined by a doctor, for although there may be little to be done but wait, the sufferer needs to have the problem explained and be instructed how to look after their arm until it recovers.
Since the arm is paralysed to a greater or lesser degree a sling may be needed for shoulder support and to keep the arm out of the way. If there is loss of feeling the person needs to check carefully what they are doing with the arm and examine it regularly for signs of damage. Vigilance is important as the arm can be damaged without being aware of it. Nerve trauma like this can also occur in sporting activities or long term pressure events such as falling asleep on a toilet.
Taking Fioricet
Back Pain Causes: Sciatic Nerves
Peter Turner asked:
If you have suffered from lower back pain like I have, you have probably heard about Sciatica and the Sciatic nerve. When this nerve is irritated by a bulging disc the pain can be very intense. But what exactly is Sciatica what are the symptoms and the cause of this painful condition?
According to Wikipedia Sciatica is a set of symptoms including pain that may be caused by general compression and/or irritation of one of five nerve roots that give rise to the sciatic nerve, or by compression or irritation of the sciatic nerve itself. When these nerves are “pinched the pain can radiate from your lower back and buttock all the way down your leg to your feet.
In my case I had pain travel ling right to my toes. Sometimes my feet felt numb, sometimes there was a burning sensation, sometimes cold. This was accompanied by pain; which believe me can be can be excruciating. There are several causes: herniated disc, spinal stenosis, lifestyle, piriformis, trigger points and pregnancy. I will go into more detail on each of these causes in other articles. The important thing to remember is if your lower back pain is traveling down your leg and this pain persists you need to see your doctor. But how do you prevent and or cure lower back pain? How do you lose the pain and get on with your life?
Well the answer is to strengthen the back and abdominal muscles. One of the top rated programs is called the Lose The Back Pain System developed by therapists and doctors of the Healthy back Institute. This program has helped thousands by strengthening muscles and eliminating muscles imbalance.As someone who has suffered with a bad back and who has endured months of physical therapy and an operation, I can tell you there are solutions for your discomfort.
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If you have suffered from lower back pain like I have, you have probably heard about Sciatica and the Sciatic nerve. When this nerve is irritated by a bulging disc the pain can be very intense. But what exactly is Sciatica what are the symptoms and the cause of this painful condition?
According to Wikipedia Sciatica is a set of symptoms including pain that may be caused by general compression and/or irritation of one of five nerve roots that give rise to the sciatic nerve, or by compression or irritation of the sciatic nerve itself. When these nerves are “pinched the pain can radiate from your lower back and buttock all the way down your leg to your feet.
In my case I had pain travel ling right to my toes. Sometimes my feet felt numb, sometimes there was a burning sensation, sometimes cold. This was accompanied by pain; which believe me can be can be excruciating. There are several causes: herniated disc, spinal stenosis, lifestyle, piriformis, trigger points and pregnancy. I will go into more detail on each of these causes in other articles. The important thing to remember is if your lower back pain is traveling down your leg and this pain persists you need to see your doctor. But how do you prevent and or cure lower back pain? How do you lose the pain and get on with your life?
Well the answer is to strengthen the back and abdominal muscles. One of the top rated programs is called the Lose The Back Pain System developed by therapists and doctors of the Healthy back Institute. This program has helped thousands by strengthening muscles and eliminating muscles imbalance.As someone who has suffered with a bad back and who has endured months of physical therapy and an operation, I can tell you there are solutions for your discomfort.
Carisoprodol soma
Tags: Sciatic Nerve, Toes
