You should never ignore persistent pain and disturbing bouts of tingling or numbness in your arms, elbow and hands. Doing so can exacerbate “overuse injuries” — and left untreated, the problem can affect your ability to do day-to-day tasks like grasping or lifting objects.

Overuse injuries to peripheral nerves in the upper extremities are a common but often ignored problem. These specialized nerves exist throughout our bodies and are responsible for relaying messages from the central nervous system to the rest of the body.

Many of you probably work in an office environment that requires you to hold your upper extremities in fixed positions for long periods of time. But our joints aren’t designed for this.

Peripheral nerve injuries occur when individual nerves are pinched or subjected to chronic, unintended pressure. This leads to nerve compression, which causes pain or a sensation of tightness, weakness or numbness in the hand, wrist, fingertips or elbow.

Most peripheral nerve injuries can be corrected through behavior modification and improved body mechanics

When this doesn’t result in relief, surgery can help restore function. If you experience persistent problems — like loss of sensation or shooting pain — you should seek medical advice without delay to prevent long-term injuries.

Common nerve injuries affecting the wrist, hand, fingers and forearm include:

Carpal tunnel syndrome: This occurs when the nerves passing through the space between ligaments and bone in the forearm become traumatized by pressure. This is the most commonly diagnosed “pinching” nerve condition.

Cubital tunnel syndrome: This is caused by increased pressure to the ulnar nerve — positioned right next to the interior elbow “funny bone.” The nerve has very little padding to protect it, so it’s particularly vulnerable to pressure.

Radial tunnel syndrome: This occurs when the radial nerve — originating at the neck and traveling along the back of the arm to the hand — is pinched. The condition is worsened by repetitive tasks that require twisting the wrist, as the nerve passes under the muscle used to perform this function.

In all three cases, the condition is diagnosed with a nerve conduction test. Surgery is used to relieve pressure to the compromised nerve only after behavior modification techniques have failed to give relief.

David Megee, MD, is fellowship-trained in microvascular reconstructive hand surgery and specializes in peripheral nerve injury surgery related to the upper extremities. He is an assistant professor of surgery at the UC College of Medicine and practices with UC Health in West Chester.