Arm Paralysis
Free Symptom Checker
with Physician-supervised AI
Worried about your symptoms?
Start the Arm Paralysis test with our free AI Symptom Checker.
This will help us personalize your assessment.
By starting the symptom checker, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
Try one of these related symptoms.
Can't bring my hands over my head due to weakness
Elbow feels weak
Difficulty cupping the hands together to scoop water
Can't reach for things on the cupboards above my head
Difficulty with using hands to scoop water
Difficulty raising arms over the head
Feels weak when I scoop water with my hands
Getting more and more difficult to open jars or bottle caps
No strength to untwist bottle caps
No strength to open bottles
Can't exert force when bending my elbow
Can't reach upwards (over my head)
Related Serious Diseases
Sometimes, Arm paralysis may be related to these serious diseases:
- Chronic Subdural Hematoma
This refers to blood collecting in the space between the brain and the brain's outer covering (dura). It can be caused by even minor injuries or bumps to the head, particularly in those who are at increased risk. Older adults and those on certain blood-thinning medications or with bleeding disorders are at higher risk. Some people will have no or few symptoms but can develop more symptoms (confusion, headaches, personality changes) if it expands.
Doctor's Diagnostic Questions
Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom:
- Is either hand/arm weak?
- Is bending or straightening your wrist difficult due to weakness?
- Do you struggle to open jars or bottle caps due to weak hands?
- Has it become harder to scoop water with your hands recently?
- Is it hard to raise your arms above your head?
Reviewed By:
Bret Mobley, MD, MS (Neuropathology)
Dr. Mobley graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School, completing a masters degree in neuroscience between his second and third years of medical school. He trained as a resident in pathology at Stanford University Hospital before joining the faculty of Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville Tennessee in 2010. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 2018 and to Neuropathology Division Director in 2020.
Shohei Harase, MD (Neurology)
Dr. Harase spent his junior and senior high school years in Finland and the U.S. After graduating from the University of Washington (Bachelor of Science, Molecular and Cellular Biology), he worked for Apple Japan Inc. before entering the University of the Ryukyus School of Medicine. He completed his residency at Okinawa Prefectural Chubu Hospital, where he received the Best Resident Award in 2016 and 2017. In 2021, he joined the Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine at the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, specializing in hyperacute stroke.
Content updated on Jan 29, 2025
Following the Medical Content Editorial Policy
Was this page helpful?
Tell your friends about us.
We would love to help them too.
Just 3 minutes.
Developed by doctors.
Try Free Symptom QuizHow Ubie Can Help You
With a free 3-min Arm Paralysis quiz, powered by Ubie's AI and doctors, find possible causes of your symptoms.
This questionnaire is customized to your situation and symptoms, including the following personal information:
Biological Sex - helps us provide relevant suggestions for male vs. female conditions.
Age - adjusts our guidance based on any age-related health factors.
History - considers past illnesses, surgeries, family history, and lifestyle choices.
Your symptoms
Our AI
Your report
Your personal report will tell you
✔ When to see a doctor
✔︎ What causes your symptoms
✔︎ Treatment information etc.
People with similar symptoms also use Ubie's symptom checker to find possible causes
- Can't straighten the elbow well due to lack of strength
- Can't straighten my wrist well due to lack of strength
- Hands lack the strength to twist open jars or bottle caps
- Can't bend the elbow well due to lack of strength
- Can't bend my wrist well due to lack of strength
- Hands are too weak to open jars or bottle caps
- Can't exert force when straightening my elbow
- No strength to raise the hands over the head
- No strength to straighten my wrist
- Can't scoop water with my hands like usual
- Arms are too weak to raise above my head
- Wrist movements are getting weaker
- Too weak to lift my hands over my head
- No strength to straighten the elbow
- Straightening the hand feels weak
See full list
Find Similar Symptoms
Similar symptoms or complaints
Symptoms from similar body parts
Symptoms treated by the same specialty
FAQs
Q.
One Side Paralyzed? Why Hemiplegia Occurs & Medically Approved Next Steps
A.
Sudden paralysis or severe weakness on one side is hemiplegia and is most often caused by stroke; treat it as an emergency and call emergency services. Other causes include head injury, brain tumor, infection, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy in children, and some spinal cord problems, and doctors use urgent imaging to guide treatments from clot-busting drugs or thrombectomy to surgery and early rehabilitation. There are several factors to consider, including how quickly symptoms began, accompanying signs like face drooping, speech or vision changes, and what to do if symptoms resolve briefly, so be sure to review the complete guidance below to understand the medically approved next steps that could change your care path.
References:
* Rathore GB, Dave U, Chhetri M, Vyas P, Barolia D, Mehta P, Dave L, Solanki D, Suman K. Hemiplegia: A Comprehensive Review of Etiology, Pathophysiology, and Management Strategies. J Clin Diagn Res. 2020 Oct 1;14(10):PE01-PE06. doi: 10.7860/JCDR/2020/46363.14170. PMID: 33269389; PMCID: PMC7702602.
* Winstein CJ, Stein J, Arena R, Bates B, Cherney LH, Cramer SC, Deruyter F, Eng JJ, Fisher BR, Harvey RL, Lin KC, Richards L, Stinear CM, Van Kyke AK; American Heart Association Stroke Council, Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing, Council on Clinical Cardiology, and Council on Quality of Care and Outcomes Research. Guidelines for Adult Stroke Rehabilitation and Recovery: A Guideline for Healthcare Professionals From the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Stroke. 2016 Jun;47(6):e98-e169. doi: 10.1161/STR.0000000000000098. Epub 2016 May 4. PMID: 27145936.
* Kowacs F, Sória IG. Differential diagnosis of acute hemiplegia in adults. J Neurol Sci. 2018 Jul 15;390:7-14. doi: 10.1016/j.jns.2017.10.015. Epub 2017 Oct 13. PMID: 29903426.
* Cao M, Zhang S, Guo W, Wang M, Li J, Han Y. Mechanisms of Motor Recovery After Stroke: Unraveling the Complexity of Brain Reorganization. Transl Stroke Res. 2023 Dec;14(6):1042-1055. doi: 10.1007/s12975-023-01064-w. Epub 2023 Sep 21. PMID: 37735398; PMCID: PMC10649729.
* Teasell RW, Hussein N. Stroke Rehabilitation: Latest Developments and Future Directions. Curr Phys Med Rehabil Rep. 2020 Sep;8(3):209-218. doi: 10.1007/s40141-020-00277-x. Epub 2020 Jun 25. PMID: 32626279; PMCID: PMC7317769.
Q.
Hands Go Weak When Angry? What Women Must Know & Essential Next Steps
A.
Hands going weak with anger is usually a stress response in women from adrenaline, muscle tension, and fast breathing, but true weakness, one sided symptoms, visual changes, or frequent episodes can signal migraine variants or neurological problems that need medical evaluation. Start with slow controlled breathing, muscle relaxation, and grounding, track when it happens, and seek urgent care for one sided weakness, facial droop, slurred speech, severe headache, or confusion; there are several factors to consider, and the complete guidance with red flags and hormone related triggers is detailed below.
References:
* Stone J, Carson A, Hallett M. Functional Neurological Disorder: An Approach to Diagnosis and Management. JAMA Neurol. 2018 Jun 1;75(6):872-881. doi: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2017.5143. PMID: 29800362.
* Nishiguchi S, Yamada M, Fukumura K, Arakawa M, Sonoda T, Miyamoto T. Gender differences in symptoms of fatigue and their associations with psychological factors among working adults. PLoS One. 2021 Jul 2;16(7):e0253816. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0253816. PMID: 34214227; PMCID: PMC8252277.
* Esposito D, Koob GF. Neurobiological Mechanisms of Stress and Emotion. Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2022 Dec;24(4):307-318. doi: 10.31887/DCNS.2022.24.4/desposito. PMID: 36620585; PMCID: PMC9822606.
* Kroenke K. Somatic Symptom Disorder: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Gender Differences. Psychosomatics. 2018 Nov-Dec;59(6):679-688. doi: 10.1016/j.psym.2018.06.002. PMID: 30122488.
* Van der Noordt M, Konings I, van der Vaart M, van Marwijk H, van der Wouden JC. Psychological Interventions for Medically Unexplained Physical Symptoms: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. J Gen Intern Med. 2019 Jul;34(7):1300-1310. doi: 10.1007/s11606-019-05001-4. PMID: 30972584; PMCID: PMC6614440.
Ubie is supervised by 50+ medical experts worldwide
Our symptom checker AI is continuously refined with input from experienced physicians, empowering them to make more accurate diagnoses.
Ubie is recognized by healthcare and tech leaders
“World’s Best Digital
Health Companies”
Newsweek 2024
“Best With AI”
Google Play Best of 2023
“Best in Class”
Digital Health Awards 2023 (Quarterfinalist)
Which is the best Symptom Checker?
Ubie’s symptom checker demonstrated a Top-10 hit accuracy of 71.6%, surpassing the performance of several leading symptom checkers in the market, which averaged around 60% accuracy in similar assessments.
Link to full study:
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.29.24312810v1References
Feng JT, Xu WD. Contralateral Cervical Nerve Transfer for Arm Paralysis. N Engl J Med. 2018 Apr 12;378(15):1460-1461. doi: 10.1056/NEJMc1801458. PMID: 29641965.
https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMc1801458