Arm Paralysis
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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
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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
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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