The median nerve
Median nerve · nervus medianus
The nerve that runs down the middle of your arm and through the wrist's carpal tunnel to your thumb side.
What it does
The median nerve runs down the middle of the upper arm and forearm and through the carpal tunnel at the wrist. It powers most forearm muscles that bend the wrist and fingers and the muscles that move the thumb across the palm. It also carries feeling from the thumb, index, middle and half the ring finger.
Surprising fact
Carpal tunnel syndrome, the squeezing of this nerve at the wrist, is the most common nerve compression in the body, and symptoms often wake people at night.
Why it matters
Tingling in the thumb and first fingers that eases when you shake your hand is a classic sign. Wrist splints at night often help.
Nearby
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Sources
Drafted with AI help; awaiting a human fact-check against these sources.
Open in the 3D atlas · Suggest a correction · Not medical advice.
3D models: Z-Anatomy & BodyParts3D (CC BY-SA 4.0 / 2.1 JP). Card text CC BY 4.0.