What a bloody hassle!

[Nephew]

I'd done this once before a couple of years ago with my right hand, now my left! I had gone to sleep on Monday arvo and must have had my left arm under me, lying on my front. When I woke up, it was the usual numb pins and needles feeling you get when you sleep on a limb, except now it DOESN'T WORK!! The bloody hand just flops around and wont lift, so there's no way I can hold a bow, let alone shoot it! Typing one handed is no day out, either! As I said, this happened once before, I went to the Dr. who wasn't worried about it and it came back in about two weeks so I'm not overly concerned, but Good Lord do I miss shooting every arvo!! Take my advice, don't sleep with your limbs under you!

[Gringa Bows]

bit of a hassle all right mate,did ya go to the docs to make sure its the same thing as the last time.

[longbow steve]

Thats no good Moreton, I often wake up in pain from cutting circulation in my arms.
I know a fellow who slept for 3 days after a bender of drugs and alcohol and has not recovered function in his left side due to this problem.
I wish you a speedy recovery. Steve

[longbowinfected]

Not trying to scare you but lbrod is right.

In an extreme event my brother had to have multiple nerve grafts and never really recovered after getting full at a party and other chemicals and lying on his front overnight.....insist on a referral to a neurologist / nerve specialist...you are far too young and healthy to take chances like that......apparently early remedial massage etc really improves things if there is a problem....if you go and there is no problem you are still a winner.

Kevin

[Hills Twinky]

Whoa! thats.... well that would be a pain i mean, of often wake up and laugh the feeling just because its so odd but now i think I might approach my future temporary amputations with a bit more concern....
Hope it improves soon Moreton.

Vaughn

[buzz]

Radial Neuropathy is what you are looking at.

Both Saturday night palsy and honeymooners palsy refer to the fact that the nerve damage is generally forewarned by arm pain to a degree that only excessive love or liquor would drive a person to keep their arm in such an uncomfortable position.

[jape]

Blimey Craig, You should always take the handcuffs off before you fall asleep! Now you will just have suffer daily massages and one-handed beer drinking for a while you poor sod.

[Brumbies Country]

That's no good Moreton. Just echoing what Kevin said, it's likely a very temporary issue, but if it persists it's worth getting a referral to a neurologist. Sometimes these things originate from the cervical spine. I went up to Sydney for nerve conduction tests by a neurologist last week-electric shocks to determine what's causing some lack of muscle function in the bowarm. Turns out to likely be cervical origin nerve damage, a straight out local mechanical thing, and not general nerve degeneration which was considered a possibility.

Don't want to miss out on bow shooting on a regular basis-you get withdrawal!

Simon

[Jaydo]

Thats no good Craig,

hope the recovery goes quick, all the best mate

[Mick Smith]

I sincerely hope it's just something temporary mate. I'm sure it will be.

Mick

[Nephew]

Thanks for your replies and good wishes, fellas! It seems to be improving, I can at least get the hand to lift an inch or so at the wrist. I couldn't move it at all Tuesday! The numbness in my thumb is dissipating as well. If it's no better by Sat I'll head off to the Dr. and see what they reckon, but I'm sure it's cool.
Buzz, your right on the money, that describes it perfectly. "Sat Night Palsy" indeed! I swear I was in no way intoxicated! Just buggered after a fairly long day.
Oh yeah, Jape? I kept begging her to take the 'cuffs off, but she just laughed and said something about "No safety word, no mercy", and hit me with a riding crop What did she mean, mate? I figured you'd know.

[Steven J]

Mate, I feel your pain. I am always waking up and complaining to Kylie that I have slept all crooked again and have woken up sore. Never paralysed myself though. I'll be praying for your speedy recovery.

Steve

[matt_d]

That's no good to hear Craig, must have given you a scare alright! I have only ever had that happen intentionally if you know what I mean
All the best for a speedy recovery mate!
Matt

[stringnstik]

Mate thats not good. I used to get this all the time,but never for as long an after effect. Plenty of injuries from previous wars..im not looking fwd to old age I can tell ya. Anyway purchased a new mattress and it hasnt happed since. Strangely enough I never get it while camping. I think thats due to the fact that the thermarest pretty much forces me to sleep perfectly on my back.

Now the handcufs... people! we are traditional, I keep telling you, put away the steel. A decent rope knot is just as good and not as cold either Its also not as much a disaster when you cant find the key.
Ps keep a knife or leatherman close by. Some of those bad knots can really work themselves tight.
lol

[buzz]

It was actually searching for the term 'saturday night palsy' that found me the proper name.

There are a number of spots in the body where vital systems are rather close to the surface of the skin and can become obstructed by pressure - hence the use of pressure bandages in emergency medicine, compression techniques in the physical security industry, stress positions in the american military (its not torture though, apparently) and in some traditional medicines. Your nerves, arteries and veins run close under the surface of the skin in parts of the neck, scalp, armpits, crotch, elbow and knees and it is fairly common to fall asleep or rest or remain stationary in a position that causes these to be constricted, hence the pain.

You can also cause inadvertent damage disturbingly easily. It took me months to get full nerve feeling in a part of my hand after doing some gardening - I tried pulling out a buried plastic bag and as it bunched up it must have pinched something and my hand things went all tingly. Then just felt numb. And my index finger on my bow string hand doesn't bend properly afte my dog accidentally stuck some teeth into it. But... you get that.

Hopefully, things will come good. Keep it moving and blood circulating but if it doesn't give any sign of getting better, go see that quack.

[jape]

... she just laughed and said something about "No safety word, no mercy", and hit me with a riding crop What did she mean, mate? I figured you'd know.

Sorry, can't help - you will have to ask The Minister for Her Guidelines, the very idea of mercy or a safety word is alien to my nature. You get yourself into it, you get yourself out of it!

[Nephew]

Quick update boys...it still just hangs there like a dead fish, but the Dr. is confident it'll fix itself but will take time, up to six months or so (!)more likely three but still that's heaps better than it staying like this for the rest of my life, yeah? Man, I SO MUCH want to shoot all these new arrows I have!

[longbowinfected]

Buy / make an ELB and learn to shoot it the right way, left handed.......then when you recover you will be the complete archer and you can use your new bow right handed after that.

Get well soon.


Kevin