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Glite Dictionary
nerve entrapment

nerve entrapment

6.8
A condition in which a nerve near a joint becomes pinched and causes pain and numbness
  • noun
  • /nɜrv ɪnˈtræpmənt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : compresión nerviosa
  • Nerve entrapment caused him to experience sharp pain in his wrist.

Examples

  • In patients presenting with hypertrophy of the hand or macrodactyly, particularly if the patient has signs or symptoms of nerve entrapment, an FLH should be considered in the diagnostic profile (1).

    Academic text (2015)

  • She had to adjust her posture to relieve the symptoms of nerve entrapment in her arm.

  • The doctor explained that nerve entrapment can lead to numbness and weakness in the affected area.

Synonyms

nerve compression
vsnerve entrapment
  • Specialized
1 6.1

Pressure on a nerve that causes pain, numbness, or muscle weakness

is the specific condition of a trapped nerve near joints causing dysfunction and numbness

Surface Forms

nerve entrapment singular
nerve entrapments plural

Morphology

nerve + entrapment

The meaning 'a nerve being compressed or trapped' is directly and predictably derived from combining 'nerve' (a bundle of nerve fibers) with 'entrapment' (the state of being trapped or held). Although 'entrapment' is somewhat formal, the compositional logic (something being trapped) is transparent and common in medical descriptions, so learners who know the constituents can infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Nerve entrapment gives a simple picture: a thin nerve caught and squeezed under a tight band of muscle or bone, so it is literally an entrapment. Because the nerve is 'trapped', it can send pain, numbness, or weakness instead of normal feeling, so the term means 'a nerve is compressed and not working well'.