So, remembering sensory areas is tricky, and of course you can just look at an image (such as this very helpful one by FrozenMersault) and copy it, but I think this is a good exercise to take it step by step and help visualize these areas on your own hands.

**Disclaimer: In reality, the borders between these areas are very blurred with some overlap, and some variation is not uncommon. This is very simplistic and if you find that your experience is not consistent with what we have here, that’s good information for you to have and work with from there.

For this arts and crafts project, you will need:

  • A nitrile or latex glove that fits you very snugly (like, difficult to put on, because trying to draw lines on a wrinkly surface that shifts is a pain)
  • At least one marker, I recommend a Sharpie.
  • Optionally, some colored markers. I have found unfortunately that most markers like Crayolas and Pentel will smear and rub off easily, but Prismacolor Premier markers (which I will admit are expensive and fancy artist markers) work really well for this. It seems alcohol based markers are the way to go (so colored Sharpies may also work).

First thing you want to do, once you’ve put the glove on your non-dominant hand (for ease of writing), is mark the front and the back of the glove, because there is going to be a difference.

Then, from the tip of your ring finger, draw a line straight down the back and front of your hand, as shown.

On the back of your hand, at a point midway down your fingers (this is an area of huge variability, so realize that this isn’t precise, just to help you get an idea), draw horizontal lines going toward your thumb from your first line. Only draw these on the back parts of your fingers, they should not ring all the way around your fingers. Note where it ends on my thumb.

Now, connect the ends of the horizontal lines that you just drew, along the webs of your fingers.

 

On the palm side of your hand, draw a line down from the end of the horizontal thumb line.

 

Now, it’s up to you how you want to label and/or color code your glove. I used R for radial nerve, U for ulnar nerve, and M for median, but of course you can write out the names, just use color coding, skip the color coding, etc. Just know that the pinky side section (green, in my case) is Ulnar, the back of my hand not including the finger tips is Radial (purple), and the front of my hand and back fingertips is Median.