For 3 months I have been suffering with compressed ulnar nerves in both elbows. I get numb from the elbows down to the hands, and cannot sleep at night because of the pain. Am on Naproxan and am doing exercised to strenghten the forearms, but I am still miserable! Any suggestions?
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- Thread starter LzBlz
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Have you gone to a nuralogist? I had the same thing. You may need surgery to releas those nurves. If you don't get it done soon, you may just loose your strength in those arms. I waited to get mine checked out till my pinkey went numb and never woke up again, then I got it checked out. I had the surgery and now I can feel my pinkey and my other fingers because I also had carple tunnel surgery at the same time. The bad thing is that I waited to long and now my right arm is weaker than my left. I also had that test done on my arm again with the electrobes and the doctor said that my arm will never be the same. It is permintley damaged but at least I can feel my fingers and arm and now I am not in constant pain. I am no longer dropping things either. :wave:
I'm seeing a Hand Surgeon on the 23rd for the same thing. I have rheumatoid arthritis, both my elbows are permanently bent, that's what's irritating my ulnar nerves.
A splint (even a wrapped towel will work) to keep your elbows straight might help at night. Don't lean your elbows on the arms of your computer chair. (I was just doing that
) I use a Rx ibuprophen rub, it's an old fashioned method but since I'm already taking an anti-inflammatory for my RA and I can't take a cortisone shot, it's the only thing left! You get a Rx and take it to a compound pharmacy, they mix it up themselves. It's 10% Ibu in some kind of vasoline. Doesn't do anything for my joints but works very well on muscle and tendon pain.
The surgery I'm looking at is called "ulnar nerve transposition" but there are other types.
CatAngel - did you have general anesthetic or the nerve block - where you're awake during the surgery?
A splint (even a wrapped towel will work) to keep your elbows straight might help at night. Don't lean your elbows on the arms of your computer chair. (I was just doing that
) I use a Rx ibuprophen rub, it's an old fashioned method but since I'm already taking an anti-inflammatory for my RA and I can't take a cortisone shot, it's the only thing left! You get a Rx and take it to a compound pharmacy, they mix it up themselves. It's 10% Ibu in some kind of vasoline. Doesn't do anything for my joints but works very well on muscle and tendon pain.The surgery I'm looking at is called "ulnar nerve transposition" but there are other types.
CatAngel - did you have general anesthetic or the nerve block - where you're awake during the surgery?
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hey darlaa, just wondering if your doc ordered an MRI of your c spine just to rule that out as the possible culprit for the ulnar nerve affectation. when something is bilateral in nature like you have in both arms,it really does need to be checked from where it starts,and that is up in that c spine. in this type of situation,you just really NEED to know with 100% certainty that this is indeed stemming further down in your arms and not at the c spine level. alot of people(who have stupid surgeons) have actually had ulnar surgery only to find that their symptoms never went away,thats only becasue the actual problem was up in that c 8(ulnar) nerve the whole time. you just really need to be sure before anything further gets done,thats all. an EMG done up the entire arm and to that c spine would also help really see just where that nerve is being compromised at. like i said,you just really need to be certain where that is being affected.
its just when you have a bilateral complaint,under certain circumstances,the nerve compromise is actually up in that c spine and not further down the arm. just confirming this would let you know for certain. take care and please keep us posted. FB
its just when you have a bilateral complaint,under certain circumstances,the nerve compromise is actually up in that c spine and not further down the arm. just confirming this would let you know for certain. take care and please keep us posted. FB