Ulnar nerve pain reduction/correction?

[Time2]

Over a month ago, I noticed I wake up with my pinky and part of my ring finger being numb/tingly. It went away in just a few minutes, 5 or less, so I ignored it. Then it happened during the day and I started having pain in my elbow, specifically at the funny bone, aka the ulnar nerve.
I have tried to keep the elbow straight especially when I sleep, I've tried a few exercises as shown on websites, but I'm not consistent. Ice on the elbow does a lot to reduce the elbow pain and actually reduces numbness and brings back feeling in my fingers. But doesn't last long.
I wonder if my arm in extension holding the mouse has any bearing/cause on the nerve.

Anyone else had this problem and what did you do?

 

[MichaelB]

You should schedule an appointment with a neurologist. You should also consider seeing a rheumatologist. That could be symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

 

[wildsun]

Stenosis

I've got spinal stenosis in my neck, which means my spinal cord is compressed due to deteriorating disks and arthritis, and the doctors tell me that if I have the symptoms you describe that means the stenosis is severe. Ditto on seeing a neurologist. Have an MRI done. Insist on a thorough exam.

 

[MRG]

I've had this. Yeah get to someone, neurologist, who can diagnose you. I see an EMG and MRI in your future. Could be arthritis, degenerative disk, or any number of other issues. Not any fun but there are medications, and PT.

I woke up May 16, 2019 with my scapula feeling like someone stuck an axe in it and fire running down my arm, around the ulnar nerve and out my fingers. Within a couple weeks the majority of the intense burning was dealt with and I had to regain use of my arm with PT.

 

[OldShooter]

All those posts sound pretty terrible. My story is easier:

I was having some numbness in my left hand and it was diagnosed as unwanted pressure on the ulnar nerve as it routes through the elbow. (This is a bad designe, BTW) I was advised to have it fixed as the numbness could progress into atrophied finger muscles. It turns out to be fairly common and routine surgery and they just re-route the nerve. IIRC the operation took well under an hour. No problems or issues since.

 

[Time2]

All those posts sound pretty terrible. My story is easier:

I was having some numbness in my left hand and it was diagnosed as unwanted pressure on the ulnar nerve as it routes through the elbow. (This is a bad design, BTW) I was advised to have it fixed as the numbness could progress into atrophied finger muscles. It turns out to be fairly common and routine surgery and they just re-route the nerve. IIRC the operation took well under an hour. No problems or issues since.

Yes, this is what I expect, but I hope I don't even need the surgery and some preventive measures and physical therapy will ease the situation.
I have noticed I rest my elbow and even my ulnar nerve area on the hard armrest of my chair when I'm surfing the net. I'm trying to avoid that and may even get a new chair or pad the armrest.
A bad design is passing the urethra through the prostate!

 

[oldphd]

I'd had this sort of numbness for some time...

Then one day I woke up and the rest of my hand was very weak. Not enough strength to open a car door or a can. I ended up being seen by a hand specialist who is an orthopedist, and had an EMG on both the median and ulnar nerve. Turns out I had a nasty case of carpal tunnel syndrome as well as the ulnar nerve at the elbow problem.

Had surgery on both, same guy did it during one procedure. They clipped a ligament in the wrist/base of the hand for the median nerve. The ulnar nerve was not rerouted, but somehow he "cleaned things up" to reduce pressure on the ulnar nerve. I had a bicycle accident as a kid and landed on that elbow, at first they thought I might have broken something. I wonder if there was scar tissue left from that, and perhaps that's what was cleaned up?!?!? Not sure.

Overall successful, much of the function was restored and numbness gone. It's hard to describe, but my hand just feels different now. In my case, opting for surgery was a no brainer since my hand function was limited.

 

[idledancer]

Have you tried a brace while you sleep? They're available at most any chain drug store. Fixed my ulnar nerve pain in 3 nights, best $25 I've ever spent.

 

[PatSea]

I had a similar experience some years ago. I had tried various exercises and finally saw a physical therapist. She said she had good success with torsion bars for exercise. I bought one on Amazon for about $25 and after about two weeks the pain was gone. Very simple.

 

[Montecfo]

Yes, this is what I expect, but I hope I don't even need the surgery and some preventive measures and physical therapy will ease the situation.
I have noticed I rest my elbow and even my ulnar nerve area on the hard armrest of my chair when I'm surfing the net. I'm trying to avoid that and may even get a new chair or pad the armrest.
A bad design is passing the urethra through the prostate!

Yes. I would not be thinking surgery. I would baby it and make sure not to rest on the elbow, or put pressure on it doing computer or other work. Nerves heal slowly but I'd expect you would begin seeing improvement in a couple of weeks.

It's a fairly common issue.

 

[Time2]

Have you tried a brace while you sleep? They're available at most any chain drug store. Fixed my ulnar nerve pain in 3 nights, best $25 I've ever spent.

Yes, My wife had a sleeve with a velcro wrap that I tried, but it must have been to small, although I didn't think so. I woke up about 3am and my hand was swollen. So I took it off and when I got up the swelling was gone.

I have read that when you bend your elbow the compression on the ulnar nerve goes up many times. So I want to minimize that, especially when I sleep. I have been looking at this brace,
https://tinyurl.com/w2rwae4s



I used a vibrating sander for about 2-1/2 hours this morning, when I got done, my elbow didn't hurt at all and only the tip of my pinky was numb. About an hour later it was hurting again, I worked another 5 hours drilling, installing screws and other wood working things. This evening so far I'm have very minor discomfort.

 

[Fermion]

I have had this problem in the left and right hand for about 15 years now. They wanted to do a lot of nerve rerouting (more than just a 1 hour thing for sure) and I am just a wuss. It hasn't gotten any worse and I have gotten somewhat used to it. Pinky on left hand has the sensitivity of if you had a bandaid on it.

 

[MRG]

Turmeric has helped my numbness. Took a few weeks.

 

[Time2]

Turmeric has helped my numbness. Took a few weeks.

Was taking Tumeric daily long before I started having the problem.

 

[Bamaman]

FYI: There are relatively few neurologists in many medical markets.

You might want to make an appointment now, because neurologists are often difficult to get in to see for new patients. It took a couple of months before my wife got to see one. And her doctor's practice has two offices 65 miles apart. I have no idea whether a referral from your primary care physician is required--since we seldom see them any longer.

Good luck

 

[Time2]

First, I married into a Vietnamese family 37 years ago, so I'm used to seeing some different cultural things.

Anyway, I got the cure for my elbow pain, after hearing I was having elbow pain, my brother in law brought me twenty 1/4" round red pills. He said take 10 a day for two days and I'll be all better. That's all it took for his scapula pain!
I am curious what it is, the printing is poor and I can't read half the letters. Google translation of some words gives me, low inflammation, Rheumatoid arthritis, Master mind, fully grown people, so at least it wasn't packaged for animals.
No, I'm not going to take it, if I got sick, I wouldn't know if it was the Covid Vaccine I got this morning or the little red pills!

 

[MRG]

First, I married into a Vietnamese family 37 years ago, so I'm used to seeing some different cultural things.

Anyway, I got the cure for my elbow pain, after hearing I was having elbow pain, my brother in law brought me twenty 1/4" round red pills. He said take 10 a day for two days and I'll be all better. That's all it took for his scapula pain!
I am curious what it is, the printing is poor and I can't read half the letters. Google translation of some words gives me, low inflammation, Rheumatoid arthritis, Master mind, fully grown people, so at least it wasn't packaged for animals.
No, I'm not going to take it, if I got sick, I wouldn't know if it was the Covid Vaccine I got this morning or the little red pills!

Turmeric? It's normally more yellow than red though.

 

[Time2]

Turmeric? It's normally more yellow than red though.

This was not related to the Tumeric post.
I am taking a Tumeric supplement and a relative gave me some little red pills from Vietnam. I suspect they are a NSAID, but so far I haven't got a good answer. I'm a bit concerned my relative said take 10 a day for 2 days.
No clue how many mg these are, but if the were 350mg and they were Tylenol, that's not a good plan. I have no plan to take them, but I'm interested in finding out what they are.

 

[Navigator]

I had tingling in my last two fingers for a couple of years. My orthopedic surgeon had me wear elbow and wrist braces. While they helped, I eventually had surgery to relieve the pressure on my ulnar nerve. It worked quite well in relieving the numbness in my fingers.

 

[Time2]

Today was a good day as far as having less elbow pain, I hope it continues.

 

[Midpack]

I have ulnar pain, but it’s tennis/golfers elbow from too much golf, and I know the steps/exercises to manage it and what my limits.

If you don’t know what’s causing your pain, I’d go to a neurologist long before trying suggestions from random unqualified strangers online, you could really regret that decision. It could be something that’s easily mitigated, and it could also an issue your compounding making it more difficult to treat later (would be easier to treat sooner). Best of luck.

 

[Time2]

OP here,

I made an appointment a week ago, for next week Wednesday. Since then I'm not having any elbow pain and the pinky numbness seems to come and go, where as before, it was constant. I think I have out waited it, if I'm still good Monday, I'm cancelling the appointment.

 

[Winemaker]

It will come back. My doc gave me a cortisone shot, and told me to immobilize my right arm when sleeping worked for several months until it didn't. He just 'scoped my knee 4 weeks ago, and when that is healed up, I gotta get the elbow fixed.

 

[MissMolly]

At least you are getting some relief from the numbness. I have had numbness in my thumb and first 3 fingers for at least 6 months now. Two rounds of steroid shots helps with pain temporarily but not the numbness. I am dealing with thumb arthritis/carpal tunnel syndrome. Hand doc is now trying to determine if I need both surgeries or if thumb arthritis is mimicking carpal tunnel symptoms and only need thumb surgery. I go back next Thursday for the final verdict. Most recent round of steroids was in wrist only instead of wrist and thumb. It is very, very difficult to type with numb fingers.

 

[Time2]

It will come back. My doc gave me a cortisone shot, and told me to immobilize my right arm when sleeping worked for several months until it didn't. He just 'scoped my knee 4 weeks ago, and when that is healed up, I gotta get the elbow fixed.

I'll go with, it won't come back, for now.