Cubital Tunnel Syndrome (Ulnar Nerve Entrapment)

[skispray]

Anybody on this forum deal with Cubital Tunnel Syndrme (Ulnar Nerve Entrapment) before? I haven’t been diagnosed, but suspect I may be dealing with this now. It hasn’t yet affected my skiing much, but has gotten worse over the last few years and I’m starting to feel a little bit of awkwardness/tingling/reduced strength in my elbow at the end of passes.

 

I’ve talked to physicians about what’s going on with my elbow and the response has not been very satisfying - basically “you should stop doing activities that causes an issue.” Okay... Not only would that potentially prohibit skiing but would definitely prohibit a seriously large number of exercises: pull ups, curls, snatch, any front rack barbell exercise, push ups, etc. I imagine that many here would agree that simply complying with THAT advice without trying alternative options first is simply out of the question.

 

It seems like there’s some doctors who do ulnar nerve flossing as a treatment. Anyone have experience with that? Is it a western treatment? I’ve seen some reference to it when searching for info about this online, but haven’t found a doctor in my network that knows much about it or puts much stock in it (or any treatment, for that matter).

 

[bkreis]

start the nerve glide exercises and postural correction exercises asap...do not let this be as it will not just go away @skispray hopefully the time in which you have noticed hasn't caused any permanent damage...I treat this stuff in my fitness training programs if you can't find someone.

[oldmanskier]

I had something similar a few years ago.

It caused numbness in my left little finger and on one side of my left ring finger. Very strange feeling.

It did not affect my grip or skiing grip but suddenly I could not do cords on the guitar.

I have played for years and this was very disturbing to me.

Doctor ordered a nerve induction test (I think that is what it was called) on left arm and hand.

This is where they stick very tiny needles in your hand and elbow and run an electric pulse thru.

They can measure how long it takes for current to get from your elbow to the hand thru the Ulnar nerve.

Mine was considered severe impingement and was already starting a wasting process (weakness and lack of dexterity) in left hand.

They recommended Release surgery of the Ulnar nerve in left elbow ASAP.

Doctor said wasting would only get worse and therapy would not help me in this advanced stage.

I had the surgery and it did help.

I never had any grip weakness in my hand but the finger dexterity in my fingers took a while to come back.

I still have slight tingling in my left little finger and on one side of my left ring finger at times but nothing like I had before surgery.

I can cord a guitar again now but I have to play a few minutes to warm up before it gets fluid.

Doctors said the weakness and dexterity would have got worse it I had not had the surgery.

Surgery is simple day surgery and recovery about 6 weeks to be able to use arm for normal functions.

It took several months of playing the guitar before the cording got to an acceptable level of ease.

Playing is not as easy as it once was but at least I can still play.

I had the surgery in the winter so when skiing season arrived I could ski with no issue.

I do what they call Ulnar nerve flossing exercises every day to hopefully keep this from happening again.

 

Hope you get it figured out.

Tom Smothers (Oldmanskier)

 

[oldjeep]

I was having ulnar nerve issues a few years ago in my right hand. numb pinky and finger. In my case the issue was the way I rested my elbow on the desk 8 hours a day. Once I stopped doing that it gradually got better.

[6balls]

If you really do have it, ulnar nerve transposition surgery is pretty simple and successful. My Mom was swimmer, had it done to both elbows, continued to swim Jane swim...as we always said.

[Rednucleus]

Time to get an accurate diagnosis

[6balls]

EMG will tell if you have it.

[BraceMaker]

Sounds stupid but you might need to find a way to sleep with your arms straight. Have this on my right arm and had to get an elbow immobilizer to fix it.