Ulnar Nerve Symptoms

[shelieg34]

I have had pain radiating down my right arm for over a year now.  It started after working 12 hours a day on the computer.  I waited for 6 months (after I completed my 12/hr days on the computer) before I tried to do anything about it.  I haven't had much success on any relief or any real answers.  I went to a orthopedic doctor who sent me to PT for 6 weeks.  They believed it was my neck and I had some relief from traction but it never went away completely.  I then saw a Chiro for about 6 weeks who took x-rays and she said I had a reverse curve in my neck and believes my problems are also caused from my neck.  I then went to a hand doctor specialist who believes it is the ulnar nerve in my elbow.  He has put me in a cast to sleep in at night and gave me a cortizone shot.  I had some relief in the beginning with the cortizone shot and when I wake up in the AM everything feels pretty good.  I have had weakness in my hand and I get shooting pains in my forearm on a daily basis.   I also get tingling and pins and needle feeling in my whole hand.  I have not had the Nerve conduction tests done yet nor an MRI.  The hand specialist plans on doing the Nerve conduction tests next.  

My question is he seems to be concentrating on the elbow and did not seem interested in hearing anything about my neck.  He is already talking surgery, if this cortizone shot didn't work which it hasn't.  Could this be more a problem in the neck then the elbow?  Also, the probably seems to be radiating to my other arm now which makes me wonder if the problem is not at the neck rather then the elbow?  Will the nerve conduction tests explain more about where the problem is?  I have heard of so many people have operations without any results or relief and I really don't want to have any unnecessary surgeries if there are alternative ways to fix this problem.

[shelieg34]

Tweedlebug,

Can you tell me if your nerve conduction test came back normal?  I had the nerve conduction test and the EMG and that doctor told me that she thought everything looked normal.  I had an MRI done and I took those images to my Chiro as well and she showed me where there was a bulge at c6.  I go back to the Orthopedic doctor on Monday to review the results of the MRI as well as nerve conduction test and EMG.  I know he will push for the surgery to move the nerve since he was pretty convinced that the problem was at the elbow.  The doctor who gave me the nerve conduction test thinks it is in my elbow as well.  I'm just wondering if a nerve conduction test would come back normal if there is an impingement at the elbow?

[tweedlebug]

I have had issues with my ulnar nerve. The issue with mine was that the nerve was trapped at my elbow and needed to be released. Sometimes they can feel the issue with the nerve at the elbow and then will do the nerve conduction and other tests to confirm.
I slept with the cast but it was only after my 3rd surgery. It helped some but I think only in helping my arm heal. I know in recent years I have found myself forming the bad habit of sleeping with my arms over my head which seems to be bad. I had at one time learned to sleep with my hand slightly under me to keep them at my side. It helped me.

An orthopedist during the first surgery moved the nerve but it caused my whole arm to become cold as if it was placed in a bucket of ice. This occurred during the week after the surgery. The orthopedist then went in and shaved my elbow and put the nerve back in its original place. I continued to have sensation issues, coldness, change of color, numbness.

I then changed doctors and began seeing the best hand and arm specialist in my city. He did a final surgery taking the nerve and placing it under the muscle of the inside of the arm. This is originally what should have been done since the muscle will protect the nerve.  (so I was told)  

I have the same problem in my other arm but will wait till there is no other option but surgery before I do anything about it.

I was told it is a hereditary condition.

My best advice is do not see and orthopedist for this. Insist on being seen by a neurosurgeon if there is not a hand and arm specialist in your city.

[shelieg34]

Thanks so much for your response.  It make me believe even more so how important it is to be in control of our own health.  I'm going to let the orthopaedic send me for the nerve conduction tests but surgeries are only going to be my last option.  I think I want to talk to a doctor who either specializes in the spine or a neurologist before I make any decisions about surgeries.  Let me know how your neurologist appt goes.  Good Luck.

[Capital H]

Having had ulnar nerve problems in both arms, and not being particularly pleased about the result of the operation in the left, when I saw the surgeon last, I told him that a physio had suggested I had problems in my neck so that never mind the operation, I could still expect trouble.

However the orthopeadist said that the physio did not know what he was talking about as the nerve conduction tests would have shown whether the problem was in the elbow or the neck and that mine was definately in the elbow.

However the physio had been able to demonstrate by actually pinching my neck what effect it could have.

The orthopeadic surgeon refused to send me for more tests, however I do hope now, that going back to the neurologist that my neck will be investigated because nothing remains static, and just because the problem started out in the elbow is no reason to suppose that you cannot develop a similar one in the neck later.

I have actually cancelled the op on the other arm, until I have gone back to the neuro since, I no longer trust the orthopeadic surgeon to have all the answers.