Ulnar Nerve Pain in Elbow & Basal Joint Arthritis in Thumb

This is my first time ever to post on a forum and I'm a little nervous. I had an ulnar nerve transposition about 6 years ago and I 'm very glad I had the procedure done. It does however take a very long time to recover from this surgery. Within weeks I no longer had the numbness in my pinky and ring finger but I had pain in my entire hand for months. It actually took about 2 years for the nerves to heal and calm down and at times the pain in my fingers could be quite overwhelming. I did wonder during these painful times if I had done the right thing in having this surgery but now, years later, my pain is gone and my hand feels normal again. I am having the same problem with my other elbow plus Basal Joint Arthritis in the thumb of the same arm. I am delaying surgery for as long as possissble but my strength in my hand is getting very weak. At least I know what to expect from the Ulnar Nerve Transposition but I'm worried about the Basal Joint surgery. Please let me hear from others who have had this  thumb surgery so I will know what to expect. Good Luck to all of you Ulnar Nerve surgery candidates, you probably won't regret the surgery but don't expect immediate pain relief. Thanks for letting me post on your site, I hope I did everything right.

[Dr Vinod]

Hello!

I would suggest you to rule out cubital tunnel syndrome and try conservative therapy and delay surgery for your other elbow. Keep surgical correction as the last option.

Basal joint arthritis results in pain and restricts movement of the thumb across the palm. This is the carpometacarpal joint which is affected. You can try NSAIDs, steroid shots initially to relieve you of the pain. You can also use DMARDs for the arthritis. When damage to the present painful joint greatly interferes with your mobility and function you can opt for surgery.

Follow up with an orthopedician.

Take care!

[happycamper696]

Thanks for trying to help with your suggestions. I, of course, have already been to an orthopedic surgeon, that is where I received my diagnosis for both ailments. I believe I did say that I was trying to hold out on surgery as long as possible but I don't understand what you mean by your comment of "rule out cubital tunnel syndrome"? How do you "rule out" a medical condition that has been diagnosed by a specialist in that particular field ? As for as the basal joint arthritis, I have loads of information on the condition but I want an individual's own personal experience with this type of surgery.

Have a great day!

[Dr Vinod]

Hello!

If diagnosed then there is no issue. I only suggested to you that you can have some of these symptoms with "cubital tunnel syndrome".

Take care!