If you wake up in the middle of the night with numbness, tingling, and pain in the ring
finger, pinky, and this part of the forearm, it is probably cubital tunnel syndrome.
Cubital tunnel syndrome is a compression of the ulnar nerve at the elbow.
If you have this problem, then this video is for you.
Today, I’ll answer these questions: What causes cubital tunnel syndrome?
How is it diagnosed?
Can it cause weakness in the hand?
Is it reversible?
Can I treat with exercises?
When do I need surgery?
So, let’s talk about Cubital Tunnel Syndrome today
This is the ulnar nerve.
It travels from the neck to the hand and crosses the elbow.
When we tap this nerve here, we can feel an electrical shock, this is what people call
the funny bone, which is not actually tapping the bone, it is tapping the ulnar nerve close
to the bone that causes this sensation.
The ulnar nerve has two functions.
The sensation of the last two fingers and this side of the forearm.
It is also responsible for the motor function of the hand muscles.
So, if the person has an injury of the ulnar nerve, they will lose the sensations in this
territory and the control of many muscles of the hand.
If the person plays an instrument or works with their hands, they may notice incoordination
or weakness of the fingers.
They may also have pain in the medial side of the elbow, where the ulnar nerve is compressed
or injured.
Before I continue, let me remind you that this video is intended for educational purposes
only.
It is not medical advice.
If you have a condition that is causing you pain, please talk to your doctor.
In case of emergency, go to the nearest emergency department or call an ambulance.
Compression or injury of the ulnar nerve at the elbow is very common.
It is the second most common nerve compression in the arm; the first one is carpal tunnel
syndrome.
I have another video in that I talk about carpal tunnel syndrome, which is the compression
of another nerve, the median nerve at the wrist.
The symptoms are very similar.
But the median nerve is responsible for the sensations of the thumb, index, and middle
finger.
While the ulnar nerve innervates the other two fingers, the ring, and the pinky finger.
What causes compression of the ulnar nerve at the elbow?
People who work at a desk and rest their elbows on a rigid tabletop, like doing computer work
for many hours.
Or people who bend their elbows at work.
Or people who sleep like this, with their elbows bent and arms above their head.
So, any pressure on the nerve, or stretching of the nerve, or injury to the nerve, can
cause cubital tunnel syndrome.
The doctor makes the diagnosis by taking a detailed history of these symptoms and by
examining the patient for sensations and muscle power of the hand.
Occasionally, the doctor needs to order some tests to confirm the diagnosis.
One of these tests is called nerve conduction study and electromyography.
I have another video in that I explain what happens during this test.
But basically, the doctor will examine the speed of the nerve conduction at the elbow
and detect a delay in this area, which confirms that there is a blockage here.
If the doctor suspects a bone injury like an osteophyte or a fracture, they may need
to order an X-ray to see the bones or an MRI to see the muscles and ligaments around the
elbow.
An MRI is mainly indicated when the doctor thinks of surgery to release the ulnar nerve.
How do we treat cubital tunnel syndrome?
The first thing is to eliminate the cause of nerve compression.
If the person is using a keyboard, putting pressure on the elbow, or during sleep, then
we need to remove them.
If they continue, the nerve may become chronically damaged, and the person may lose the sensation
or motor control of the muscles.
When the person is working at a desk, it is important to relax the shoulders and avoid
an armrest that puts pressure on the elbow or a hard table top.
They may need to use a standing desk.
Applying a splint at night is helpful.
The splint has to prevent the elbow from bending at night.
You can make one at home, like this one.
Or you can buy it online.
I’ll put a link in the description of this video below.
You can find elbow splints that are not so expensive.
This is the elbow wrap you can use at night, and it doesn’t let you bend your elbow when
you sleep.
If the pain persists, especially in the elbow, you may apply a topical cream containing an
anti-inflammatory drug.
We don’t use steroid injections around the nerve because there is a risk of causing injury
to the nerve itself.
There is an exercise called ulnar nerve gliding or flossing.
The ulnar nerve gliding is not the same thing as nerve stretching.
Contrary to a muscle stretch, when you do a nerve gliding, you don’t want to push
too hard.
It would be best if you started slow, at your limit.
You start raising your arm.
Make the okay sign.
Now bend your wrist back and forth.
If this causes tingling, lower your arm a little bit.
And repeat the wrist movement.
Repeat this movement eight times.
The next day, you try this again, and if you can move a little higher, that is good.
Repeat this movement every day until you feel comfortable and do not have a tingling sensation.
Try to touch your face.
This is the birdman.
In the majority of cases, these simple changes will resolve the problem.
But some people will need to see a surgeon for nerve decompression.
Surgery is indicated when the nerve compression causes permanent damage to the nerve, the
person loses sensation, and the muscles become weak.
The surgery is simple.
However, the person will need to wear a splint and not use that arm for many weeks, usually
3 to 6 weeks.
If you know someone with cubital tunnel syndrome, send this video to them.
There is a share button below this video that you can use.
Don’t forget to send your comments and tell me what you think about this video.
Thank you for watching.
Goodbye