According to Wikipedia, I have cubital tunnel syndrome, although the orthopedist I saw this morning didn't describe it as such.
I've had a pain in my left elbow for quite some time now; probably over a year and a half (probably closer to 2 years) that although not severe, has become quite annoying to me. I finally decided to see my family doctor about this about two weeks ago and they suggested I see an orthopedist about it and setup an appointment for me. They said it would probably take some physical therapy or a cortisone shot - that didn't seem to bad to me.
My appointment this morning was pretty quick; I got an x-ray of my elbow and saw the doctor for probably less that five minutes. He asked me if I had any numbness in my hand, and I realized that I did. He immediately said we should setup an appointment for surgury to move the nerve. Woah!
Tiffany and I are expecting another baby sometime around the end of this month, so I elected to wait a bit to schedule the appointment to see how Tiff's recovery goes, but after reading some articles about this syndrome it doesn't seem like something I want to let go too long as it can lead to muscle wasting in the hand. I'll probably set it up for November or December.
Your lesson for the day: don't let those minorly annoying but nagging pains go on for too long. This probably could have been treated with ibruprofin, physical therapy, and/or cortisone shot if it was treated early, but the prolonged wear on the nerve pretty much makes surgury the only option for fixing this before it gets worse.
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I'm sure it is just minor surgery Doug, so don't worry about it. Maybe you should get a second opinion? Either way, look after it and yourself!
Yeah, it's outpatient. I just feel stupid for not having it looked at before this became the only option. I need to check out my work environment to make sure things are setup well (like get a chair that the height adjustment works) so I avoid other RSIs.
When we come over to see Jared, you need to show me where it hurt. My elbows have little pains too ... do you think yours came from leaning on your elbow while working?
Yeah, it definitely did come from years of leaning on my elbow while sitting at a desk (I wouldn't necessarily say while "working" since it's typically while reading blogs and emails ;).
Hello, I stumbled upon this entry from an internet search. I had my ulner nerve surgically moved in my right arm 4 years ago. My surgeon told me that it was a common procedure that always went well. I have had serious complications from the surgery, including increased numbness and irritation, leading to an inability to finish school, work most jobs, and complete daily tasks without pain and discomfort. Surgically messing with your nervous system is serious business. Please, please, get a second or third opinion. Pursue physical therapy or other routes that are less invasive before you do something that can affect your health for the rest of your life. Best of luck to you.