I have Cubital Tunnel Syndrome, when I tell someone this they usually say, don’t you mean, Carpal Tunnel. I want to scream, No I have Cubital Tunnel, why don’t I tell you about it.
Cubital Tunnel Syndrome is a disorder caused by compression of the Ulnar nerve at the elbow, The Ulnar nerve passes really close to the surface of the skin by the elbow or the funny bone. Is becomes damaged by repeated leaning on the elbow. It can be from the way you sleep, like putting your hands up under your face. I think, I got it from bring a grocery checker for several years.
Cubital tunnel effects the ring and little fingers, they become numb and painful. It can be really painful some times, I could not pick things up, and my arms would get very weak..
So I when to my doctor, he started me with a arm band, (like the ones you wear for tennis elbow). That did not help much, but it made a fashion statement. So we moved on to physical therapy and I use a TENS,(transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) unit. The TENS works to simulate the nerve with little tingling sensations, it really kind of fun. The physical therapy just made it hurt more. Both of these helped somewhat, but not for the long term. So we had to look at surgery to release the pressure from the nerve by moving it from the back of the elbow to front.
I did not take the idea of surgery lightly; this surgery only has a 85% success rate. And I have Cubital Tunnel syndrome in both hands; I knew I did not want both arms done at the same time. So we decided to do the right first, because it is the most damaged. This is a outpatient processor, so you go home soon after.
It wasn’t’t so bad and seem to help, so I had the left arm done, a few weeks later. I felt great! I was back to work and doing okay, for about a year when everything started hurting again. So at this point there is only one treatment and that’s more surgery! Since I could hardly use my hands I had no choice, and a few weeks later I had both arms done at the same time, because I knew what to expect. This surgery when pretty well and I was soon back to work. I did okay for a couple of years, then one morning I couldn’t’t pick up the comb.
By this time my doctor had moved to a different state. So I had to get a new doctor, who started me off with physical therapy, of course this did not work. So once again I was looking at surgery. This time he also, did surgery on my right wrist to release the nerve there. I few weeks later I had surgery on my left arm. About six weeks later I felt great.
Since I had my last surgery, ten years ago, I have had some trouble with my arms, but I have learned to live with it.
This disease has coated me dearly, I had to quit a job I loved, I can no longer stay on the computer as long as I would like. It takes me forever to write by hand and some days’ it really hurts just to move. I can not work in garden as long as I would like.
The Merck Manual of Medical Information was used as a reference
