OT - Cubital Tunnel Syndrome

In the process of getting my neck fixed, I had to undergo an EMG, wich also showed I have Cubital Tunnel Syndrome in my elbow. It is aggravated by sleeping with a bent elbow. Has anyone tried one of the night splints or any other therapy to help this out?

Years ago,I had to stop sleeping with bent elbows and this is what I did. Take lightly padded elbow pads and wear them backwards, so the padding is in the crook of your elbow. It works really well, is inexpensive, and easily obtained without a prescription.

retrodave15 wrote:In the process of getting my neck fixed, I had to undergo an EMG, wich also showed I have Cubital Tunnel Syndrome in my elbow. It is aggravated by sleeping with a bent elbow. Has anyone tried one of the night splints or any other therapy to help this out?

Cubital tunnel syndrome is an impingement of the ulnar nerve at the elbow. The pressure on the nerve is increased with elbow flexion. Certified hand therapists (specialized physical and occupation therapists) are trained to treat upper extremity conditions such as cubital tunnel syndrome. Your physician can give you a prescription to see a CHT. You can locate a CHT through this website. http://www.htcc.org/locate/index.cfm

retrodave15 wrote:In the process of getting my neck fixed, I had to undergo an EMG, wich also showed I have Cubital Tunnel Syndrome in my elbow. It is aggravated by sleeping with a bent elbow. Has anyone tried one of the night splints or any other therapy to help this out?

Does it bother you?

ughwhatname wrote:Years ago,I had to stop sleeping with bent elbows and this is what I did. Take lightly padded elbow pads and wear them backwards, so the padding is in the crook of your elbow. It works really well, is inexpensive, and easily obtained without a prescription.

Wow, what an excellent idea, I will have to remember that!
Before I started PAP therapy, I used to sleep with my hand put up by my head underneath my pillow (I would alternate through the night between left and right hands) and would often wake up with severe pain in my elbows, but I don't know if it was the start of Cubital Tunnel Syndrome or not. Since being on the hose, I sleep on my back almost the whole night (my Sleep Apnea is not positional, current 30 day AHI - 0.2), so I don't pull my hand up like I used to when I would sleep most often on my side.

John

I had this due to resting my left arm on a table when I was working on the computer. My left little finger was feeling this odd numb /tingling . I ended up putting a little pillow on the table for my elbow and it went away in a week. But I do have to watch when I am sleeping on my left how I put that arm.

When I follow up with the neurosurgeon who did my neck on the 3rd of December; he will be writing me a script for PT on therapy for the neck, I am going to see if he can refer me to someone about my elbow.

I looked at the night splints on ebay, but if I can get the insurance to pay for it I am going to go for it.

Very often the 'cure' for it is a transposition (little relocation a bit sideways from where it is into the natural groove where it's meant to go). It's a quick day surgery thing, small scar, couple of weeks of taking it easy, etc... but your doctor would have to be sure that's the problem, usually with an EMG (electromyography).