Cubital Tunnel Syndrome. Get it better yourself !
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- čas přidán 22. 07. 2021
- Cubital Tunnel Syndrome and Guyon's Canal Syndrome are compression neuropathy conditions involving the ulnar nerve. Common symptoms are tingling and numbness in little and ring fingers of the hand. The conditions occur when the ulnar nerve is compressed or irritated at the inner elbow or the wrist. This video aims to provide information about cubital tunnel syndrome and guyon's canal syndrome by answering the 3 most common questions asked by people who have been diagnosed with these condition :-
1) What is it ?
2) Why do I have it ?
3) What can I do about it ?
Links to other videos mentioned can be found here:-
1) Introduction to my channel • Introduction to my Cha...
2) Carpal Tunnel Syndrome • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome...
3) Exercises for Cubital Tunnel Syndrome • 3 Great Exercises to M...
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A suitable night splint can be found here amzn.to/3dvflbI
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Disclaimer
These videos provide general information related to various medical conditions and their treatment. They are intended for informational purposes only and are not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis or treatment provided by a doctor or other qualified health care professional. The information provided does not constitute personal advice or guarantee of outcome and should not be used to diagnose yourself or others. You should never ignore advice provided by a health care professional because of something you have seen or read on this channel. You should always consult a doctor or other qualified health care professional for personal medical advice.
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Thank you so much for making this!
Thanks for your time to make this.
No problem. I hope it was helpful.
Excellent service to suffering humanity. Thanks.
Great, video. Very well explained. Thank you!
You’re very welcome. Thanks for commenting.
Great video, most compressive on the net i found. Been just about 4 weeks now, your right its a slow process.
Thanks for commenting James. I’m glad you found it helpful. Yes it can be slow but the majority do get better within 9-12 months. Hope yours follows this trend 🤞
I find this super helpful! I have this condition. Thank you so much
You’re very welcome. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Best wishes. Stephen.
Great video . Really explains situation and treatment options
My patient had it today and I loved this video. Thank you! Very informative.
That’s great. I’m glad it was helpful. Thanks for letting me know. Best wishes. Stephen.
Thank you very much for such a great explanation & treatment options for cubical tunnel syndrome! Very helpful. Will try your exercises as well!
You’re very welcome. I’m glad you found it helpful. Thanks for the kind comment.
Very useful , thanks so much !
You’re welcome. I’m glad you found it helpful.
You are very welcome. I hope you find it helpful.
Thank you very helpful
Thanks for taking the time to comment Maxine. I’m glad you find it helpful. Best wishes. Stephen.
What a fantastic and through video. I really appreciated the origin, causes and exercises to help alleviate this condition. Thanks so much.
Thanks. Glad it was helpful!
Thanks
I woke up with the tingling a week ago and it terrifys me. (I have a horrible sleeping posture + live on the computer) Its quite mild but I'm on anti-inflammatories, night splinting, praying, and trying everyday to make it stop but no one has told me how long it'll take to see improvement until you. I was getting nervous after no progress this week. 9 Months?! Thats so long! But...you've given me hope to avoid surgery. Thank you.
You’re welcome. The vast majority of people with this condition will get better but the elbow splint is important in making this happen. Good luck and best wishes.
did you recover?
I'm in the exact same boat
Thanks for the detailed explanation, I have been having this problem for about 4 months now. And you are the first phycisian to say anything about the 'actual' indicated time to heal. Here in The Netherlands I was first told it could take 6 weeks, then 3 months, then 6 months.. I am seeing a lot of progression using the exercises I found online which are quite like yours. I will try the Ibuprofen gel soon, hope to recover without surgery, as I am a professional guitarist and I haven't hit a string in 4 months now. Once again, thanks for the detailed vid, cheers!
Good news that it’s improving. I see this a lot in string musicians, violin particularity but also guitar. It’s the prolonged periods of time in a flexed elbow position. Maybe look at your technique too and see if any changes might help prevent and further episodes. Best wishes. Stephen.
how are u now , is it better ?
@@aouadimohamed1674 is your better now too??
Very helpful. Was diagnosed with both. Am having surgery next week on both my elbow and wrist. Have a lot of muscle atrophy and weakness, This video put together a lot of pieces I needed to know. I have a great micro-surgeon. I am hopeful.
Hope it goes well Bob. All the very best. Stephen.
how it went??
Best piece of information I’ve come across to date, concerning the extreme but intermittent pain to the outside of my little finger. Thank you for making your video and suggested treatments.
You’re very welcome. I’m glad you found it helpful.
Im in the north west too.🙂 Thankyou such a informative and helpful video.
Glad it was helpful!
Really excellent 😊job
Thank you 🙏
Hello Doctor! Thank you for the amazing video!
I think I have had this condition in both arms since December. From September to February, I had a job that required me to be on the computer all day. My posture and ergonomics were terrible then. Additionally and until recently, I would go to the gym 3 times per week and do heavy compound lifts that required repeated elbow bending.
My only symptom is waking up in the middle of the night with numb fingers. When I straightened my arm, everything goes back to normal within 30 seconds. I have never had any numbness or tingling while preforming any of my daily activities. Only sleeping causes issues.
In the past 6 weeks, I have definitely noticed a decrease in the frequency of symptoms. This is because I cut out my gym time and most of my computer time. When I sleep with the splints on, I sleep soundly and experience no numbness in either of my hands ~90% of the time.
Sadly, when I choose to sleep without the splints, the numbness returns about 50% of the time. Is this a bad sign? Or, should I continue with my current path of activity modification and night splinting until I hit 9-12 months of consistent night splinting and activity modification? When will I know I can ditch the night splints and go back to my normal activities?
I really want to avoid surgery because my symptoms are minor and I am only 23!
Thanks for a very helpful video! All the best, Doctor!
Yes your symptoms sound very much like cubital tunnel syndrome. If things are improving then I would continue with your current regime and keep using the night splints. Once you’ve had a few weeks with no symptoms at all then you could try leaving the splints off and see whet happens. If symptoms return then it’s back on with them again. At 9 months, if it’s not resolved then you have a decision to make about surgery. It is a minor procedure that usually works well. Good luck with it.
This is amazing explanation man, you are awesome !
Went through a lot of videos but nobody was as articulate as you
Thanks for this !
Thanks v much for your kind comment. Much appreciated. I’m pleased that you found the information helpful. Best wishes. Stephen.
Thanks for your video, it is very helpful. Does applying heat or ice helps?
If you can’t use anti-inflammatories then the regular use of Ice to the inside of the elbow might help. Heat can help with local elbow pain relief but won’t do anything to help with nerve compression / inflammation. My website summarises the best treatment evidence
www.physiomsk.com/2022/03/cubital-tunnel-syndrome.html?m=1
Thank you for all these exercises! I appreciate them, this video was helpful and intertaining as well :). Something that happen to me it's that my pinky finger hides behind my ring finger (the palm side), it's like it wanna go behind when I close my hands. I had tennis elbow before and I don't know if it can have some relation.
I can’t see the finger issue being related to tennis elbow but the nerve involved in the condition supplies the interosseus muscles which sit between the ring and little finger and help control their movements. So this is not an unusual situation for cubital tunnel syndrome.
Very good info. Like others have noted, this video provides actual useful info about prognosis and time to heal. Thank you. Is there any way to determine if the condition is cubical tunnel syndrome vs futon’s canal syndrome? Thank you
Hi. I presume you mean Guyons canal syndrome. Yes there are a few ways. 1) they may have local elbow or wrist pain or a history of local elbow or wrist injury. 2) the symptoms would tend to be aggravated by elbow flexion positions and often worse at night / early am if cubital v worse with direct wrist pressure or wrist flexion positions if guyons. 3) cubital = paraesthesia often on both palmer and dorsal surfaces of little (and 1/2 of ring) finger v just palmer side in Guyons. 4) nerve conduction tests. Hope that helps.
@@PhysioMSK Yes I was referring to Guyon’s, My spellchecker didn’t like the word and must have auto-corrected. Yes very helpful response and again very useful info that is surely to help viewers and readers alike. Thank you! I have had a previous wrist injury on the ulnar (pinky) side 4 years ago. Pinky finger and half of ring finger is also affected. Pinky finger seems it’s also affected on both dorsal and palmer sides but ring finger only affected on palmer side. My palm and pinky also exhibiting swelling from inflammation. No pain or discomfort on my wrist when touched but when I press into ulnar nerve on elbow, it’s sensitive and radiates down to the pinky finger. I believe mine to be CTS even though I had a previous wrist injury. I have been leaning on the elbow a lot recently and I may vaguely remember that I may have banged the elbow ulnar nerve acutely several weeks ago where it may have been damaged/injured. We’ve all hit our “funny” nerve in the elbow so many times that it’s easy to dismiss it….until you experience the chronic pins and needles sensation and inflammation in the pinky and ring finger. That being said I thank you for the additional info and the mention of a possible recovery timeline of up to 9 months in your video. Thank you again!
Great video. Like others have experienced neither my doctor or the two physiotherapists I have seen gave me ANY indication of how long this can take to recover from. One question I do have, not mentioned in the video, is your opinion regarding shockwave treatment for cubital tunnel syndrome to accelerate recovery.
I should also mention that none of the so-called medical professionals I have seen have ever mentioned a night-time splint. Only by my own online searching and reading has it become apparent to me that this highly recommended.
Thanks for the kind comment. Regarding shock wave … absolutely not. This is a nerve compression problem and a shockwave probe has no business anywhere near it. It would just cause further compression and irritation. Shock wave is for tendonopathy or fasciopathy. Nothing else. Best wishes. Stephen.
@@PhysioMSK Thank you for the incredibly quick reply. I've had a terrible time here in Canada trying to get a coherent treatment plan. I also have tendonitis and my second physio did shockwave not only on that but also on my ulnar nerve. My experience was that it made my ulnar worse for about four days but then it seemed to really improve and ended up better than before the treatment. I was hopeful until I greatly aggravated the nerve a week ago chopping a load of hard vegetables (cursing myself for doing that). So I now feel like I'm back where I was months ago.
I did read about a Chinese study from 2018 "Extracorporeal shock wave therapy in cubital tunnel syndrome: A pilot study" that concluded that shockwave was quite beneficial for cubital tunnel. But, that's just one study and how reliable it is I obviously have no idea.
My GP has been fairly useless. Just wants to prescribe me medication / medical treatments. Voltaren gel to start and now saying that the only other thing she can do for me is to order a cortisone shot!!! Not doing that unless a specialist tells me it is necessary and will work.
In the meantime I have ordered a night-time splint and will keep doing the exercises.
Thank you so much. You just helped me diagnose myself.
I'm going to try the ibuprofen gel for sure.
So will heat or ice help at all?
Unlikely. But it won’t do any harm so try and see.
Hi, Stephen, great video! Our son is a baseball pitcher. We have seen many experts, but no one can figure out his issue. Can we speak with you?
I’m sorry but I don’t do personal consultations online. If you think he has this condition and it doesn’t improve with the self treatments suggested then he needs to see an upper limb orthopaedic surgeon.
I have used water wings (the kind that kids wear when they are learning how to swim) over my elbows to prevent my arms from bending when I sleep at night. It takes a while to get used to it, but they definitely work. I used them for a few months and this helped alleviate all my symptoms. Wear them with long sleeves or I cut the toes out of long socks and put them on first before putting on the plastic water wings. Water wings are a cost effective alternative to the splints.
I hope that this is a helpful tip.
That’s an excellent suggestion & I will definitely be sending suggesting this for my patients. Thanks v much for sharing.
Thanks for the video! Can this also be causing pain the the forearm (inside mostly) and major pain in the wrist area (but not carpal tunnel)?
Yes. Because the 2 main pinch points for this nerve are the inside Ste of the upper forearm / elbow and the palm/little finger side of the wrist BUT this condition is not often painful. The main symptom is pins & needles and numbness. Might be worth a rethink. There can be lots of causes of wrist pain, most commonly arthritis and tendonitis.
Hi, I’ve been suffering with my left elbow for around 4/5 months now, increasingly getting steadily worse and is now interrupting my work and day to day life. I’m a hairdresser and have been in the trade for 25 years, could this problem be the result of repetitive strain? I’m planning on going to the doctor next week as nothing I’m doing is helping in the sense of pain relief, Im really nervous that I’ll have to stop working and give up my job due to it. Thank you for your video and advice I’ll definitely be following your tips!
Yep. Best if you see your doctor. There are many different causes of elbow pain and this particular condition is one of the less common ones. Tennis and golfers elbow are far more common in hairdressers (see my other videos about this) but you’d need to be assessed.
When you refer to a "clinician", which profession is the correct one to diagnose and treat (hopefully non-surgically)? thanks.
Someone with an MSK expertise. eg. A physiotherapist / physical therapist.
I wanted to thank you . I have been following your clinical advice for a week , night bracing , nerve gliding and using anti inflammatory gel . My symptoms are much better and I can feel it is healing
That’s great news Maxine. I appreciate you letting me know. Best wishes. Stephen.
how is your situation now can u please update
how are you now? please update
Had CTS for about 8 months, awaiting referral, muscle wastage has occurred and my grip is weak and I can no longer play guitar, looking for ways to mitigate whilst I chase the referral, probably caused by sleeping on my arm and keyboard work.
Keep us updated please 🙏
@@pjwils6339 had nerve-release surgery approx 6 months ago and regaining some muscle control/feeling, not 100% but much better than it was
Hi, could you please tell me if you think that rheumatoid arthritis could cause this condition?
RA is a risk factor for neuropathy, so yes, it could be a contributing factor.
@@PhysioMSK thank you for the reply 👍👍
I've had surgery to repair these nerves on both arms and I am still in severe pain. Any suggestions for relief
Are you sure the diagnosis is right? Have you had nerve conduction tests and a neck MRI ?
Please advice me how to regain wasted muscle in my palm caused by ulnar cubital syndrome
It will only strengthen once the nerve is functioning normally again. You might need nerve conduction tests and EMG in order to determine this. If the nerve has recovered then the muscle will usually return over time with normal hand use.
Can i resolve with these exercises if i have this problem since 2 years? Or is too late? :(
Because i play the piano...
Trying your exercise i feel better, maybe i can resolve my issue forever someday? I hope yes..
Thanks doctor, i wish you the best
You might be able to resolve the symptoms using the exercises if the condition if fairly mild. The elbow night splint also helps a lot so I would advise using this. Good luck & all the best. Stephen.
Hi doctor. My case involves pain in the area below the elbow with little finger numbness after I do glide excercises. I suspect it comes from leaning on the table and arm bending from computer use. Can simple every day tasks like showering, brushing, or eating set back our recovery? Could routine glide exercises make the recovery faster than 9 months?, and could a "mild" case get worse even if you do the exercises or change your arm bending routine?
Great questions. Yes, simple every day tasks involving elbow bending can irritate the nerve, especially if its swollen within the cubital tunnel or if you were just born with a small cubital tunnel. Gliding exercises can help speed up recovery, especially if the nerve isn't badly squashed (ie your symptoms are intermittent). A mild case would only be expected to worsen if you continued to irritate the nerve, usually by sleeping with a bent elbow or by direct pressure through the medial elbow. The vast majority of mild cases will fully resolve over 6-9 months.
Best wishes. Stephen.
What does it mean with you have both??? Cubical and ulnear ???
It’s possible but … it might be an indication that your nerves are susceptible to neuropathy. I would want to check blood tests to look for an underlying metabolic cause - and nerve conduction tests to confirm the diagnosis.
Hi. I don't have any tingling/pain, but my ulnar nerve snaps when I extend my arm even without any weight. Is treatment the same? Or is this sth else?
Yes this is quite common. It’s a subluxing ulnar nerve. If it’s not painful and the ulnar nerve is functioning normally then it’s fine to leave alone. If it’s bothering you then yes, surgery, usually via ulnar nerve transposition, is the only option.
I had .its and pain in both hands especially at night I bought wrist supports two different types but it did not work but I I eventualy found a cure that worked for me I cut off two sleeves from a woolly jumper and pulled them up each arm and then put gloves on both hands and pulled the sleeves half way across the gloves making shur e the sleeves still cover the elbows then when you are in bed lie on your side and put a pillow across you chest and lie one arm on top of the pillow and one arm under the pillow make sure both arms are under the bed cloves as keeping them worm is most important and speaking for myself I sleep lik the dead
Great bit of ingenuity there ! Now you know why wrist splints would never work. Only elbow supports would have a chance at improving symptoms.
I'm really thankful for this video. I'm american and currently job searching and uninsured. I can't afford to see a doctor, let alone a specialist right now. I'm going to try this advice first , but if it doesn't start to feel better soon, I'll just bite the bullet and see a doctor
Gotta love playing softball year-round for 11 years, daily frisbee games, side sleeping with my arms curled, having a major funny bone trauma in my youth (right in the nerve and my arm was numb all day), and then picking up needle felting. I really love needle felting, but I think that's what really made my nerve act up :( I'm only 27 too 🥲
I’m glad you find it helpful. Yeh the needle felting is likely the thing that tipped it over the edge. I hope it settles down for you. Best wishes. Stephen.
sir no metter how much thank you i tell you it is not enough. but you are bhagvan you explining way is much better then any body in ytube no doctor will explain in clinic like you do let me tell bhagvan has send you on this earth for spcialy purpose. sir bhagvan means in my indian lagauge is god. forgave me my english is not good
Thank you for the kind comment. This is exactly why I make these videos. It’s good to know they are appreciated.
If i have it, can i continue to go to the gym
Just avoid exercises that bend the elbow fully.
I have pain in my ring finger, how do i know which sydrome it is 😭😭😭
If it’s a pain, rather than a tingling feeling then it’s unlikely to be cubital tunnel syndrome. Have a look at some of my other videos which look at different causes of hand and finger pain.
Can an over-extending elbow impact/cause the condition?
Hi Chris. If you’ve got muscle wastage then you probably need the surgery. Especially if it’s not improving by know. I would as like whoever referred you to try abs expedite your referral stating that you now have hand muscle wastage.
Impact to the medial elbow (either a single incident or repetitive minor incidents) can certainly cause the problem. While you are waiting to be seen, the best thing you can do is use a cubital tunnel elbow brace every night. This will help to offload the nerve and reduce symptoms / encourage recovery. I hope you get it sorted.
Best wishes
Stephen.
@@PhysioMSK many thanks for responding Stephen, just for clarity my elbow has never received a knock, but is and always has been hyper-mobile, it bends too far back when I 'straighten' it, just wondered if this hyper-mobility could have affected or contributed to the condition. Good video though, I've learned another 2 exercises to add to my regimen!
Hi Chris. Presuming you have normal ulnar nerve anatomy then hyperextending elbows shouldn’t be a problem as far as I’m aware. Some people do have unusual anatomical variations though, including one where the nerve sits outside of the cubital tunnel and could therefore potentially by under some stress during hyperextension. You’d only know this with an MRI or ultrasound scan though.
@@PhysioMSK thank you!
@@PhysioMSK Doctor, when extending and joining the arm, the nerve comes out of the cubital tunnel. What do you advise me?
Summary:
Ulnar nerve gets caught in elbow area gets caught under synovial sheaths retinaculums as result of excess elbow flexion or compression or trauma
working with bent elbows crafting
pain in medial elbow funny bone
innervates little finger and half of ring finger
Intermittent tingling
more at night
more in diabetics and mal nourished
grip weakness and
muscle weakness in fingers more severe
wartenbergs sign cannot adduct pinkey
guyons canal can compress ulnar nerve at wrist
check sensation of fingers in affected 2 fingers
tap area of elbow tinels test for shooting pain. Ckmpare w other elbow
stop excess elbow flexion
cubital splint
You got it 👍