ulnar nerve surgery

November 13, 2007 at 02:45 AM · Is there anything else you can do? Physical therapy, yoga? It just seems like such an extreme solution!

November 13, 2007 at 03:01 AM · It's been popping and irritating me for about 6 years now and nothing I do stops it.

I even took a class in Alexander Technique...

I guess I don't mind an extreme solution, anything to play normally again!

November 13, 2007 at 11:00 AM · I had this problem about six years ago, on the left side rather than the right. I completely diagnosed and cured it using Google :) I don't remember exactly what I did or what it's called. Ulnar tunnel syndrome or something. I do remember one thing I did was quit playing for a month or so and also quit resting on my side, on that elbow. The gist of everything I read was baby it long enough for it to heal. It's the craziest feeling in the world. You cringe the whole time, because you know it's going to go. When it does it's this dull sensation, and half the time it includes sparks going down your arm. You might examine your bow hold. My bout with it had it's origin in a cramped way I'd started using my left fingers.

November 13, 2007 at 10:25 PM · You mean cubital tunnel syndrome? I've always lurked on these forums and never thought I'd post. Oh man. Ok...

I struggled with ulnar nerve compression in my left arm since the beginning of last year. Physiotherapy didn't work. It got so bad I had to stop playing, and I am currently out of music college.

I've had this surgery (anterior transposition, subcutaneous) in both arms, the left first, 67 days ago, and the right 18 days ago. My nerves didn't "pop" though, it turned out to be a "mechanical problem" in my left, a band of tissue trapping the nerve, while the right was trapped and compressed in the cubital tunnel. Symptoms in the right arm started about three months ago, (tingling in ring and pinkie fingers, nerve pain, loss of grip strength) and I wasn't about to struggle with it for another year.

Fortunately I had a really good surgeon and I have been meticulous with the follow-up (physio, scar massage, etc). I have slight numbness in the tips of the left ring and pinkie fingers but no nerve pain. I have scars on the insides of my elbows. The left pinkie is very slightly clawed, but doesn't feel stiff or clumsy on the fingerboard, and will probably eventually straighten back out. Both hands are moving well and getting stronger, and I am slowly returning to playing.

Apologies for the huge post.

November 14, 2007 at 01:48 AM · Thanks for the help Jim & Vivian.

Vivian - would you do it again? Do you think you'll play normally again? Also, did the recovery hurt?

November 14, 2007 at 09:59 AM · Given the choice I would do it again, though in my case I didn't really have a choice - it was a problem that physiotherapy or other forms of treatment couldn't fix. Had I left it, it would have kept getting worse and I wouldn't have had the chance to play again.

I think in time I will play normally again. I'm currently curious to see how I'm going by Christmas.

The recovery hurt but not badly. I was in a sling and a bandage for a week and took paracetamol and anti-inflammatories. The stitches in my right elbow were taken out last Friday. There is still a little nerve pain in my right arm but it's getting less over time.

I was given elbow stretches - the left took a month to get full movement back, but the right was a lot faster.

Oh, and I have a numb patch of skin on the back of each elbow. I didn't realise I was going to have that before the surgery, but I don't even notice it now.

Wow, this looks quite scary now I'm reading back over it. Sorry.

November 15, 2007 at 03:25 AM · That kind of reassures me. I'm not scared and I'm confident I will play again.

Scars really don't phase me. Thanks Vivian!