Tag: Ulnar Nerve Entrapment

arthritis, Back Pain, Backcare, CHRONIC PAIN, FIBROMYALGIA, HEALTH, low back pain, pain, pain relief, Ulnar Nerve Entrapment

ULNAR NERVE SURGERY AND SPINAL FACET JOINT INJECTIONS…

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I have had a number of appointments this week with regards to my ulnar nerve decompression surgery next week. One appointment I had was with my pain consultant for a chat about my facet joint injections which are booked in for the end of the month. My consultant wanted to know how I had got on with the two he gave me last time to decide if this was how we were going to proceed this time and I was delighted to tell him how successful they had been.

However, when I told him about my ulnar nerve decompression surgery next week he advised me to cancel the facet joint injections for at least another six weeks after my decompression surgery. It was something to do with the reaction from surgery and the use of the steroid injection etc.

I also went for my pre-op appointment today for the usual bloods and a chat on what to expect before and after the surgery I am having next week. The staff were very pleasant and sympathetic and I explained my main problem being my spine and so I am having a nerve block with sedation so that I will be more comfortable. The last thing I want to do is feel the need to move myself when the surgeon is dealing with a nerve.

I am not feeling anxious about the surgery, I just want to get it sorted now and get on the road to recovery, in fact the delay in my spinal injections is bothering me more than the surgery but you have to be guided by the professionals on this. I am disappointed that I am unable to go to the Back Pain Show in Birmingham this year but unfortunately it’s a couple of days after my surgery so out of the questions.

I hope it won’t be long before I am back blogging regularly like I do at the moment but I realise that using only my left hand will make it a much longer process so my posts maybe a bit shorter than normal.

 

#Spoonie, arthritis, Back Pain, chronic illness bloggers, CHRONIC PAIN, FIBROMYALGIA, HEALTH, low back pain, pain, pain relief, Ulnar Nerve Entrapment

MY SURGERY FOR ULNAR NERVE ENTRAPMENT…

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After suffering since December with numbness and tingling in the small and ring fingers, and pain in the elbow and fingers, I tried all the conservative methods to heal my problem but it just got worse.  Ulnar nerve entrapment is also called cubital tunnel syndrome and ulnar tunnel syndrome. It’s the second most common nerve entrapment after carpal tunnel syndrome. It can cause numbness, tingling and/or pain in the arm and certain fingers. The condition is caused by compression or irritation of the ulnar nerve.

I saw an Orthopaedic consultant last month who felt it was a trapped ulnar nerve in my elbow and sent me for some nerve conduction tests to confirm his findings. I went back for my results yesterday and it was clear that I have a trapped nerve which needs surgery. I was told that if I decided to leave the surgery then I could run the risk of impaired hand function so I have to have the surgery.

My surgeon will make a cut over the back of your elbow on the inner side. He will cut any tight tissue that is compressing the nerve. Sometimes they may need to remove a piece of bone, or move the nerve so that it lies in front of the elbow, but that will be decided on the day of surgery.

The goals and potential benefits of surgery include:

  • Relief of neural compression
  • Pain reduction
  • Prevention of further deterioration

The chance of obtaining a significant benefit from surgery depends upon a wide variety of factors, and in some it can take a while to recover, but with it being my right hand I just need to get the operation done and hope it all improves.

 

#Spoonie, Back Pain, Backcare, CHRONIC PAIN, FIBROMYALGIA, HEALTH, low back pain, pain, Ulnar Nerve Entrapment

FIBROMYALGIA AND ULNA NERVE ENTRAPMENT – ARE THEY CONNECTED?…

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Back in January I wrote how I had been suffering from pins and needles in my right pinky finger and second finger and my GP had said she thought it was probably a trapped Ulnar Nerve.

A trapped Ulnar Nerve is caused when the surrounding tunnel between the forearm muscles becomes too tight. The ulnar nerve goes round the back of the inner side of your elbow (sometimes called your funny bone). It then goes through a tight tunnel between the forearm muscles. If the tunnel becomes too tight it can cause pressure on the nerve, usually resulting in numbness in your ring and little fingers – called cubital tunnel syndrome.

I was told to apply anti inflammatory gel twice a day and if it was no better in four weeks to go back and see my GP. During the four week period I also had my lumber spinal injections so my pain consultant suggested I go straight to see his Physiotherapist as she could treat me conservatively with massage and exercises. At my second visit to the Physiotherapist it was obvious that it was very bad and she felt that I should go back to my pain consultant to talk about some pain relief. It has now reached the stage where I cannot drive, cannot use the computer upstairs as I cannot work the mouse without pain and the pain during the night is waking me up regularly.

I booked a telephone conversation with my pain consultants nurse yesterday and she pointed out that firstly it was a new problem so I would have to see my pain consultant first and secondly that because I am having regular steroid injections in my lumber spine it would mean that I am not allowed some in my arm. I was given an arm splint which I am using all the time as it’s my right hand which is always doing one thing or another.

I then decided that I would research this problem to see if there was anything I could do in the meantime to help it heal and it is apparently a very very common compalint. Resting the arm with the trapped nerve is obvious but not being able to write and go onto the internet on my laptop would be heartbreaking for me so I am just trying to pace myself a little. I also noticed that when I put this condition into google that quite a few came up with ‘Fibromyalgia’ in the description so I looked further into the problem and low and behold it is quite a common complaint for people who are suffering from Fibro.

The trouble is that the nerve actually comes from your neck and so the nurse I spoke to yesterday said the consultant would definitely want to check out my neck first which of course has had two previous surgeries to it and has another prolapsed disc under the previous fusion. I can now see that the chances are this new problem is related to all my spinal and Fibro problems and I will just have to try and be patient until I know the outcome of it all.