r/CubitalTunnel

I didn't wanna psyche myself out so I didn't read any horror stories. now I'm two weeks out from surgery and my symptoms are back, but worse and there's more of them. Read a bunch of accounts that the nerve decompression fucked up people's lives for good. I'm so scared. I had no idea this surgery is apparently infamous for going bad so often. I don't know what to do or how I'm gonna work. Been suffering for four years. God I hope I didn't just make it permanent

I’ve been on this Reddit for a while, all I see of how surgeries fail and people end up with bad outcomes. Reading all of it kinda makes me scared of surgery, should I need it. Are there any stories from people who had the surgery and things turned out for the better?

A couple weeks ago while lifting I noticed snapping in my triceps. I stopped going to the gym (since this is where my problems started) and my triceps are no longer snapping, but now every time I bend my right elbow I can feel my ulnar nerve snapping. This has been happening for the past couple weeks. I have noticed tingling when resting my elbow on hard surfaces. I have done my best to prevent bending and have been using a towel to keep my elbows from doing so at night but have noticed no improvement thus far.

I have talked to my regular doctor and a physical therapist and neither have given me any information whatsoever on how to improve my condition of give me a formal diagnosis. My parents have been unsuportive of me seeking medical attention because they don’t want to pay the medical expenses. Regardless, I have scheduled an appointment with an orthopest though this is a week or two away and only an assistant is avaliable.

I spend every waking hour worrying about my arms and nobody has been able to offer me any help thus far. I desparately want to go back to the gym and am terrified of losing functioning in my hands and having surgery most of all. The feeling of being alone in this struggle is driving me crazy so you have any advice or have experienced something similar to myself, please share.

Day 4 post op of the surgery, it was my first surgery in general and overall was way worse in my head. Actual procedure was really smooth, went under GA woke up had some pretty noticeable pain but they gave me some good stuff and that was not an issue, was home by late afternoon.

Day1-3 it was painful but nothing crazy just more tiring and getting to sleep was insanely frustrating but a lot better than before the operation when I did sleep with less interruption.

Currently it’s more frustrating as I still can’t do things like pick up a knife and I have been doing the exercises but I can only do them partially so my arm is effectively useless.

As the nerve woke up there were some crazy zaps and all sorts of weird feelings but again nothing that’s not manageable.

The deep muscle pain and pulling is pretty gross when it comes aswell

Overall if you’ve got it upcoming it’s really not as bad as you think but it’s not a fun experience by any means.

Happy to answer any questions (I might be slow I can only type with one hand lol)

I had my decompression surgery almost three weeks ago and so far, the tingling/numbness in my ring and pinky fingers, the aching feeling in my arm below the elbow, and the jolts of pain if I bend my elbow too much or too suddenly haven't really changed since the surgery. My doctor said I may not notice an improvement right away and I'm trying to be patient but I'm worried that it's just going to stay like that.

Did any of you have to get a transposition after a simple release didn't work? Thank you in advance!

I’m a 33F year-old hairstylist who was just diagnosed with cubital tunnel syndrome. I was on steroids for two weeks with minor success. The night brace added some comfort, but sometimes the pain still keeps me up at night. It’s the weirdest combination of pain, aching, numbness, and ,as described to my doctor, pop rock like sensations. I have to work but everyday is a struggle. The constant elbow flexion and hand movements are making down time all about icing and recovery. Was wondering if any hairstylist had the surgery and what the recovery process was like? Or any advice?

Just recently while I am at work, I noticed that my right pinky finger is numb. More on half of the pinky finger just don’t feel anything. I don’t really feel any tingling sensation like what I’ve mostly read here. I can also move the finger without any issues. It’s just really the numbness that is making me worried.

I’m just really getting a bit concerned since that feeling has been going on for more than a day now. Is this something that I should be concerned about? I am planning to get a check up from a general doctor tomorrow, but maybe should I wait for a few more days? Since maybe it might go away?

Has anyone else had a clear ultrasound? Apparently it didn’t show my nerve inflamed. It was also negative for subluxation but I couldn’t bend my elbow all the way during the exam due to pain/stiffness. It does snap out of place randomly.

I have an MRI coming up, but I’m curious if anyone had a clear ultrasound but further testing or surgery revealed cubital tunnel anyways.

It’s been over a year of this and my elbow keeps getting worse, I can’t even touch my face or put my hair up without extreme pain.

Got ulnar nerve subluxation in both my arms at 18 and I’ve got a date set for transposition surgery on my right arm. Had subluxation in my right arm for around 2 years, around 8 months in my left. I don’t feel pain, sometimes my elbow feels uncomfortable or unstable during some movements and I get pins and needs in my pinkey if my elbows are bent for a long time.

My surgery is also during A-Levels, I then have holidays after A-Levels and I don’t want my elbow to ruin them.

I’ve seen mixed experiences from other people and wonder if I delay surgery will nerve damage be caused? And how long after will I be able to write after the survey?

I first got bilateral cubital tunnel over 2 years ago. It took quite some time to go away because I'm on the computer 8 hours a day for work, but thankfully, I've been pretty clear for the past year. My EMG was clear and I just focused on awareness of the position of my elbows, some physical therapy, and taking it easy.

Well this past weekend I played Just Dance a Nintendo Switch game that had me moving my arms all around, and I'm right back to square one. I'm devastated. I had no discomfort while playing and only played for maybe 20 mins.

Is this it? Anytime I do an active activity with my arms I'm at risk of pissing these nerves off? How is it always both arms? If I should be asking for other testing, please let me know. i don't know where to go from here to kick this for good.

Swiping suffering from cubital tunnel for about 2 years now and because my job is very dexterity intensive with my hands having surgery is very risky because if it gets worse than I have now I could lose my entire livelihood so I've been having symptoms where I only get numbness at night when it's depressed but I have consistent and chronic pain in my hands almost all the time especially in my wrist I've been diagnosed with axon loss and demyelination in my hands via EMG but overall I've been able to maintain extremely high grip strength as an x powerlifter currently I'm sitting at 137 lb in my right hand which is the one that it's experiencing the ulnar nerve compression I used to be at about 147 for years ago well I don't think that's really contributing to some of the damage It is interesting that I'm wondering if I'm keeping some of the muscle loss at day

Anyone else have any experience with doing something like this I got the idea from my orthopedic who is measuring my grip strength at every single meeting

As the title says, I'm having a cubital tunnel transposition + carpal tunnel release tomorrow afternoon.

For the folks still contemplating, I will try to provide updates of my progress as I go through the recovery process.

Wish me luck !

I sincerely apologize for being so dramatic, but I'm really scared.

I know beforehand that the text will be long, I'll give a summary here at the beginning and end.

I apologize in advance because I know that many are much worse off than me and even so I am desperate, but please understand what I'm saying, I can't leave my family without help.

Summary: **Please, I mainly need prevention tips to avoid it getting worse. I have discomfort in the ring and little fingers of my dominant hand and occasionally feel pain along my arm, over the nerve.**

Well... I'm a 19-year-old man, and for a week now I've been feeling a strange sensation in my little and ring fingers of my left hand; to make matters worse, it's my dominant hand. I'm not the best at describing sensations, but it's something between numbness and weakness, although I don't feel either directly (I think). I also feel shocks when I lightly tap my elbow and nerve pain in my arm after exercise. The difference between my hands is very noticeable.

I would really appreciate help with prevention and treatment. I have a younger sister, my mother broke her kneecap and can barely stand for 2 hours, and my grandmother, in particular, is overworked and losing her vision more and more. I SIMPLY CANNOT HAVE ANY PROBLEMS, especially in my dominant arm. My family is not financially well-off; I'm the only one who saved money for an emergency, which has already run out because several other things have come up, such as TMJ, muscle pain, and back problems that I need to treat. I need to help them. Please, if anyone else can also share their story and recovery, I would also be grateful.

Summary 2 ** Please, I need help with prevention and avoiding worsening. I have a strange sensation in my ring and little fingers, and slight pain along my arm over the nerve.**

Thank you in advance for reading and any response. I believe prevention is the best medicine, and honestly, I'm almost ready to copy and paste this request into the TMJ subreddit.

I am nervous to get surgery out of fear that I'll never be able to lift heavy again, whereas for now weightlifting is not so bad and the real pain comes while laying down, sitting, working at a desk, etc. Worried about ability to play guitar. Don't know if it would be decompression or transposition.

It seems like 99% of experiences shared here are about the first few months of recovery, I never hear anything about long term outlook.

I had cubital tunnel release surgery a month ago and things have been fine but today all the sudden it sort of feels like I hit my elbow on something even though I didn’t. Anyone else experience this? What helped?

has anyone had atrophy onset in hands before or right before constant or almost constant numbness in pinky and ring finger?

So I have had hand numbness for 15 years. It only happens when playing video games or holding my phone. Normally I shake it out and feeling comes back.

This year I started handing burning pain from my elbow to ring and index finger. Got it checked and diagnosed with emg that I have cubital tunnel and mild damage. Met with surgeon and he basically said I am eligible but it's up to me based on my symptoms and tolerance.

It's been a year since and my hand feels rusty if that makes sense but overall I have no persistent numbness just the occasional when it's irritated.

I do have bouts of irritation and my arm burns a bit and coordination is off but nothing serious.

We did say mine is more complex and he will have to move the nerve to my bicep and it comes with risk.

I have snapping triceps as well.

I work in a very specialized profession that requires hand dexterity. Especially in my right hand and with my pinky specifically. Currently I have no issues but I am afraid of the long term as I am only 36. Think surgeon level precision and use of my hand. If it goes my entire lively hood is gone.

I know there are risks with the surgery and that scares me that I can come out worse than I am now

Have any of you worked with a surgeon who does decompressions in most cases?

I had major elbow trauma and a radial head replacement, and now have some cubital tunnel symptoms. No subluxation though. The hand surgeon I met told me she’d probably do transposition due to scar tissue. But I’m wondering if a different surgeon may prefer trying decompression first?

Any recommendations for surgeons that lean towards decompression?

Of course in the end, they may decide on transposition anyway, but I’m looking for someone who’ll give decompression a shot.