Ulnar nerve release?

Hello,

I just had an ulnar nerve release after struggling with entrapped nerve for over a year. I'm 2 weeks post op and it feels pretty good. MD says I can start climbing again in a week.

Has anyone else here had this done? Recovery time? I"m hoping to go to Yosemite the last 2 weeks of October.

Thanks!
-D

I have issues with mine so please keep us posted as to how you do - I may have to see about it someday.

Djamer, I'm assuming you had it released at the elbow? Did they translocate(move) the nerve to the forearm? Were you having numbness/tingling at your fingers? I had mine translocated 2nd to a 25 old injury at the elbow pinching the nerve there. By the time I noticed the problem (tingling/numbness) some permanent damage had been done. I did recover some sensation but still ended up losing some hand strength. It took about 9-12 months for the tingling to decrease but was able to climb 4-5 weeks out from surgery.

Chris, Have you had a MD look at your nerve problem? Don't wait too long as permanent damage to the nerve could occur resulting in sensation loss/decrease muscle strength! They can do a nerve conduction test but I would err on the side of caution on this issue.

I had some ulnar nerve problems (numbness in the pinky and third finger), along with several other nerve problems elsewhere, that were greatly mitigated by taking magnesium supplements (chelated, not the oxide). You can really feel the size of your ulnar nerve, and mine shrunk to about half the size it used to be, and completely stopped giving me problems.
I also had foot neuropathy, and Tinel's sign in about 6 different places, and ankle clonus. Mg wasn't a total cure for everything, but it really made a difference to many of my nerve problems.
BTW, my older brother had the ulnar nerve translocation operation (to his forearm), and it went well, with no complications. He waited a bit too long, and his nerve was somewhat damaged. I always wondered if he could have avoided all that by taking the Mg. He never took my suggestions (me being his little brother), but his elbow nerve felt exactly like mine did before I took the supplements i.e. too big for the groove.

I did have some numbness/tingling. I also had pain in the elbow above right around the nerve itself.

Mine was not translocated. In a release the connective tissue around the nerve at the elbow is cut away to make more room for the nerve. It is a much less invasive surgery than the translocation. It is comparable to a carpal tunnel release in the wrist.

I'll look into the Magnesium. Thanks!

Same boat...i'm not sure if it's from climbing, desk job or guitar playing but it's been a pain in the *ss lately. Not even sure of the correct nerve, but it's the outside of the elbow.

What type of doctor does one go for this type of issue? I've got the numbness in my right thumb, and the general nerve pain right at the elbow.

Didn't realize you could get nerve damage. Going to buy some MG right now!

Anyone recommend a good doctor in Boulder, CO?

looking up some stuff on youtube for those sufferers.

youtube.com/watch?v=d85QKyW…

Just as an FYI I started using the chelated magnesium about a month ago. Noticed a difference in about 2 weeks and by about a month I'd say 90-95% if not more of the inflammation was gone. Now I just need to remember to make PT part of the daily regimen.

Lifesaver.

What's the deal with Magnesium? Is this based on good science?

I'm having this done tuesday in Denver..I had an EMG test to confirm and it's also complicated by some arthritis tophi pressing,,those are coming out as well.

The Doc, who climbs a bit says 3 weeks ? Any thoughts ?

I also have carpal, but that doesn't seem as bad.

surgery went ok, longer though because of so much goutjunk. it had calcified to the skin.

I wanted to bump this thread since ulnar nerve release is being recommended to me. I've had some numbness in the palm on the pinky side for quite some time. I had a nerve conduction study done and the diagnosis was some ulnar nerve neuropathy. The neurologist has been somewhat helpful - she classifies it as pretty light ulnar nerve neuropathy. I've done ~6 weeks of PT and the main thing that seems to help a ton is neck stretches. I still have numbness but don't know if it's going to last forever. 

To those who got the surgery: what made you want to do it? What age did you get the surgery? My main hesitation is the numbness is never truly a 4 or 5 on a scale of 1-10 for pain. Just a good 1-2. I can't tell if I should just get the surgery now before it gets worse, or continue to wait and see if I can fix it with PT. What sort of timeline did the ulnar nerve issue have in terms of severity? For example, did it get bad in a couple weeks and stay bad? Gradually worsen over a year? Where was the numbness, the whole forearm or elbow or just the fingers? I know that's a ton of questions but surgery (for me at least) seems intense. 

In terms of PT I had some dry needling done, lots of various stretches. The ulnar nerve flossing doesn't seem to help as much as neck stretches oddly enough. 

I went ahead and ordered the magnesium supplements. 

LiamB wrote:

Hey,

This strikes a chord for me. I've suffered chronic tendonitis for 5 years, and I broke my radial head  last year and since the New year have been struggling with on/off nerve issues and what feels like a ghost tendonitis that sort of makes its way around my forearm/elbow/tricep. One thing that has REALLY helped me is pressure point massage on my back, particularly on the spine side of my scapula and in the meat of my shoulder where the nerve runs down. I use a theracane until i'm sore and i I feel/hope/wish it does a good job of releasing some of the tension. I've also tried to be more aware of my arm positioning while driving(out the window or hanging between my legs and had to relearn how to not sleep with my arms curled underneath me. Since my cause seems to be from particular trauma, It's helped a lot to do consistent tendon work, like eccentric exercises. My tingling numbness has mostly subsided but I still frequently have a "weak" sensation... I'm not inclined to get a surgery, nor have I been to a doctor to consider it. My chiropractor has made suggestions and attempts but it's tough to say what's worked or not. 

It was really bad right before a trip to J tree this spring. I brought some turmeric and my ArmAid and hoped for the best. A steady diet of crack climbing, relaxation, and the desert actually did wonders for me. As soon as I got home and back in my car it acted back up....

Have you gone through your daily tedium to consider if there's  overuse behavior you're not aware of yet? My sleeping position made a HUGE difference in my ulnar sensations... 

Thanks for your input Liam. I am sure there are things that contribute to the numbness. For sleeping position - my issue is I have no idea how to change my sleeping position. I think what you mention does make sense, but knowing what may or may not affect it is difficult for me. A lot of the massaging you mention I've tried with not much help. Specifically: lacrosse ball on my back and the same scapula area you mention. 

It's interesting that you mention crack climbing as helping. I have gotten my ulnar nerve issues since I started crack climbing. I'm not sure if it's due to how much I lock off while trad climbing, but when my ulnar nerve pain is serious I get a sharp pain when I make a hand jam.