Health & Wellness Newsletter by Hands for Living
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SPECIALTY EXPERTISE For Shoulders, Arms, and Hands
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NEWSLETTER
“Funny Bone” Problems Are No Laughing Matter. Splinting and Treatment of Ulnar Neuropathy
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NEWSLETTER Living Hands for
SPECIALTY EXPERTISE For Shoulders, Arms, and Hands
“Funny Bone” Problems Are No Laughing Matter. Splinting and Treatment of Ulnar Neuropathy
Contact us to schedule an appointment! handsforliving.com Living Hands for
Do you notice the “funny bone” feeling when your elbow is bent while driving or holding the phone? Are you waking up at night with a numb ring finger or pinkie? You may be experiencing ulnar nerve neuropathy. Fortunately, our certified hand therapists know the solutions that work! The ulnar nerve travels from your shoulder to your ring and pinky fingers. The nerve passes under the bony bump on the inner aspect of the elbow (i.e., medial epicondyle). The nerve is relatively unprotected as it travels through this tunnel (i.e., cubital tunnel) and can be compressed between your bone and the skin. Pressure and/or injury to the ulnar nerve results in pain, tingling, or numbness in one or both hands. When you hit the ulnar nerve, we describe it as hitting our “funny bone.” Hitting the nerve sends sensations of tingling, numbness, burning, and/or pain down the inside of your arm to the ring and little fingers. If these symptoms persist or occur without hitting the nerve, you could
benefit from having a certified hand therapist assess your condition. What are the causes and risk factors associated with ulnar neuropathy? Persistent pain and tingling in the arm can disrupt our normal daily activities, including household chores, work responsibilities, and even sleep. For some, waiting too long leads to more severe problems like weakness and loss of function in the affected hand. Ulnar neuropathy is often the result of prolonged stretching or pressure on the nerve itself. When the arm is bent for a long time, the ulnar nerve is in a sustained, stretched position, creating tension, which decreases the blood flow to the nerve and causes nerve irritation. Compression on the nerve happens when you lean your elbow/arm against a table or due to repetitive movements in a bent position, such as a computer programmer. The key is identifying what you are doing at the time of your symptoms or what you did immediately
before you noticed the signs.
The key with hand therapy is to identify what patients are doing when their symptoms start. Hand therapists accomplish this by zeroing in on the activities or positions that provoke the symptoms.
The most common risk factors include:
• Obesity
• Diabetes
• Being over 40 years old
• Overhead throwing activities
• Work which involves prolonged elbow flexion or resting elbows on a hard surface Symptoms can sometimes be associated with other conditions such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and can be aggravated by alcoholism and smoking. Our hand therapists can help identify the solutions regardless of the cause. Article Continues Inside >>
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How Hand Therapy Helps Ulnar Neuropathies
Call today to schedule an appointment At Hands for Living, our certified hand therapists are experts at treating nerve- related injuries. We have proven success with using splints to help resolve ulnar neuropathy. Call today to schedule an appointment with one of our specialists and see if an ulnar nerve sprint is right for you!
Many cases of ulnar neuropathy can be treated without surgery. Our certified hand therapists will perform a comprehensive evaluation to determine the activities that bring on your symptoms. In more advanced and persistent cases, your hand therapist will modify your activity and recommend you use a splint to take the pressure off the nerve. The most common types of splints include: • Custom splints: These will be fabricated to ensure proper fit and function. They are primarily used to provide support, protection, pain relief, and function/mobility. • Elbow blocking: These splints use a strap behind your elbow to keep your elbow straight. • Elbow pads: These are the regular elbow pads that you can buy at any sporting goods store. Instead of wearing the pad on the back of the elbow, it is moved to the front of the
elbow, preventing the elbow from bending and thereby alleviating pressure on the nerve. As your condition improves, your therapist may teach you: • Range-of-motion exercises. Targeted exercises to restore mobility of muscles that may have shortened due to protective positioning. • Strengthening exercises. Improving strength in the surrounding muscles can help reduce pain and improve or restore function. • Nerve gliding exercises. You can mobilize the nerve to promote blood flow and healing. Our hand therapists will listen to your concerns and teach you ways to avoid positions that compress or put a prolonged stretch on the ulnar nerve. Our goal is to resolve your condition and prevent further re-injury.
We want to help you live pain-free, regaining and maintaining the ability to do the things that you love to do! Schedule your appointments TODAY.
handsforliving.com
Sources: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5690317/; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4896870/; https://emedicine.medscape.com/ article/1141515-treatment#d10; https://www.choosept.com/guide/physical-therapy-guide-cubital-tunnel-syndrome
Hand Exercise Relieve Hand Pain, Strengthen Hand
1.Hold your hand up with fingers straight. 2.Curl finger tips as shown. 3.Straighten fingers and thumb to make a “duck-bill.” HAND TENDON GLIDES
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2.
3.
www.simpleset.net
4.Curl fingers at middle joints as shown. 5.Curl finger tips into palm. At each interval, hold for 5 seconds. Repeat the entire exercise 10 times.
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Why Keeping Your Elbow Bent Can Be a Problem Do you notice your pinky getting tingly from holding your phone to your ear for long periods? Has your "funny bone" ever awakened you from a sound sleep? You can irritate your ulnar nerve as it travels through the cubital tunnel in the elbow. This syndrome can occur after prolonged cell phone use or holding your elbow in a bent position while sleeping. Pressure on the ulnar nerve occurs from having the elbow in a bent position for a long time, causing a stretching of the nerve across the bone. Many people can attest that having your arm in one position too long, whether using your smartphone or at night while sleeping, can lead to pins and needles, tingling, or aching pain in the forearm, hand, and outer fingers. Fortunately, the certified hand therapists at Hands for Living can help you find relief and teach you the tools you need to help you get back to pain-free function! Sources: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0972978X18302101 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6754212/ Have you ever banged your “funny bone?” The funny bone is your ulnar nerve, and when you hit it, you get that familiar painful tingling sensation at the elbow and, in some cases, all the way to the pinky. For some people, this nerve gets compressed, and that funny-bone sensation persists. Fortunately, our certified hand therapists at Hands for Living can help you find relief and get back to doing what you love! The cubital tunnel is located in the inner aspect of the elbow, where the ulnar nerve runs through on its way to supply the outer part of the hand and fingers. Cubital tunnel syndrome is where the ulnar nerve is compressed as it passes through the cubital tunnel. In most cases, hand therapy, activity modification, and bracing can help resolve this condition. At Hands for Living, our hand therapists are skilled at treating all types of pain and injuries to the upper extremities and can help you find relief! How an elbow pad or the Pil-O® cubital tunnel brace can help you Often the first step toward managing cubital tunnel conditions is using a brace. The purpose of a brace is to hold the elbow in a position that alleviates pressure on the ulnar nerve and simultaneously protects it. Pil-O cubital tunnel brace and an elbow pad are lightweight, highly adjustable splints that help keep the elbow in a neutral position. Regardless of the issues you are dealing with, our certified hand therapists at Hands for Living will assess your condition and design a bracing program to help keep you on the path to optimal recovery! Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0972978X18302101 Elbow Pad and Pil-O ® Cubital Tunnel Brace
Success Story
“When it’s time to ‘graduate’ from therapy, it’s like saying
‘goodbye’ to friends.” “I’ve had nothing but fantastic
experiences at Hands for Living! I went to them the first time nine years ago, and have been back again a couple of times for random hand issues. When it’s time to “graduate” from therapy it’s like saying goodbye to friends.” — Kim S.
Get Back To Living!
LYNNWOOD Hands for Living (425) 368-7943
NEW CLINIC! REDMOND Hand Therapy Northwest (425) 881-1921 www.handsforliving.com
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