Ulnar nerve damage

[Yuck]

6 months ago my index was under 1, I was the reigning club champion, and had a nice 68 and 69 to close out July. I have had bad patches before, since I have very little talent, my game goes south when I do not practice, but this time I am worried. I damaged my ulnar nerve, (think funny bone), which has left my left pinky and part of my left ring finger numb, like novacaine. I have not broken 80 in 5 months and have shot over 90 twice. No pain or discomfort, but I cannot find the center of the club anymore. I feels like I am twacking the ball with a tennis shoe. I have looked at video, and my swing looks the same as it always has. Anyone have experience with ulnar nerve damage? Will I have to take up Farmville instead of golf?

[Asleep]

I have it. Started about 8 weeks ago.

Not getting much "cure" from doctors so far, so I'm going to investigate specialists.

All I hear is it takes a long time for nerves to repair/regrow, if they do at all.

[IMAway]

I have the same exact issue as you. I am going on about 2.5 years now. Went for all the tests and of course, they recommend surgery. I am kind of an anti-surgery type of guy. The research I did showed that surgery for this type of issue should help, but certainly no guarantee. I didn't like the odds of having surgery. It appears that even if you have the surgery, the regeneration of feeling from the elbow area up to your fingers is approximately 1mm per day. Recovery from the surgery plus the slow 1mm per day regrowth could mean a 3 to 4 month timeframe. Plus... no guarantee it would work. On the flip side, there have been plenty of people who have had this type of surgery and turned out well. But... lots of youtube videos of people who say the surgery did nothing to help the condition.

So.... I have opted to not have surgery and just live with it for now. The one thing I was told was it could get worse and your two fingers could start to atrophy and lose functionability. So far mine has not changed one bit. It is what it is.

I tried some alternative methods to help it as well, including Active Release Therapy (which helped a little) and Graston Technique. The Graston thing didn't really help plus the cost of paying copays 3 times a week caused me to abandon it.

Keeping the arm straight as much as possible is recommended - especially while sleeping. The experts say to wear a splint or wrap a towel around your arm to keep it straight while sleeping. Even while awake during the day, you should try not to keep it in a bent position or lean on the affected elbow.

Even though we have the same exact injury... I can barely feel the two fingers too... it hasn't seemed to affect my golf game. My scores did not change this past year... maybe a stroke worse on average. Good luck with this.... it sucks.

[HotShot]

I started playing golf just over a year ago this month. I have worked out since I was in High School, I'm 33 now. I have just recently started to have the same type of problem in my left elbow, I am right handed. It mostly aggrevates me when I do tricep exercises, after about my 3rd set it starts the tingling sensation as if I was hitting the funny bone, I can flex my tricep and the tingling will shoot all the way to the tip of my pinkie finger. It's getting to a point now where if I put my elbow up on my desk then it too will start the tingling sensation. I've not lost feeling in my hand/fingers as of yet but it is becoming more and more of a problem. It's almost as if their is nothing protecting the nerve from being compressed against the bone or muscle? I will have to go to the doctor here in Atlanta pretty soon and I'll let you know what the prognosis is. Will keep you updated.

[Yuck]

Thanks for the replies. My attempt to blame my poor play in this may be misplaced. I am also trying to avoid surgery since I am not experiencing any further deteriation, such as "clawing" or atrophy. I never enjoyed listening to old people complaining about falling apart, so now that I am older, I need to stop whining.

[canuck7]

I had ulnar surgery about 2 years ago. The recovery time wasn't too bad and i have noticed a slight improvement with the tingling issues. The surgery was recommended due to the fact that if it wasn't corrected it could lead to bigger problems down the road. Do yourself a favor and plan your surgery during a slow time in the golf season and find a quality physiotherapist to get you up and going quick. I'm confident from my experience that you'll benefit.

[doubleBZee]

What did you do? You can stretch your nerves like muscles. When nerves get injurred they can bind down like scar tissue. There are thugs called nerve gliding exercises. Basically a combination stretch at the shoulder elbow and wrist which can gently tension a nerve. It is also recommend to ice and massage. On a more serious note there are several muscles and tendons that can entrap the nerve. Usually requires surgery if the above doesn't work.

[ericft]

For those of you describing cubital tunnel syndrome, which is a compression of the ulnar nerve around the inside of the elbow, you should have it looked into,especially if you have constant numbness. The nerve compression can be transient, especially aggravated when you flex the elbow, which happens often during sleep. I usually recommend to my patients that when they have intermittent tingling, then wearing elbow pads in the reversed position during sleep can help to prevent bending. However, if the tingling/numbness is constant, it may reflect potential for permanent nerve damage which is evaluated by examination of the sensation of the small and half ring finger, hand muscle strength and other tests that can be done by a Hand surgeon. You might then need an electromyogram EMG to document nerve compression around the elbow.
If the test are positive, in order to prevent worsening nerve damage, the recommendation is for ulnar nerve release surgically. It can be done with a limited incision operation called in-situ decompression as long as the nerve doesn't slide around the bone (subluxate). The recovery may be a few weeks and can improve/resolve the numbness. If the nerve damage is severe, then nerve recovery will be as previously mentioned at 1 inch a month all the way down to the tips of the fingers, hence over a year...
my recommendation is to have things evaluated by a hand Surgeon..

[Asleep]

[quote][u]Cubital Tunnel Syndrome[/u]
Cubital Tunnel Syndrome results when the ulnar nerve, which runs through the cubital tunnel on the inside of the elbow, is irritated by an injury or unusual pressure. The condition may occur when the elbow is frequently bent as in pulling and lifting, or from constant leaning. It can also occur from a direct injury.

In establishing a cause for the condition, it is thought that the ulnar nerve - which stretches several millimeters when the elbow is bent - occasionally shifts or snaps over the bony medial epicondyle on the inside edge of the elbow and, over time, becomes irritated. The nerve may also become irritated when pressed for long periods against a hard service, or if it becomes damaged from a blow to the cubital tunnel.

The pain resulting from the condition is similar to that experienced when the "funny bone" is hit. What many refer to as the "funny bone" is actually the ulnar nerve, which originates at the side of the neck, crosses at the elbow and ends in the fingers. The most common symptoms related to cubital tunnel syndrome include: numbness in the hand and/or ring and little fingers; general pain in the hand; and muscle weakness in the hand and thumb affecting grip strength and ability to perform certain activities.

These symptoms are similar to other elbow conditions such as medial epicondylitis (golfer's elbow) and should be accurately diagnosed by a physician.

[u]Those at Risk[/u]
Cubital tunnel syndrome is most often seen in adults and can affect the athlete, laborer and office worker alike. An ambitious weekend project subjecting the elbow to unusual stress and pressure can result in the condition as well.

[u]Diagnosis[/u]
Following a complete medical history and physical examination, patients may require a nerve conduction test, which helps determine the speed of signals traveling down a nerve - in order to determine if there is a compression or constriction. An electromyogram (EMG) targeted at the forearm muscle may be used in order to evaluate nerve and muscle function, which is controlled by the ulnar nerve. Poor muscle function may indicate a problem with the ulnar nerve and confirm diagnosis.

[u]Treatment[/u]
A number of conservative nonsurgical treatment options are available for cubital tunnel syndrome - including the cessation of irritating activity, a removable splint to limit movement and reduce irritation, an elbow pad to protect against hard surfaces and anti-inflammatory medication. And a patient-specific physical or occupational therapy program can also show significant improvement.

In chronic cases nonresponsive to conservative treatment, surgery is indicated in order to release the pressure on the ulnar nerve, where it passes through the cubital tunnel. A number of different surgical procedures can accomplish this and are done as an outpatient procedure.[/quote]
Turns out we have a top guy here I'm going to see -- not going to mess around with this.

[T REX]

I am really quite surprised/saddened to see an injury like this. I had Ulnar Collateral Ligament Replacement surgery during the fall of my Sophomore year of High School. In this surgery they actually have to move the ulnar nerve to the inside of the elbow during surgery. I did it to continue my baseball career after tearing my UCL. Every since then, I have experienced that tingling in the ring and pinky fingers.. but also pain from the elbow to the hand.

Makes me wonder how my golf swing might be if I wasn't experiencing it

[Yuck]

Update;





I have now played 20 rounds since the injury and more then 9 months have gone by. With this weeks GHIN update my index has now gone up nearly 9-fold! I have gone from a 0.7 to a 6.2. I have only broken 80 twice since then and it has been quite frustrating. There is still numbness, but there is now some feeing. Medical advice is wait and see, since there is no atrophy and some recovered nerve function. The swing still looks the same, club head speed is the same, but I have lost the ability to hit it in the center of the face consistently. I guess I should be thankful I can still play, and it has no other impact on my life other then typing the letters "A" & "Z" due to their position on the keyboard.

[hoganfan924]

[quote name='ericft' timestamp='1294530632' post='2883357']
For those of you describing cubital tunnel syndrome, which is a compression of the ulnar nerve around the inside of the elbow, you should have it looked into,especially if you have constant numbness. The nerve compression can be transient, especially aggravated when you flex the elbow, which happens often during sleep. I usually recommend to my patients that when they have intermittent tingling, then wearing elbow pads in the reversed position during sleep can help to prevent bending. However, if the tingling/numbness is constant, it may reflect potential for permanent nerve damage which is evaluated by examination of the sensation of the small and half ring finger, hand muscle strength and other tests that can be done by a Hand surgeon. You might then need an electromyogram EMG to document nerve compression around the elbow.
If the test are positive, in order to prevent worsening nerve damage, the recommendation is for ulnar nerve release surgically. It can be done with a limited incision operation called in-situ decompression as long as the nerve doesn't slide around the bone (subluxate). The recovery may be a few weeks and can improve/resolve the numbness. If the nerve damage is severe, then nerve recovery will be as previously mentioned at 1 inch a month all the way down to the tips of the fingers, hence over a year...
my recommendation is to have things evaluated by a hand Surgeon..
[/quote]

Thanks Yuck for starting this thread and thank you eric for posting this. I've been waking up for a few years now almost every day with numb pinky and ring fingers in both hands. Happen to mostly sleep on my back with hands across chest so your post was very helpful. Also happen to have a desk chair with hard plastic arm rests and have developed bursitis . I'll be picking up some elbow pads ASAP and probably a new office chair with soft arm rests.

[russc1597187869]

This may not be exactly on subject ,but in recent years I have developed TFCC syndome.Since this injury is on the ulnar side of the wrist,it may be possible that this injury places pressure on the ulnar nerve.The brace called the "Wrist Widget" has helped rminimize the pain.This brace is legal for USGA play.

[360_CS]

Any update. Thanks

I've got pain in my elbow and the physio diagnosed it as the ulnar nerve slipping over the bone. It only seems to be under extreme tension now though so I think, hopefully, it's getting better but I'm going to see a specialist about it. Hopefully I don't need to have surgery.

[Daniel Eason]

I used to play with a guy who went to a few chiropractors for a year or so to establish the issue to no avail, a new chiro identified it as the ulnar nerve, worked on it and he now apparently was cured.

[pearsonified]

This is a bit of a depressing thread, and I feel for anyone who's dealing with this (and who can't stomach the idea of giving up even one round of golf, like me).

I started having ulnar nerve issues at age 20 while practicing for long drive contests. Apparently, 500 balls per day at 100% with a 50-inch club is not good for the ulnar nerve—who knew?

Although I stopped golfing at age 22, I continued to have minor nerve issues while lifting weights through my early 20s. Eventually, the symptoms and issues went away entirely, but like I said—I wasn't golfing, and none of my other activities (tennis, softball, weightlifting, sleeping with my arm bent) seemed to aggravate that nerve to any significant degree.

I took up golf again last year, though, and now that I've been practicing my a$$ off, I've started to develop some serious ulnar issues once more. Commenter russc mentioned it above, but the [b]wrist widget[/b] does seem to provide some relief to the ulnar nerve.

For anyone who's curious, the wrist widget may seem counter-intuitive because it sits on the wrist (and not the elbow), but the placement of the widget seems to relieve nerve tension both up and downstream. Anecdotally, I experience an immediate boost in grip pressure when wearing the widget, which is quite a relief when you're not sure if you're ever going to be able to grab anything ever again.

However, on the downside, prolonged use of the wrist widget seems to increase pressure on the outside of the elbow, so my non-medical-doctor recommendation would be to limit the number of swings you take along with being mindful of your elbow position at work, home, and in bed.

If these modifications still provide little or no relief, surgery (yuck) may be your next best option. Good luck in dealing with this real pain of a problem!

[starsail85]

I have been experiencing a problem with this for the last 3 months , came out of nowhere, and hasn't improved at all in that time frame

End two fingers are numb and elbow aches

My golf has improved despite this

Not sure what to make of it but I would like to get the feeling back

[robdalky]

[quote name='mizunostaffer' timestamp='1433063507' post='11659564']
I have been experiencing a problem with this for the last 3 months , came out of nowhere, and hasn't improved at all in that time frame

End two fingers are numb and elbow aches

My golf has improved despite this

Not sure what to make of it but I would like to get the feeling back
[/quote]

I also have noticed this either upon awakening from sleep or a day after hitting a lot of balls at the range. I immediately knew it was cubital tunnel. Initially it did not bother me for more than a few minutes at a time but I have started to get numbness along the ulnar distribution on my right hand that lasts for hours at a time unrelated to any specific activity, so i'm going to spring for the brace. They do make braces specifically for cubital tunnel that limit the flexion at the elbow (most important to be worn during sleep). If that doesn't work will look into a cubital tunnel release. My advice? Follow eric's advice. If you start to lose motor function you may not get it back.

[nowitski41]

I suffered Parsonage Turner Syndrome. it's a much different type of nerve damage which starts at the brachial plexis (neck/spine area) and goes down into the arms and chest. I had atrophy to the point where my left pectoral was concave and my right hand was so weak that i could not open a jar of pickles. The neurologist told me that i jsut have to wait for it to heal. He told me that nerves grow/regenerate approximately 1mm per day as long as the root of the nerve is still intact. That was 2.5 years ago and i'm back to about 85%. At it's worst, I was driving the ball 185 and could only swing 3/4 with every club. Vitamin B supplements help with nerve regeneration.

[NoTalentLefty]

Have you tried using graphite shafts on all your clubs?

[MrTmag]

Figured I would bump this up... I have been dealing with pain in my hand for roughly 5 months so I finally decided to figure out what's wrong with it. I have pretty severe nerve damage and that's partially because my nerve was never fully developed. I was wondering what you guys have found most effective for rehabbing the injury. I'm going to give it two months before I consider surgery and I'd love to get back to playing moderately pain free.

[jaworski]

I hand thumb surgery a couple of years back for a worn out thumb joint. They removed a small bone and replaced it with bundled nerve tissue to correct the pain I was having from bone on bone contact.

After that I had numbness in my fingers which required ulnar nerve surgery to tuck it under some muscle tissue. I have not had any problems since.
Seeing a good hand surgeon was key for me. I am sure it all depends on the circumstances but seeing a hand surgeon would be a good place to get professional advice on a problem like this.

[rangersgoalie]

I've had ulnar and radial nerve issues in my right arm (I play right handed)
Have had various injuries throughout my 53 years from golf and ice hockey.
Torn/nearly partial detached tendon, elbow bone chips, separated shoulder,
neck injury.
I was exempt in to the Senior British Open last time it was at Carnoustie (I think) but could not
go due to the pain and burning in my right elbow and numbness in my pointer and middle finger.
It was pretty scary, and Chiros, PT, orthos got no where.
Through an NHL player I am fortunate to be friendly with, I met Dr Ron Higuera in Anaheim.
He is a chiropractor, but has mostly left that behind and become an Active Release Technique practitioner
as well as an instructor in the technique.
I really can't explain it, but they specialize in the nerve track and interaction of the muscles, nerves and any
damage or scar tissue that can be creating this type of issues.
I have worked with Dr Higuera for 3 years now, have no burning or numbness. I try to see him as often as
possible to stay on top of things, but travel and work make it tough. I see him 8-10 times a year, mostly as
preventative maintenance. He has changed my physical being in many ways, and I have sent numerous students
to him if they are dealing with similar issues. There has been an amazingly high success rate.
Look him up on the Active Release Technique page. There are practitioners all over the country, and when I travel to play
I try to find them if I need help. Have found some other instructors around the country who are very good, but have had the
most success with Dr. Higuera.

Whatever you all do, I wish you the best, it was a miserable battle when it was bad.

[AlecC25]

Concerning not hearing anything about DRY NEEDLING mentioned in this. If you have not done dry needles with your pt, you are missing out on a seriously beneficial practice. Yesterday I had my grip tested. Left arm (problem area) was 85 psi, right was 115. Doc needled my neck and my grip strength in the left jumped to 110 right away. The tingling was taken away from grastion technique on my forearm.