Health Alert! Watch your elbows along with your wrists.

jsbachonbass · #1 11-03-2011, 10:26 PM

I thought I would make everybody aware of another joint/nerve problem that seriously affect anybody, but especially us bass players. We have probably all heard of Carpel Tunnel Syndrome, so we all try to keep our wrists straight as possible while playing and practicing. But have you heard of Cubital Tunnel Syndrome? This is a condition caused by a pinched ulnar nerve in your elbow. I was recently diganosed with this condition, and just today had the staples removed from my incision from my surgery last Thrusday.

Symptoms progress as follows:
First there is numbness and tingling in the outer half of the ring and most of the pinky. If you have more severe compression on the nerve, you will notice that you can't make your ring and pinky fingers move sideways, and they won't stay together when you hold your hand like making a salute. There is also weakness between the first and 2nd finger, and also between your thumb and first finger. Motions like turning a key to unlock a door become difficult. Very soon after that, you may notice a depression between your thumb and first finger. This is the muscle atrophying and wasting away, and if it progresses too far, it might never come back.

This condition progresses fast. I am not sure when the numbness and tingling started, but it was about the last week of this past August when I was trying to play my bass and my first finger on my right hand had lost its coordination when I was plucking the strings. It was only about 4 weeks later when I notice the muscle atrophy between my thumb and 1st finger and did some research and call the doctor. After having a shock test done, it was determined that I had severe compression on the nerve (almost no signal getting from upper arm to hand) which would require surgery to release the nerve and stop any more more damage.

What causes this condition? Just about anything involving putting too much weight on the elbows for long periods, or even keeping your elbow bent for long periods. Mine might have been caused by something as simple as me resting on my elbows while laying down on a daily basis, or even sleeping with my arms bent.

One week after surgery, I still have the partial numbness and tingling in the 3rd and 4th fingers, and still have the weakness and muscle atrophy between my thumb and 1st finger, but there might be some signs of strength returning. The doctor said some of the damage may be permanent. The good news is that there was some improvement in the first finger in the motion used when plucking the string. Hopefully I can retrain this finger and get my 2 finger technique back.

Hope this information helps somebody else out there.

JayM · #2 11-04-2011, 10:37 AM

I had the surgery on my right elbow September 2006. I woke up one morning with pinky and ring finger numbness which wouldn't go away. They ran the nerve conduction velocity and EMG tests to locate the entrapment to the elbow and assess the degree of nerve damage.

The numbness wasn't that much of a problem, but my dexterity was significantly affected and I lost a tremendous amount of grip strength. I had most of the feeling back immediately after surgery.

Four years later, only the tip of my pinky is numb. My dexterity returned pretty quickly. Much of my strength returned, but my right hand grip will never be as strong as before. Not really an issue for daily activity, as it's plenty strong for that, but a hassle in the weight room. My grip gives out way before it used to, so I have to use straps when going heavy. The only other time I really notice it is when shoveling snow or something like that, where moderate grip strength is required over a long-ish period of time.

I didn't have any noticable muscle wasting, so I don't have any experience with that.

I hope your recovery goes well. It certainly is an alarming sensation

Jay

JimL · #3 12-23-2011, 01:22 AM

I had this problem over a decade ago and the doctor I went to told me a common cause of this was sitting in a chair with arm rests that are too high. The same nerve you pinched goes down the side of your arm and the pressure of your arm against the arm rest can pinch it.

I'd just gotten a new office chair and what-do-you-know... the arms on it were an inch higher than my previous chair. I switched back to the old chair and the problem went away.

randysmojo · #4 12-25-2011, 02:52 PM

I had Carpel Tunnel surgery a few years ago and was told about Cubital Tunnel then. When I had Carpel Tunnel syndrome the thumb, Index finger, middle finger, and half of my ring finger would go numb. The doctor told me that is normal because the nerves for those fingers including the half of the ring finger toward the middle finger run through the Carpel Tunnel. They also then told me that the nerves for the other half of the ring finger and the pinky finger run through the Cubital Tunnel, and will go numb when having those issues, which I now have sometimes. Be careful about talking on the cell phone while driving and propping your elbow up on the door! Even if it is not to talk on the phone, if I prop my elbow up on the door with my elbow bent for a long time, I will get that numbness and if I straighten out my arm, it goes away after a while.

chuck3 · #5 12-25-2011, 02:58 PM

This is a right side problem or a left side problem?

My right elbow is very sore these days, but I can't say from what - I play both BG and upright, and my day job involves being on a computer right-handed all day.

Don't have the hand symptoms that have been mentioned, tho.

randysmojo · #6 12-25-2011, 03:26 PM

It can happen on either side. I have spent too much time driving, first on the road with bands that couldn't afford a driver : ), then with my day job and I have a habit of resting my arms on th armrests, which now I understand are probably too high and causing problems.

soulman969 · #7 12-25-2011, 04:19 PM

Not quite the same thing but a few years back I developed a serious neuropathy in ring finger and pinky on my left hand. It may have come about from resting my arm too high both in the car and a couch at home. No one was absolutely certain of the cause and medications didn't help it.

It finally went away on it's own after about a year or so but during that entire period there was no way I could fret a guitar or bass and it sidelined me the entire time and then some. Needless to say I avoid resting my arm and elbow anywhere but close to my side or propped on a table.