Cubital Tunnel Syndrome

What's Cubital Tunnel Syndrome?

With cubital tunnel syndrome, the nerve on the inside of your arm is irritated. This can cause tingling, pain and numbness on the inside of the elbow and the outside of your hand (the little finger area). Cubital tunnel syndrome can be best compared to the pain that occurs when you hit your elbow against the edge of a table and an electric, tingling sensation shoots down from the elbow to the wrist. This nerve is called the nervus ulnaris, and the bone is called the ''telephone bone''. This nerve runs through the back part of the inside of your elbow, in a tunnel. This tunnel is formed by a bone and a ligament. When the nerve becomes impinged, this causes pain complaints on the inside of the elbow and, in a later stage, in the nerves of the hands and fingers.

Causes

The syndrome can be caused by an accident or fall, or by constant pressure. It also occurs frequently among people who bend their elbow a lot, like construction workers or office employees. People who sleep with their elbow in a bent position also have a higher risk of contracting cubital tunnel syndrome.

Complaints

The complaints and symptoms of cubital tunnel syndrome are pain and a tingling sensation on the outside of your hand (little finger area) and on the inside of the forearm / elbow, occasional sensory disturbances in the elbow / forearm. A bent elbow while sleeping can worsen the complaints.

Treatment and Recovery

After an extensive conversation with a doctor about the symptoms, a physical examination will follow. The diagnosis can be made with an EMG (electromyogram). Rest and avoidance of the above activities can help with improvement. The physical therapist can also provide advice on how to reduce the symptoms. If the complaints and symptoms persist and get worse, consider surgery. At Podobrace, we have various products to prevent surgery and even remedy this condition. Such as the Novamed Premium Comfort Elbow Support and the Bauerfeind EpiTrain Elbow Bandage.