Understanding The Treatment Options For Your Cubital Tunnel Syndrome

When you have been experiencing numbness and tingling down your arm and into your hand, you may be surprised to find out that the cause of your problems is an issue with your ulnar nerve (also known as the "funny bone" nerve) in your elbow referred to as cubital tunnel syndrome. Once you find out what is causing your arm discomfort and numbness, you can move forward towards finding a solution to the problem. Get to know some of the different treatment options available to you for your cubital tunnel syndrome so that you can begin your recovery process as soon as possible.

Changing Your Habits

One of the ways that you can improve your cubital tunnel syndrome and reduce your experience of symptoms is to adjust the way you go about your daily life and activities. Oftentimes, one of the issues that first causes cubital tunnel syndrome is that you spend too much time leaning on your elbows.

When you lean on your elbows and put weight on them frequently, the nerve can get pinched, irritated, or even damaged in the process. It can also cause the bones in your elbow joint to become misshapen furthering the problem. As such, one of the ways that you can help relieve your symptoms is to consciously stop leaning on your elbows on a regular basis.

If you work a job with repeated motions that may be causing issues with your elbow joint as well, you may want to make sure you stretch out and move your elbow differently. These small changes can make a big difference in how you feel.

Orthopaedic Surgery

If your cubital tunnel syndrome is severe or your doctor thinks that the nerve is at risk of serious permanent damage (or has already suffered such damage), you may need to consider orthopaedic surgery to fix the problem. There are several different approaches that an orthopaedic surgeon can take to help you overcome your cubital tunnel syndrome.

One of the options is to simply reposition the nerve within the elbow joint. The pinched nerve may have just been forced into the incorrect position through an injury or through frequent leaning on the elbow. As such, to relieve the pressure on the nerve, your orthopaedic surgeon will carefully get the nerve out of the compromised position and into one that has less risk of damage.

Another surgical option is to carefully file and shave down the bones in the elbow joint. This will create a smoother surface for the nerve to travel along and will prevent it from getting caught and pinched within the joint. The approach chosen depends on the exact structure of the bones in your elbow and may not be decided upon until the surgeon is able to see your elbow joint up-close during surgery.

Now that you know a few of the treatment options for your cubital tunnel syndrome, you can be sure that you are ready to get your numbness and discomfort taken care of as soon as possible.

For more information, contact a business like Orthopaedic Associates Of Rochester.

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