I'm recovering from carpal tunnel surgery. My cts was finally diagnosed with nerve conduction tests in May. Happy to report some improvement since my last post. Thumb and first finger now pretty much asymptomatic. One of the things that confused my orthopedist is that I felt symptoms in all my fingers. I still often have a sensation as though the tip of my little finger (and sometimes, my ring finger) is going to cramp. I also have trouble finding a comfortable position for my arm in bed (I know this could be the carpal tunnel, too). In general. I feel best when I am standing or walking with my arm hanging at my side. Any thoughts?

I'm sure you can have both. My physical therapist diagnosed me with cubital tunnel - I go back to my doctor who will likely suggest an EMG or whatever they do to test the nerves. During my last PT visit, I was describing my symptoms and the PT said that some symptoms sound like I'm starting to get carpal tunnel. I have a typing job so I'm not surprised I'm getting carpal tunnel. Anyway, I'm sure you can get carpal and cubital tunnel at the same time.

Hi Nissenson,

Yes, you can have both carpal and cubital syndrone at the same time. My EMG and NCS studies indicated both and will have the double whammy surgery on the 24th. Have lost both motor and sensory skills because of the cubital syndrone and doc says will not loose any further after the surgery although he thinks what I've lost so far won't be recovered. My doc is a neurosurgeon. My gp told me to go to a orthopedic, but had previous experience with my neurosurgeon so I went to him instead.

Cathy

Cathy,
Do they usually look for both when they do the nerve tests for carpal tunnel? I did have the tests, but the neurologist said nothing about cubital in his report.

Nissenson,

I went in specifically for cubital tunnel testing because of numbness in the ring and pinkie fingers, etc....and they tested from the neck down to the wrist. The tech administering the test told me I had both even before the neurologist came into the room. You might want to get a copy of your EMG and NCS. Could be you have both, but your doc just wanted to address one thing at a time. Upon researching, I have learned that some docs do both surgeries at the same time. My neurosurgeon suggested both at the same time so I'm going for it...the surgery scheduler lady seemed surprised he was doing both at the same time though....probably something to do with insurance not paying as much as they would doing 2 different surgeries!? :)
After re-reading your post, it sounds like you might have involvement with the ulnar nerve. If you weren't tested, you might want to go ahead and get tested for it....might want to try another facility to test you also.

Cathy

Cathy-

I was wondering if your pinky/ring finger numbness is present all the time. I'm having some intermittent numbness in mine right now. I've had carpal release on both hands and am also unsure if it might relate to my cervical issues. Thanks.

wb

wb,

My numbness is present all of the time in the pinkie and half of the ring finger, in the palm of the hand under these two fingers and on the top of the hand...also noticed today that I have what looks like muscle sagging on the outer edge of the hand..guess that is the atrophy that I've heard of. So that new discovery makes me even more confident in having the surgery now rather than waiting until it gets worse. Looking back over the years those two fingers would be numb intermittently, but I never really paid that much attention to it until the numbness started to be constant several months ago. An EMG and a NCS should tell you whether you are having an ulnar nerve entrapment in your elbow...that's the most common place. Good luck and don't wait too long like I did to find out what's going on! :) I'm the type who used to go to the doctor and when asked "how are you doing" would say FINE!...knowing that docs hear so many complaints every day, I hated to add to their woes....but I've now realized that that's what they are there for! Took me 53 years to realize that so now I'm getting a few tune-ups I've been needing and not feeling guilty about it at all! :)

Cathy

Cathy -

I hear you on the not waiting part. Both my Carpal release surgeries were great sucesses. And I think that my cubital entrapment is at the elbow, because somtimes thing go freaky when I rest my elbow on a table. :)

wb

Today my right thumb is locked a week ago it was my left thumb. It seems to switch back and forth. Could this be because of spinal stenosis. I was dianosed with it three years ago, in the upper back. Don't know which vertibra.