Carpal/Cubital TS Questions!!!! - Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Message Board

Maylin · 12-03-2000, 11:34 PM

I am a 19 year old female that needs some help... This past Thursday, I was taking a rather long test when I found that the tip of the ring finger on my left hand was numb. I didn't think much of this until the next morning, when I found that both the pinky and the ring fingers were numb at the tips... I've done some research, so I found a few questions that need some answers...

1. With the symptoms that I do have, is it remotely possible that I have cubital tunnel syndrome?

2. Since this has only occured for roughly a week, is there any way to relieve the numbness other than to stop the activity involving the pinched nerve?

3. I have a pinched nerve on the back of my left shoulder. Would this and my numb fingers have been related somehow?

4. And lastly, I type very often, and I was wondering if it's possibly of getting both carpal and cubital tunnel syndrome at the same time?

I appreciate any and all answers.

Maylin · 12-12-2000, 02:10 PM

I would also like to add that my wrist on the same arm is now becoming a little stiff. It has been difficult to type lately and I would like to know what's going on. I haven't gone to the doctor's yet because I'm scared that it'll be worse than what I first thought.<br><br>Any and all answers are appreciated. Thanks.

Ann S · 12-12-2000, 06:38 PM

Sorry I don't have an answer for you, but I do have a question? What is cubital tunnel syndrome?

I was just at my Dr.today, and he had me do a simple test for carpal tunnel. Put the backs of your hands together from the wrists down (It's kind of an upside down, inside out praying position of the hands.) Then, push together hard with both hands for a few minutes and see if your fingers become numb. He excluded the pinky & ring finger, only said the other 3 would be effected. I've known that I've had carpal tunnel for a bout 20 yrs, but was never checked for it by a Dr. till today. It's become really severe lately for no apparant reason. It'll wake me up some mornings at about 4 or 5 a.m. and its not just numbness, but severe pain in both my hands and wrists. He told me to take a prescription anti-inflamatory (600mg. 2/day) for 2 weeks and to wear wrist splint/braces on both hands every night for the same amount of time. If that doesn't help, he said he would give me cortizone shots in each wrist. Yikes!!! Hope this helps some, and maybe some people who have more knowledge will respond too. Ann S.

Maylin · 12-13-2000, 04:21 PM

Cubital tunnel syndrome is pressure on the ulnar nerve behind the "funny bone" causing numbness and tingling in the ring and small fingers of the hand.<br><br>I hope this makes sense.

Charlie Weaver · 12-15-2000, 10:26 AM

I suffered with a bout of Cubitol TS, and there are exercises that you can do to help cubitol tunnel syndrome. The ones that I can remember from my PT are to sit at a table and put your forearms under the lip of the table and pretend that you are lifting. Count for 10 seconds and then release and then do again. I worked my way up to 15 times over a 4 week period. Another one is to stand up at the same table and put the palms of your hands down on the table and push like you want to squash the table. Once again work up to 15 reps. I was also told to use weights and lift them. Don't start with heavy weights though. You might find more on the internet. I am sure there must be a site for exercises for CTS. I was also given some sort of stimulation and other electrical things for it. It did help, although it feels as if it is coming back again.
For the carpal tunnel, when mine starts to flare up, I grab a tennis ball and try to squeeze it as often as possible. It also helps to a certain amount. I had surgery on both wrists and don't want to have to go through this all over again.