It has been a week since my surgery (26th April) and the pain has improved to just needing ibuprofen, still some swelling and impressive brusing. But the nerve seems very irritated, lots of pins and needles, somewhat related exactly how I have the arm, but it is always there. The problem before, since the decompression, was mainly pain at the elbow and a lot of subluxing not pins and needles that often. Just wondering how other peoples recovery went?
I had mine in 08 and the recovery is very slow. The pins and needles feeling was different after the surgery, but it did get better after about 12 - 18 months. My nerve was serverly compressed, so that might be why. It will get better.
Unfortunately, nerves recover or heal at a rate of about 1mm a day! That too is dependent on how badly your nerve was trapped at the elbow. I had subcutaneous transposition on my right elbow in April of 08, and it was a good six months before I could cross my fingers! It took almost a year and a half for most of my numbness was gone. Sadly, with nerves, "Patience is a virtue."
Look at improvement or changes in weeks not days. Fingers crossed you will continue to improve.
Four weeks on now and still some numbness and pain. I just didnt expect at this point to be reasonably worse off than before I had the operation. I kind of assumed mine being mild I would recovery quite quickly. I can cross my fingers though
I had decompression which worked well in reudcing numbness and tingling, but sadly instead of my nerve subluxing gently, as it did on both sides, it started pinging out at having the arm bent at around 90 degrees. This was both painful and irritating, hence the desire to get the transposition done.
Four weeks on now and still some numbness and pain. I just didnt expect at this point to be reasonably worse off than before I had the operation. I kind of assumed mine being mild I would recovery quite quickly. I can cross my fingers though
I had decompression which worked well in reudcing numbness and tingling, but sadly instead of my nerve subluxing gently, as it did on both sides, it started pinging out at having the arm bent at around 90 degrees. This was both painful and irritating, hence the desire to get the transposition done.
In two days you hit one month post op right? Have you started physical therapy yet? I know for me PT was six weeks @ 3 x a week, plus home therapy. I didn't start seeing any real improvement until I was halfway through my PT. Your muscles are tight, your arm went through a lot of trauma for the surgery. Scar tissue also is trying to form - PT helps address all of that, plus start brining flexibility and strength back into the mix. My PT included:
1. Scar massage - to soften the incision site and reduce scar tissue or break it up if forming.
2. Application of TENS therapy while utilizing heat at the affected area (30 mins)
3. Full flexation/extension of wrist arm straight to stretch the Ulnar at the elbow.
4. Finger strengthening exercises - some of which aided by the therapist for maximum movement.
5. Light weights for wrist curls, flys, gentle biceps etc.
6. Gentle rotation exercises for the elbow and wrist to continue to add flexibility and strength back for the elbow and below.
1mm a day is very slow, physical therapy (at first) seems slow as well. You just have to have patience and keep after your care. I've yet to find anyone who hasn't had some sort of PT after transposition surgery. To this day I still use my TENS and do many of the exercises to make sure I maintain what my surgeon fixed. I hope this helps.
The Following User Says Thank You to Aviatrix36440 For This Useful Post: MoleBob (05-31-2011)
Oddly my surgeon didn't suggest seeing a physio but then the NHS in the UK is quite poor with physio services. I do see my own private physio, so maybe I should see what he thinks about it.
Currently 5 weeks after now. I do wish the numbness would go, I had the op to avoid numbness not get it! It does hurt if I bite the finger which is an improvement. I can manage to do things like pressups without pain but you can feel the nerve isn't happy with it. The forearm does seem rather tight in the area around the nerve. Swinging a very light kettlebell did cause a little pain too.
I guess just give it more time and see how it goes. Still some swelling and bruising. I just finished post graduate studying so cant wait until I can get job hunting or even just get back to the gym. I am slowly going a little cuckoo with little to do - at least I can drive again.
Ulnar Nerve Subcutaneous Transposition Recovery 
