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Cubital Tunnel Syndrome
The ulnar nerve — the one behind the "funny bone" — runs through a narrow tunnel on the inside of the elbow. Compressed or irritated there, it produces pins and needles in the ring and little fingers, and eventually weakness in the hand. Caught early it responds well to changing what provokes it. Left long enough, the muscle wasting it causes may not fully recover, so it is worth acting on.
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Does this sound like you?
Most people have several of these, not all of them.
- Pins and needles or numbness in the ring and little fingers
- Symptoms worse at night or on waking, with the elbow bent
- Aching along the inside of the forearm
- Weakening grip, and difficulty splaying the fingers
- In longstanding cases, visible wasting of the muscle between thumb and index finger
Why it happens
- Prolonged or repeated elbow bending — phone use, sleeping with elbows folded
- Leaning on the elbow on a desk or car door
- A previous elbow fracture or dislocation
- Swelling from an adjacent tendon problem narrowing the tunnel
- Occupational vibration or repetitive elbow work
What we would do about it
Roughly in this order — each step waits for the one before it.
- Identifying and changing the positions that compress the nerve, which is most of the work
- A night splint to stop the elbow folding up during sleep
- Nerve gliding exercises once irritability has settled
- Manual therapy through the forearm and the neck, which can contribute
- Strengthening the hand and forearm as symptoms improve
- Prompt referral where there is weakness or muscle wasting
See a doctor first if
- Your pain followed a significant injury
- It is getting worse rather than settling
- It comes with numbness, weakness or unexplained weight loss
This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Symptoms overlap between conditions, so the right treatment depends on an assessment.
Nerve symptoms are worth acting on early
Pins and needles that come and go respond well. Weakness or wasting is a different conversation and needs seeing sooner rather than later. Ask a question first, or call us on 0403 907 587.
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Other arm conditions we treat
Related reading: the tendon problem beside it, the equivalent problem at the wrist and nerve symptoms coming from the neck.
General information only, not advice about your own problem — nothing here replaces an assessment. Source: Cubital Tunnel Syndrome on Physiopedia.
