Nerve problems

[adgefan]

Over the past few months I have been experiencing problems with my left arm (and to a lesser extent my right). The basic symptoms are numbness and tingling in my hands, concentrated around the ring finger and pinky. I also developed a ganglion cyst halfway down the back of my left hand below my pinky.

I have seen the doctor and he has said it is probably the ulnar nerve in my elbow that is the problem, and he will almost certainly have to send me to a specialist. I have a horrible feeling this will take months to resolve.

Although I am not suffering pain as such, the numbness has meant I cannot play nearly as much as I'd like. I have no idea if the mando is the cause of the problem, I am a computer programmer by trade so it could be the typing all day, or a combination of both.

I am concerned I will end up in a position where I can no longer play. If there is anyone out there who has suffered the same sort of thing, I hope you can offer reassurance that this can be fixed and I will be able to go back to playing every day. If so, how was your problem treated and how long did it take to solve?

[John Flynn]

I have had my share of hand problems and seen multiple doctors for them. My symptoms were not exactly the same as yours, but I gather it's different for everyone. Things I have tried, and I have seen suggested on the Cafe' that are worth considering:

1. The stretches on musicianshealth.com. These really help me. I advised doing them as often as you can, especially before you play and when you are having sypmtoms.

2. Get a professional setup on your mando, perhaps with lighter strings.

3. Try using less hand pressure on the frets. Most of us use more than we need and it hurts our playing as well as our bodies.

4. Get a good instructor to look at your form. When I was having problems like you describe, I was bending my wrist too much. Changing to playing with a fairly straight wrist helped me.

Good luck with it.

[psann]

I had a problem with my pinky and ring finger going numb and losing strength due to trauma to the ulnar nerve after hitting my elbow on a ski lift several years ago. The Dr indicated that surgery was risky as it could either make it well or make it worse and I decided to live with it. Contrary to the dismal prognosis, it has over time taken care of itself and exrcising the fingers recovered almost full use. Chiropractic helped a lot. When I do start to have issues again, like suddendly dropping things because my grip failed, a visit to the chiropractor takes the pressure off the nerve. This may be a totally different thing for you but worth exploring.

I had a ganglion cyst treated many years ago too, a totally unrelated incident. At that time they treated them with a shot of cortisone in the cyst. It never came back but the cure was pretty unpleasant. I imagine the medical profession has better methods now. This was 20 years ago.

[fmspinc]

No medical response or advise - just a good luck and I'm sure you'll be OK from all of us.

[John Bertotti]

A good orthopedic is a good bet. I have a shop manager who had similar issues. One doc said surgery the good second opinion from an orthopedic doc was a wrap that fit snugly just below the elbow on the forearm. The same thing tennis players wear for tennis elbow. It completely fixed his pain and numbness. Check with a doc. John

[danb]

I overuse my hands with computers.. I have occasional tingling in little finger/ring finger.. generally that's an aggravated funny bone/ulnar nerve. My doc put me on anti-inflammatories and it's vanished.

Also, when you sleep.. don't fold your arms, try to keep 'em straight. Try not to excecise your hands a lot with bent elbows (ie sit back from that computer a bit).

See the doctor though, all of us here are just throwing out random advice, and a doctor will set you right!

[Jon Hall]

Has your physician referred you to a neurologist to have an EMG procedure? This procedure will enable the doctor to determine which nerves are causing the trouble. I've had it done and probably have another one in my near future.

[drelb]

Time for a visit to a specialist! Ask around for opinions of whom to see. First things first...could be ulnar nerve or possibly cervical disc disease (C5-C7) since this is the dermatomal distribution of these nerve roots. If any surgery is suggested, get a second opinion. A well qualified surgeon will have no problem with you seeking confirmation of his/her diagnosis and treatment plan. Four years ago, I had very similar symptoms and an MRI confirmed ruptured discs at C5-6 and C6-7. Ultimately had a cervical fusion and recovered quickly. Being a surgeon myself, I was apprehensive but was back in my office in a week and in the OR working in 2 weeks. Good luck and let me know if you have any other questions. If you need an ulnar nerve transposition that could be a whole different ball of wax!!!

[chirorehab]

I utilize Active Release Technique (ART) for my patients with similiar conditions. #It is a great manual soft tissue technique that helps to break up adhesions and scar tissue. #Check out www.activerelease.com (http://www.activerelease.com) for more info.

In fact ART is featured in this months Runner's World!

Stretching, good posture, and correct technique are very important.

Good luck,

Eric