Suggestions for Ulnar nerve recovery

Tingers

New Member

Joined : Mar 2017

Posts : 1

Posted 3/11/2017 5:59 AM (GMT 0)

I broke my humerus off at the elbow. The hardware installed required my ulnar nerve to be moved. I had trouble with electrical shocks to my fingers and a lot of discomfort to my hands. 6 months later and 2 Nerve tests revealed something had gone haywire with my nerve. The doctor went in to take out the titanium plates and repair my ulnar nerve. It was flattened, rolled over 180' and had scarred into my muscle. My Doctor was cleaning the nerve and preparing it for a sheath when it was accidentally nicked. He sewed it back together but the aftermath to my hand is almost unbearable. 2 fingers on fire (pinky and ring finger) and the other two have tremors and lack the ability to turn a doorknob, hold silverware, they are like a baby's fingers as they try to use their pinchers. Help! The pain is almost unbearable!

pitmom

Veteran Member

Joined : Jan 2015

Posts : 2832

Posted 3/11/2017 5:09 PM (GMT 0)

Hello and welcome. So sorry to hear of what you've been going through.

Nerves take a long time to heal. Has your doctor put you on any medication? There are some on the market that can help somewhat with nerve pain.

Are you in physical therapy? Back in 1996, when my ulnar nerve transposition was done, my P.T. used a modality he called 'points'. A stylus would be placed at certain points along the nerve path and an electrical charge would be sent through the stylus. It was quite similar to the electrical jolts that were happening on their own but somehow seemed to calm the nerve down.

My nerve wasn't 'nicked' or 'severed'...it was shredded. It was 5 months before the damage was 'discovered'. I had a 3/4 thickness tear of the rotator cuff that had to be dealt with first. Not realizing that the sheath had been split open and the nerve was rubbing back and forth over the bone for those months left me with only about 20% of nerve function. With a lot of work and diligence, I have regained the majority of function in the pinky and ring finger.

Massaging along the nerve path, while painful to do, will actually help desensitize the nerve. I found heat helped more than ice, but everyone is different. Try one, than the other and see which gives you the most relief.

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