My Hurting Elbows
 

So... my elbows have been hurting, (burning more like it and sensitive and sore), more on the right than the left. Went to family physician he gave me a perscription for Voltaren Gel to use for 7 days. However the pain is also on the inside the arm going up toward the shoulder, and the back of the hand which also tingles sometimes. The fingers on the right hurt sometimes too.
He took an x ray and they found a small bone spur on the elbow. But he thinks I have an ulnar nerve entrapment and the spur is not causing the problem on the inside of the elbow/arm.

However on the left side, I used the inside of my arm/elbow to get up from the bed and the ring finger and small finger went numb!!
I believe all of this is happening from the use of the crutches and walker I used from the foot surgery and the continuned use due to the RDS, and from using my elbows to help get up out of bed due to the fact that I have kept my feet elevated at night to help the swelling of the surgery and RSD.
He will be calling some oral steroids for me today. I wanted shot of steroid in the elbow but he said he does not do that. So I quess I will have to go to an orthopedic for that.
On the right I believe the entrapment is higher up that the elbow or I have more than one entrapment. I have a buldging disk in the neck and had an MRI for that a couple years ago. I did pt for it which helped alot. I learned not so sleep on that side. On the left I believe that it is just trapped at the elbow.
I do not want any more surgey. I will not do an EMG again either. No... I will have to be in alot of pain for that to happen ever again.

So.. some suggetions and any advice on what could help this is greatly appreciated!!

Thank you,
paininthefoot11 and elbows!!

Dear Paininthefoot11,
I am sorry for all the problems you are having. Hang in there. I was on regular crutches for ten months and an rsd doc told me to change to forearm crutches asap because the regular crutches can cause your rsd to spread (which mine already had). I know I have an entrapment in my foot and have been treating over the years with a chiropractor who is very gentle. She told me that I could have surgery to help it but then I would have scar tissue year after year that would prob hurt more. I agree with you that the less surgery you have the better you usually are. EMG's are torture to rsders so no more of them. You could maybe have a pinched nerve in your neck which is causing pain to radiate down your arm and give you tingling. I'm not a doctor but you need to get some answers with a good doctor that knows what he is doing. Sometimes a steroid shot may harm you moreso than not having it as you are chancing the spread of rsd from the needle prick. But watch those regular crutches. I know they about kill your sides and armpits. I placed kitchen towels rolled up and taped on mine which did help some but the first few weeks are brutal. I had bruises all over my sides. Best of luck to you and keep us informed of your progress. Keep up the good work and hang in there.
kathy d

Thanks for the information Kathy. I am thinking about seeing a chiropractor that knows Active Release Therapy to try to release the nerve in my neck/arm/hand, where ever it might be stuck. I am beginning to think it is in the neck or that it may be stuck in several different places. My primary physician will just send me to an orthopedic. Not sure what else another orthopedic will do... the primary gave me a dose pack of steroid to take and it's has done nothing for it.
I make my husband wrapy my arms up in a towel and put ace banages around the towels at night to keep me from bending my elbows. I did have problems with the side of my neck and hand a few years ago and went to pt and got it resolved. I also believe the problem has to do with me always sleeping on my back for the past few months, along with using the crutches for so long.