Hi "HubbyWithRSD",

I'm glad your Hubby has such a caring "Wifey"! My heart goes out to him!

Yes, you're very perceptive. I do have ulnar nerve neuropathy due to entrapment. But my chiropractor always "tweeks" my elbow and must be releasing it.

I'M TERRIFIED OF GETTING ANY SURGERIES!

I also have 3 torn tendons in my shoulder that they say I need surgery for, but my WONDERFUL, GIFTED, CHIROPRACTOR also keeps my shoulder loosened up.

So I feel blessed that I've been able to get some help w/o surgery.

But were you saying that the elbow nerve entrapment gets worse at night?
I know torn rotator cuffs hurts worse at night, but since getting so much Chiro help my shoulder is much better. But still the rest of my arms and hands get soooo painful every night.

Please tell me why you think this! I really appreciate it!

DeniseG

Hey there! Just got back from work so I'm back to my other job...here...

I'm not exactly sure why he has the cramping/clawing etc at night - I think that because his body is relaxed, it goes into protective mode and this is why it happens. As far as preventing it from happening - We've found that with a LOOSE brace - One that is firm, yet flexible, yet also restrains, or prevents it from curling up helps with the pain the next morning and helps him to sleep through the night. (Well...a little more then before...)

That of course is with his left arm. The right he had the ulnar nerve transposition and then developed the RSD in - That arm (the right) still curls at the wrist (as he needs carpel tunnel surgery) but right now there is nothing we can do about that. His Doc says that until the RSD is under control they will do no further surgeries...

You were saying your chiro has helped with the nerve entrapment and moving the nerve back to where it belongs? I'm wondering if this might be an option for him - Although....they figure the casing around the nerve is crushed at the elbow.....I'm gonna have to ask his doc about that or a local chiro - see if it can be of some benefit to him. Thanks for the heads up though! Might be an option for us.

Hi Denise. Thanks for the reply about my sleep question. Including myself, some I have talked to that are long sufferers have experienced a period that the pain became less severe. Remission, I've read about but most all of them were caused by a treatment such as ketamine. My period of less RSD pain was really controlled by my meds. Maybe the way you can tell, is miss a dose of meds, if you are O.K. go from there. If I'm two hours late taking my meds I become very ill.

the BEST to you Denise...Michael

Hand clawing is often associated with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome also.
Some with TOS were mis dx'd with ulnar or carpal tunnel {or other tendinitis injuries} and after those surgeries they still had sx - because the real injury/compression is up in the brachial plexus area of the neck.

HubbyWithRSD,
does he have a tight neck and or neck and shoulder pain along with the other symptoms of ulnar and carpal?
there is also whats called a double crush and triple crush - where there is a compression at the BP, the ulnar and the carpal.

Just wanted to mention this in case you haven't heard of it before.
What was his work injury?

We have a Thoracic Outlet Forum here also.
many do have RSD with the TOS and work comp claims.

if you think you might have TOS we do have many threads on self care and "helps" and meds.

Vanessa,
I live in Colorado. The weather does effect me here. When my sister died and went back to Ky. for the funeral I didn't hurt as bad there. It might have been just the time of the year though. We don't have many Kentuckian's on here with RSD to know.

The hot weather here bothers me more then the cold. I am worse in the summer months then I am in the winter. We have no humidity here in the summer months so I like that part but it's just hot weather that gets to me and that might be anywhere I am at.

Jo, I figured those fingers spasming was from TOS. I didn't have it after I had my surgery until I fell really hard on that side and messed myself up again. I am still not dealing with most of the TOS symptoms on the right side though. I don't have the numbness and tingling nor the pain except from overuse and of course I am right handed.

I actually know that I need a redo on the right side but it's just not on my agenda for a long time. I spent a year getting well from that surgery and it's too rough for me to want to go through it again at this point. My left side also needs it but again it's going to wait. I have a lot of mine calmed down through therapy and triggerpoint injections so if I can keep from having that surgery for a long time, I'm happy.

Ada