I would always try therapy first. Hopefully the therapist will be a good one and it will help.

I did have some elbow issues early on, my TOS started as multiple RSIs due to repetitive assembly work.
My sx started pretty much in my hands, then wrist, arm, elbow, shoulders and neck. I did have severe bilateral RSI in 1999/2000, but recovered fairly well and stupidly returned to the same job duties.
What can I say, I liked my co workers & the work came easy to me so I could rack up excellent production quotas.

But it wasn't long before I started having shoulder & neck pain, dx as neck/shoulder strains, per employers MCO doctors.
I'd barely get recovered with PT and back to full duties again per MCO (managed care organization) docs & I would be in the same shape a few months later , hurting again.
After 2 times of that and back to work, finally my hands & arms & elbow all joined in, even my thumb (de Quervain's) was bad for a while.
And then it all combined to become TOS. That's why I call mine RSI/TOS.

Oh I'm rambling , sorry,..

Back to the elbows -
Mine was hypersensitive to clothes, chairs, armrests, anything brushing against it. If it rubbed/touched the mattress that was painful too.
I had to make a padded wrap with kitchen towels and/or various contraptions so i could sleep at night. Whatever I could figure out to use as padding & wrap.
Had an EMG/NCV at some point but it was neg for any actual damage.

Many of my sx resolved with good PT and PT that also included the neck , shoulders & upperback.
I think much of my problems were spasms , tight muscles & trigger points.

The big thing is to find a very very good PT person.
One that isn't stuck to any pre set PT protocol and that will work with you for the best result..

Sounds like angry nerves up the line at the braichial plexus. For the short-term, try elbow pads or pillows.

Thank you, that's probably what it is. Thanks for the tips.

Thank you so much for sharing your case and throwing some light on it. I really appreciate it as my case sounds similar to yours, I mean the spasms and tight muscles and the pain in the wrists etc. I will definitely think it over and would rather do therapy instead of a surgery. I will try and find a good PT person somehow.

That's very good advice. It's challenging to find one for TOS in the Bay Area here without all this protocol. Hopefully someone will post something on a good PT here.

stos2