Any info on elbow pain in TOS patients would be very welcome. I have pain and hypersensitivity in my elbow and along forearm on the outer side.
Anything that helps resolve it? Could it be cubital tunnel syndrome? or is it something that some TOS patients just get from time to time?
My physician referred me to this surgeon who specializes in pheripheral nerve surgery, and he wants to do a PSSD, kind of an emg to see if my pain issues are coming from my elbow and radiating upwards towards the shoulder. If it comes positive, he was suggesting a cubital tunnel surgery.
I wonder if there are any therapy options first??
Should an EMG of the whole arm be done, what if the pain is coming from the brachial plexus?
I am confused, any input would be appreciated.

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 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

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

Hi stos2 , I have arm pain,elbow pain and into my pinkie. This is a telltale sign of TOS and mine stems from the shoulder muscles in spasm and nerves being compressed in the Brachial plexus. It hurts with use ,computer,writing etc. I cant work because I draw with my arm/hand all day and I'm sure was the cause. My Dr.(Jordan) did a ulnar nerve ultrasound to make sure it was not the ulnar nerve. I had an EMG/NCV ,but did not confirm TOS only disc radiculopathy. I have had botox,trigger pt injections,and am doing pt and I just tried a trigger pt massage. So far,some of the pain has improved ,but traps and arm pain still there. Part of it is that my muscles are so weak, they need to be strengthened before they can work again. Hoping for pt,acupunture and massage to do its thing now that the muscles are a little more relaxed.

I had similar problems which were helped immensely by following the program in the book "Pain Free at Your PC" by Egoscue. IIRC my forearm problems were the first to resolve.

But I still have problems around the neck, upper chest and shoulder.

I had transaxillary left rib resection about two weeks ago and I have developed pain and hypersensitivity/tenderness which seems to be centered at the elbow/cubital tunnel. Pain is radiating from the elbow to the wrist and pinkie. The problem is most apparent when I wake up in the morning (or the middle of the night) as well as at night as the day progresses. I feel better during the day after I've showered.

I spoke to my neurologist and he believes this is positional ulnar neuropathy. I've been sleeping on my right side with a pillow tucked under my left arm with elbow bent and hand near my face holding the pillow. Sleeping with a bent elbow likes this can stretch/stress the nerve at the cubital tunnel. Having ulnar nerve compression at the brachial plexus (or in my case, recent neurolysis and residual neural inflammation) can predispose us to this occurrence. His advice is to avoid sleeping with elbow bent extremely and the issue should resolve over time.

I'm going to try sleeping in pocketed boxer shorts with my hand in the pocket to avoid the bent elbow while sleeping. We'll see how the next couple of days go.

[/B]


Thanks for sharing, my elbow pain is getting slowly better as I try to sleep with my arms very slightly bent and my hands resting more on my lower abdomen instead of the chest( I used to sleep like a mummy). Basically arms are more at a 122 degree to 135 degree angle, just like the post cubital surgery braces help you do. Your boxer shorts pockets are a great idea!

Good luck to all of us with elbow pain! It should get better with time. Jo Mar's elbow pain got better with time, I beleive? We have hope..

I started doing my extended family genealogy after seeing the PBS show about it.
So I tend to get drawn into it for long stretches of time and days at a time.. not good for me or my elbows...
Plus it's been mostly damp and rainy so not much to do outside yet..

My elbows & neck & shoulders.. will start to complain so I know I have to stop doing what I'm doing. And take steps to counteract the neg effects of the sustained computer time.

Basically for me sx are originating in the neck/shoulders and not really the elbow - it just gets the down the chain effect from the tight neck.
My fingers loose dexterity and forearms feel tightness also.
It's all related...

Luckily the weather is supposed to change for the better so I can get outside and take a break from the family tree work..