Does the inside of your elbow hurt (about 1" below the medial epicondyle) when you mash on it?
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Ulnar Nerve & numb/tingling fingers
Hey Jordan, so for the last two weeks I've had numbness/tingling in the pinky and ring fingers of my left hand. Thought it would just go away on its own, but it hasn't, and my left hand grip is getting very weak now (I couldn't use a fingernail clipper last night). I talked to a PA friend today, and she'd said she was certain it was my Ulnar Nerve, and that more than likely I had inflammation in my triceps and/or forearm muscles that were compressing the nerve, which is causing these problems. She advised no lifting, ice packs, and Aleve for a week.
I don't like the no lifting advice, so I thought I'd ask for your opinion. Not sure what I did to make my Ulnar Nerve mad, but resting on my left elbow, sleeping on my left side, squatting, benching, curls, and tri-ext all agitate it even more (I've been benching a lot more volume the last month, which has produced PR's). Do you think laying off curls and tri-ext for a week or two + ice packs + Aleve for a week is worth trying? I can survive like this for a while, but it's annoying, hard to type, and I don't want the problem to go on indefinitely.
Thanks for your time and help!
Aaron Montgomery
✓ Member
Does the inside of your elbow hurt (about 1" below the medial epicondyle) when you mash on it?
Member
I had ulnar nerve compression after a three week long motorcycle trip. (Pressure from palms being on the bars for long days on end.)
Orthopedist recommended Aleve (doubled standard dosage) for about a month and that did the trick. Never came back. It's a crappy feeling for sure.
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It's not sharp pain, but it's a bit more sensitive than my other arm there. Definitely makes my fingers tingle more when I press it. I have zero elbow pain no matter what I'm doing, just numbness and tingling in the those two fingers.Originally Posted by Jordan Feigenbaum
✓ Member
Hmm, may be in the wrist. I probably would ditch the arm work, chins, pull ups, and ice. You can try NSAIDs if your doctor says they're okay to take. You may consider a wrist wrap used judiciously when training.
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I wear wrist wraps when benching, are you suggesting I wear them while squatting as well? It seems like movements like the squat and bench make the tingling worse because of how the bar rests on my palm, below my pink and ring fingers.
Does it matter if I take Aleve or 800mg ibuprofen? Any complications from taking either for longer than a week?
Thanks Jordan!
✓ Member
You might be get some mileage when wearing them whilst squatting.
I cannot advise you on taking an anti-inflammatory, but Aleve and Ibuprofen are not the same thing. Subsequently, they are dosed differently. And yes, there are some known potential side effects from taking them for a long period of time.
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Understood. I was taking 800mg motrin 2x/day for 1 week, and stopped on Sunday. I haven't noticed any difference between taking or not taking it, so I'm gonna lay off it for now, because my stomach is sensitive anyways, and the last thing I need is GI issues from long term NSAID use.
Not doing curls or tri-ext for one week hasn't seemed to help either. Maybe I'll try another week off of accessories. I've discovered some really tender spots in my tricep and forearm flexor, I might try applying pressure to those areas with a tennis ball and see if that helps any.
✓ Member
Why don't you try high barring for a week?
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Because I drink the SS koolaid, and have never even attempted a high bar squat, once. Thought that was anathema around here... I know literally nothing about how to grip or do a high bar squat, but I could give it a try on my light day, after looking up some videos on youtube. Maybe Alan Thrall or someone else has something helpful?
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