Cubital Tunnel Syndrome

The most common symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome are:

*Numbness and tingling in the hand and small and ring fingers
*Night symptoms
*Hand and finger pain

There are several suggested causes for cubital tunnel syndrome. Part of the reason might reside in the very way the elbow is designed to work. One common factor might be the constant bending of the elbow itself–reaching, lifting, or pulling levers. When this occurs, the ulnar nerve is stretched several millimeters. At times the ulnar nerve will shift or snap over the bony point on the inside of the elbow called the medial epicondyle. Over time, this can progressively irritate the nerve, resulting in the pain, tingling, and numbness along with weakness of some of the muscles of the hand and forearm. Nerve damage can result. The ulnar nerve can also be damaged from trauma inflicted directly to the cubital tunnel.