My 5 Favorite Ulnar Nerve Stretches - That Won't Hurt You - UPDATE 2023
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- Опубліковано 26 чер 2023
- In this video we go over the 5 best Ulnar Nerve Stretches that don't have a high risk associated with them. Some ulnar nerve stretches can create more pain and numbness if you do them wrong. If you want more information about ulnar nerve recovery check out my ebook which covers, treatments, diagnosis, areas of entrapments, and mistakes. Go here: bit.ly/3hTNLlD
If you would like some treatment call our office in Costa Mesa CA. We have virtual sessions as 714-502-4243 www.p2sportscare.com
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO TREATING HAND NUMBNESS
Well, sorting through the treatment of hand numbness is a process, but that’s because of the variety of potential underlying causes for it which we have to review.
In this chapter, you’ll learn about the theory of how to comprehensively rehab and treat the symptoms of an ulnar nerve compression. HINT: This is the most important part for you to read.
Treatment of the ulnar nerve can be broken down into five parts:
Find the site of compression
Decrease local irritation (passively or actively)
Decrease activity creating compression (until under control)
Increase nerve’s ability to slide through
Improve postural control, breathing patterns, movement patterns, etc.
This will be worth your time. It’s only a 5 minute section before we go into the stretch and passive care you came to see.
1. Find the site of compression
Think of a nerve as a garden hose. Any kink in the hose will affect the water flow, regardless of its location. When considering ulnar nerve compression, it works much like the garden hose, but there are a few sites on the nerve that have high probability of becoming entrapped:
At the spine (the nerve root)
At the brachial plexus (the neck region)
At the brachial sleeve (the arm)
At the cubital tunnel (the elbow)
Within the forearm muscles
At the Tunnel of Guyon (the wrist)
There are also a few other underlying problems that can trigger “symptoms of an ulnar nerve compression.” Be warned, most of these are probably going to scare you; so seeing a doctor to confirm your specific cause is good prevention of unnecessary panic attacks.
I once had a patient experiencing numbness/pain in the ring and pinky fingers at night. In his case, the cause was a tumor in his spine.
Another young man came in and presented with bilateral (both sides) numbness and pain in his hands/fingers. This is one of the major signs (bilateral symptoms) of spinal cord compression.
The individuals involved in these cases both asked, “Hey, can you just treat it?” Of course, my answer was no. Cases like both of these must be referred out for further evaluation, treatment and care.
It’s sad and scary to hear horror stories like these, but the great news is if they are found early, then they can be corrected to some degree. Ignorance is only bliss for a period of time.
Moral of this story: you should know, with certainty, what is creating your symptoms. If you don’t, the muscles of the hand can end up wasting away, or even worse.
After we’ve screened out all the red flags, I often have my patients start to examine what changes their symptoms. To do this, I’ll have them keep all variables constant and only move ONE body region to a new position and hold it.
From center, does a tilt of the head to the opposite side increase or decrease symptoms?
From center, does dropping the chin to the chest change it?
How about a shoulder shrug?
Do you see what’s going on here? We are localizing the area that has the greatest effect on the hand numbness. Everyone is different, and sometimes it’s not a position change, but rather a “stiffening” of a region. We will get more into stabilization in the eBook.
2. Decrease local irritation
Decreasing irritation of the region of nerve compression can be helpful in decreasing “flare-ups.”
In most cases, people are pretty aware of what activities or motions will trigger their symptoms. I’m never one to encourage a mindset of “avoidance,” but in this case, while we attempt to fully address the reason for the nerve compression, holding off on those activities or motions might be a good idea.
If you’re thinking something along the lines of, “It happens when I drive. How can I not drive?” or some other activity that seems unlikely for you to stop entirely, then a little more effort is going to be necessary from you!
I strongly encourage my patients to break down every activity into its separate movements or components, and to find the EXACT reason for the flare-up. The more time we can get the nerve to “breathe freely”, the less inflammed it will be. It’s not always avoidance of an activity… most of the time it’s a simple modification.
#FavoriteUlnarNerveStretches #ulnarnervestretch #california
67 year old male, in pain after 1,000 mile cycle in Sept 2023. After 3 months of agony in arm and shoulder I tried your recommended stretches. Amazingly the pain receded after carrying out all the exercises, 3 times a day for just 7 days. You are miracle workers!!
Wow! That’s amazing
I have had what I now know was ulnar nerve entrapment for nearly a year. I’ve been to PTs who gave me some exercises that actually did little to help and the flossing exercises I found for the ulnar nerve online def made my symptoms worse. With just a few weeks with these exercises, I am feeling less pain, twitching, and “irritiation” in the cubital tunnel area, my wrist and ring and pinky finger. Thank you all so much for sharing! This has been a long road but I think I’ve found something that actually works
Set up a Discovery Session with us. We may have some simple tips that were missed that could help in your recovery
thanks , will try these at home tonight and will let you know the progress.
:) Let us help you out with it. We have consultations available. There is a link in the description for the video or call 714-502-4243
Man I just came across your videos, and damn it I love you already, THANK YOU!!! I've been struggling with this for a year not understanding what was happening because here in the Netherlands they get too lazy with the diagnoses process, only a few months did I come to realize that it has to do with the ulnar nerve, and I tried physio and they all were shit, it's heart warming to come across these very informative videos, SUBSCRIBED!
Glad you like it!
Thanks guys!
Could you make video on thumb base area pain? thanks!
It will be a while but we can try. Instead of waiting just book a session. Link in description
These really helped. Thank you so much!!!
You're so welcome!
Thank you very much Dr Sebastian!! I watched your two videos and they helped me a lot!
I am a software developer and 2 months ago my paresthesia began in the 4th and 5th finger of my left hand, after going to the doctor and performing some tests I was diagnosed with compression in the elbow region, cubital tunnel syndrome.
I felt a lot of pain when bending my elbow, I stopped working due to the pain and only now am I better and I can do the stretches you taught, the best for me was the 4th exercise, it relieves a little but after doing it I feel a little pain in the elbow area, would that be normal? How many times a day could I do this exercise?
Another question, does finger sensitivity take time to return to normal? Even without pain and without paresthesia, sensitivity did not return to normal.
Regards!!
Hi! We need to assess to see what type of exercise and stretch dosage is correct for your problem. We can do that but you would need to come see us so we can get more information about what’s safe for you.
For skin sensation I’ve see it normalize for some people within weeks. Some it takes a year
Thank you so much, I’m a musician who has had issues with my ulnar nerve for over 2 years and have just had a flare up in my pinky. I’m having pain in my pinky finger, and previously a hand specialist told me not to completely stop using it if the pain was below a 3 or a 4. Is it safe to do these stretches with a low pain level? Thank you again for sharing your knowledge!
Oh no! Sorry to hear that. We have seen many guitarists and pianists with this type of presentation. Love to make a suggestion but in order to make a safe one we would need to examine you to see what is safe to do. Call our office and set up a time to speak with us about it. Keep your head up. 714-502-4243
The flossing at the end was instant release relief
:)
Hey Dr. Sebastian. Thanks for the exercises!
I am 24 years old and I always had weak wrists, the reason for which was unknown to me. Recently because of too much computer time I started feeling pain and numbness in my elbow that went straight down to the little finger.
I started training for arm wrestling for strengthening my wrists and they work. I could feel my wrists getting stronger but at the same time, the pain or weakness right above the ulnar bone and below the hand doesnt go away. Whenever I arm wrestle someone, thats the first place that generates sharp pain.
I also enjoy doing calisthenics and lifting weights, but weak wrists does not really help with that. Pullups can also trigger the numbing and ulnar nerve pain.
My entrapment is mostly in elbow and wrist. Will some of these exercises work including the three exercises that you mentioned in other videos - farmers carry, starfish and 6 inch punch? Do wrists become weak because of cubital tunnel syndrome and can they become strong again?
Thanks for sharing. On UA-cam we do our best to share things that commonly help people and in each video we give context of how and when we use each. However each people with finger symptoms are not all the same. Even people with entrapments in the same locations are not treated the same. I’d love to say those are what you’ll need to do but without knowing anything about your situation or examining you I don’t really have an opinion. I can have an opinion if you’d like to come and let me examine and figure out what’s going on. We have a say… we don’t guess, we assess. Guessing can lead to haphazard results or even people getting worse over time. Reach out if you’d like me to help. Just email us
Greetings from Australia! I was recently diagnosed with bilateral nerve entrapment in guyon's canal and the cubital tunnel.
I initially stumbled on your channel while trying to find videos of taping. Your videos are very informative and helpful!
I've had multiple appointments with a hand/wrist/elbow OT and they recommended the 'owl' slide to me. However the execution they taught was an incredibly slow motion (snail pace) and to stop before it elicits any tingling/numbness.
Also found it very helpful to understand the other locations where nerve entrapment can occur. Thanks again!
Glad you like the video. Did you get our ebook on this yet? It’s very good
Hello, do you offer purchase parity for the ebook?
I’m not sure I understand
Hello! This is a great video. Most of the professionals I have seen recommend ulnar nerve flossing but it's only made my symptoms worse. I've been dealing with nerve pain right above the elbow for a while and occasionally it travels up into my bicep as well. It gets worse when my elbows have been bent for a little while and making things extremely difficult with my job and daily life. I really don't want to have surgery but have tried resting, rehab and NSAIDS which haven't worked. I like in the UK but would be great to understand more about the type of services you offer :)
Glad you like the video. We have seen a lot of people with this so we have some good experiences to share. Email us and one of our front desk staff can give you the rundown. Info@p2sportscare.com
I got ulnar nerve issues from flossing, i was testing it on my left arm and low and behold my fingersbwent numb at that time
Nerve issues to the hand can be super common and hard to live with. I’m so sorry to hear that. Good thing is once the pressure is off the nerve most people improve very rapidly. There are many ways to do this non surgically but finding the location of pressure requires a detailed examination and a skilled professional. Happy healing
Dawne is great!
Thank you
Welcome@@Performance-Place-chiropractor
:)
hey i am having a similar problem with tingles and numbness
and even sometimes my bicep tendon feels uncomfortable i dont know the problem hope u can help me out
having this issue for 4 months+
how did this happen: so i was doing arms days nothing happened there felt real pumped up.
than i was playing games than did a lean streach and flexed my bicep hard than i felt a like a click inside and than my bicep feels like its watery and tingling through out my fingers ring and thumb
hope u can help
Sorry to hear that. A lot of people get good info from our book on this. There is no other publication like it around www.p2sportscare.com/product/fix-hand-numbness/
I have acute symptoms right now that is affecting my older nerve and my little finger is numb to a point and slight ring finger but my armpit is totally numb and on one side the other side of that same area plus part of my breast is numb . I have sharp shooting pains that go from the armpit to the breast and is hot and poker like at times. Are any of these exercises that you show good for releasing that nerve or will it make it worse? The pain is excruciating.😢
Hey there. If it’s that acute and you caught it early enough, you should see somebody in person to help you get out of this as soon as possible. If you’d like our help reach out to us via email info@p2sportscare.com or call us 714-502-4243. Although, sometimes UA-cam videos and self treatment can help. It’s not as effective and specific as direct customize recommendations. For the fastest results get something customized from us.
Hi
I have an unusual situation, whereby only if i sit or am seated, does my hand and arm start going numb, tingling, swelling and hurting.
And then takes a couple weeks to get better.
What do you think could be triggering the ulnar nerve when seated?
Sitting with correct posture hurts more. If a lean back when sitting, it hurts less. And when I stand then there is no pain. 😔
Thanks for writing. You are welcome to come see us. We see people with this type of thing very often and can probably help. Start by doing a consultation. From there was can see if we can help. Info@p2sportscare.com or call. 714-502-4243
@@Performance-Place-chiropractor Thank you. I'm from South Africa though. 🇿🇦 😏
I was doing some further research and came across neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome.
Because I don't have any pain in my wrist or elbow or neck. But my chest does hurt when I experience those symptoms in my hand and arm with the nerve.
Will look further into that.
Thank you 🙂
Enjoy
Hi.
I have a question. Us the ulnar nerve healing the pinky and ring finger will get better?
Most of the time but it depends on severity and how long you have been dealing with it
4 weeks
Depends on the case
I have nerve pain that runs by the elbow and is in the pinky and second finger in the hand, idoes that sound like the ulnar nerve?
Could be a lot of things. We have a book that covers all of the locations and we have a lot more UA-cam videos on our channel that elaborate on this topic
@@Performance-Place-chiropractor thanks
Hi, so the flossing hurt for me after the first rep at the elbow. Is there anyway to free the nerve without surgery, or will I need surgery? Thank You
We would need to examine it to tell. Let’s set up a consultation so we can discuss privately
@@Performance-Place-chiropractor thank you for replying
Happy to help
Dawn relax. Dawn. RELAX. DAWN RELAX!
Haha
I’m in desperate pain from ulnar nerve pain from my first rib. My physio is working tho
Happy it’s helping you
hi there. hope you are well. i have an issue with lifting my palm up. not sure what the movement is called, but if i were to say; put my hand flat on a table, palm facing down, & then lift the front section of the hand/fingers in a sort of tilt, i get like an elasticy pain, or a rubber string sensation in the middle of the palm. the more i stretch in this manner the more it can get weirdly tight, and bouncy in the palm. really weird to describe. even when walking, when my hand is dangling down, & if i were to lift the top half of the hand in a tilt facing upwards, like a semi stretch there is the weird sensation in the middle of the palm, and sometimes even beneath the last two fingers. any idea what’s going on? thanks.
Hmmmm. To know what is going on we would have to evaluate you in person. We have seen a lot of people with variations of stuff like this and no two people are the exact same.
@@Performance-Place-chiropractor thanks for your response. yeah this sensation is weird. plus there is like an altered feeling too, with my pinky & ring finger. if i were to touch or stroke the tips of them, i would get a burn, tingle or weird needle like stiffness in the palm beneath them, (in the centre & hypothenar). like a referred pain, or allesthesia.
Let’s set up a consultation so we can see if we help with it. We need to do an assessment
Not to do stretching nerve exercises or add compression to it? Isn't that what every physical therapist has been preaching on youtube and elsewhere with many of these glide exercises which stretch your nerve???
A glide is a slide not a stretch to the nerve
I can't do any of these exercises… It just burns from my hands, especially elbows, and into my arm pit. Only rest, not using my hands and not bending my elbows brings relief. Also whenever I've tried these types of exercises in the past, I don't feel pain in the moment, but I do later. So it's hard to know what will hurt you or not…
Sorry to hear that. We see lots of people with this problem so if you’ve like some customized things to do after a proper examination let us know. The exam tells us what is safe and not
@@Performance-Place-chiropractor thanks very much! I'll think about it…
Sounds good!
1:50 😁
Thanks