Ulnar Neuritis is not an easy injury to deal with because it involves a nerve. Anytime you have an injury that consists of a nerve you are in for a battle. It is essential that you understand the anatomy of this injury and how to prevent it, so you do not have to deal with this situation. The damage can happen from playing sports, but it comes mostly as a result of having the elbow bent for long periods of time. Any person can suffer from this injury just living everyday life.
Ulnar Neuritis Anatomy
The Ulnar nerve runs right by the funny bone and supplies the pinky finger and ring finger. The nerve runs by the flexor pronator and flexor carpi muscles and is continuously at risk of being agitated by these two muscles. It is named the Ulnar Nerve because it runs by the ulnar bone. The nerve is the largest unprotected nerve in the human body and because of that, increases its risk of injury.
Ulnar Neuritis Causes
When the elbow is in a bent position, the ulnar never is pulled over the bony portion of the elbow called the medial epicondyle. The medial epicondyle is the medical name for the “funny bone.” Repetitive bending, or leaving on a bent elbow for prolonged periods can lead to irritation of the nerve.
Ulnar Neuritis Risk Factors
- Swelling of elbow joint
- Bruising in the area
- Arthritis of elbow
- Previous fractures or dislocations of the elbow
- Repetitive use of the elbow
- Not addressing pain early on
Ulnar Neuritis Symptoms
- Numbness or tingling in the pinky finger
- Numbness or tingling in the ring finger
- Pain on the inside of the elbow
- Difficulty gripping onto things
- Difficulty with typing
Ulnar Neuritis Diagnosis
Ulnar Neuritis is best diagnosed by working with sports medicine healthcare providers. The first thing a health care provider will do is ask you questions about when the pain started and where you are feeling it. Once getting an understanding of what is happening.
Depending on the healthcare provider and their skillset, they will begin providing treatment to figure out what exactly is going on. This may include getting an X-Ray to rule out other issues like a broken arm. Some healthcare providers will conduct a nerve conduction test to make a diagnosis. Others will work on releasing the surrounding muscles to try and provide some immediate relief.
It is always in your best interest to see a healthcare provider first when dealing with nerve issues. The last thing you want to do is ignore a nerve problem or have the mentality that you can do things on your own to fix it. This can lead to long-term damage and problems that can easily be avoided.
Treatment of Ulnar Neuritis
The short-term fix for this injury is to take some anti-inflammatory medication to keep the swelling and pain down. You do not want to depend on this though because it is only helping the symptoms and not fixing the root cause of the pain. The best things you can do is get frequent manual therapy on the area. If none of the above is working, in the worst case of situations a doctor may have to perform surgery.
Prevention of Ulnar Neuritis
The first thing you want to do to prevent this injury is to be aware of when your elbow is bent. Avoid bending the elbow as much as possible to give that ulnar never a chance to breathe. Avoid activities like the following:
- Driving with arm resting on the open window
- Golfing
- Tennis
- Throwing
- Being on a computer
- Sleep with a towel wrapped around arm at night to prevent elbow bending
The goal is to be pain-free for 2-3 weeks before returning to play. If you go back to early your risk of having to redo all of the worlds you have already done.
Finding The Best Local Sports Medicine Providers for Ulnar Neuritis
9INE POINT Health is the best place to start your search for a health care provider to help you stay healthy. The key to success as an athlete is staying healthy and making sure the injuries are dealt with appropriately. Any athlete that runs is at risk of Ulnar Neuritis pain and the key to success as an athlete is staying healthy.
9INE POINT Health lets you search for providers by type and skill. For example, you can look for a Physical Therapist with any skill set you need. It does not matter what kind of provider you need, 9INE POINT Health can help you find them and help you to sort through their skills.
If you are unsure where to start your journey, 9INE POINT Health will ask you questions and help you figure out the best starting place. All you have to do is answer a few questions. From there, 9INE POINT Health will connect you with the type of provider best suited for your needs. It does not matter if you are injured or making sure you don’t run into Ulnar Neuritis.
The platform makes it easy . compare health providers as they are all given a 9INE POINT Number. Once you are shown the best local options, how do you know which is the best? Reading bios and reviews is just not enough because you need more than that.
Skill Sets to Look for In Sports Medicine Providers
Skill sets are the things healthcare providers learn after they graduate. A healthcare provider can take courses and get certifications for different skill sets. These skill sets are valuable and help them approach injuries from different perspectives so that you can get the best help at the right time for any Ulnar Neuritis issues.
- Dry needling
- Acupuncture
- Joint Manipulation
- Active Release Technique
- Graston Technique
- Functional Movement Screen
- Fascial Stretching
- Strength and Conditioning Coach
- Athletic Trainer
- Sports Background
- And many more
KHO Health was acquired by was acquire by 9INE POINT in the summer of 2019 and is now referred to as 9INE POINT Health.
9INE POINT Health was created by 9INE POINT in '19 as a means to provide athlete-driven resources to "Protect Athletes' Minds, Body and Belly". As well as be a platform for healthcare providers and other specialists to display their knowledge.
