Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypesHow It FeelsCausesDiagnosisTreatment

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Types

How It Feels

Causes

Diagnosis

Treatment

Ulnar nerve entrapment occurs when there is too much pressure on theulnar nerve. This leads to hand numbness or tingling in the forearm and pinky side of your hand (ulnar neuropathy). It may cause hand or elbow pain or tenderness.In severe cases, it can result in hand muscle weakness or atrophy (wasting away).

The ulnar nerve can be entrapped in the elbow or wrist. Treatment includes modifying your activities to prevent pressure on the elbow or wrist. A healthcare provider may also recommend conservative treatments like splinting or cortisone injection to relieve pressure. Surgery may be needed if these methods do not provide relief.

This article discusses the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of ulnar nerve entrapment.

A photo composite of a hand with circles highlighting where tingling, pain and numbness happen from ulnar nerve entrapment.

Types of Ulnar Nerve Entrapment

The ulnar nerve is one of the terminal branches (main nerves) of thebrachial plexus—a network of nerves that runs through your arms.

The ulnar nerve provides sensation to the inside of your forearm, the pinky side of your hand, your pinky finger, and half of the ring finger. This nerve also supplies muscles that help bend your wrists and fingers, spread your fingers apart, and bring them back together.

The ulnar nerve can be entrapped or compressed inside the elbow or the pinky side of the hand. This results in different syndromes:

Cubital tunnel syndrome is the second most common type of nerve compression (aftercarpal tunnel syndrome).However, Guyon’s canal syndrome is rare.

What Does Ulnar Nerve Entrapment Feel Like?

If you’ve ever hit your “funny bone”—the point where your ulnar nerve travels close to the skin near the humerus bone on the inside of your elbow—you have an idea what ulnar nerve entrapment symptoms feel like.

Ulnar nerve entrapment causes tingling, pain, and numbness along the path of the ulnar nerve in the forearm and hand, specifically the inside border of your forearm and hand and your fourth and fifth fingers.

When the ulnar nerve is compressed in the cubital tunnel of the elbow, you can experience these symptoms in both your forearm and hand. However, if your nerve is compressed in Guyon’s canal, you will only have symptoms in your hand.

The symptoms can come and go.You might have symptoms at night due to the position of your arm while sleeping. The symptoms may resolve on their own if the source of compression is relieved, such as stopping activities that put pressure on the elbow or wrist.

If the ulnar nerve is compressed for extended periods, the muscles it supplies can become weak. You may have poor grip or pinch strength and trouble separating your fingers. It can become hard to open jars, use a keyboard, or play a musical instrument.

In severe cases, these muscles atrophy (waste away). If severe ulnar nerve entrapment is left untreated, a condition that causes the fingers to bend toward the wrist can develop.

What Causes Ulnar Nerve Entrapment?

There are various causes for cubital tunnel syndrome and Guyon’s canal syndrome. However, in some cases, it can develop without an apparent reason.

Guyon’s canal syndrome can occur from:

How Ulnar Nerve Entrapment Is Diagnosed

You can suspect you have ulnar nerve entrapment based on where and when you feel numbness, tingling, or pain. Take notes so you can report this to a healthcare provider, including what you were doing when you experienced symptoms, especially the position of your wrist and elbow and if there was any pressure on those areas.

A provider may recommend additional testing to confirm a diagnosis of ulnar nerve entrapment, such as:

Nerve Glides in Physical Therapy

Does Ulnar Nerve Entrapment Go Away?If you have ulnar nerve entrapment symptoms, don’t wait for them to worsen before you seek treatment. Early diagnosis and treatment improve your chances of recovering fully. While medications can help control your symptoms, they aren’t the best long-term solution.Visit an occupational therapist or physical therapist to see if the source of your nerve compression can be identified. Sometimes, it only takes a minorergonomic adjustmentto your workspace.

Does Ulnar Nerve Entrapment Go Away?

If you have ulnar nerve entrapment symptoms, don’t wait for them to worsen before you seek treatment. Early diagnosis and treatment improve your chances of recovering fully. While medications can help control your symptoms, they aren’t the best long-term solution.Visit an occupational therapist or physical therapist to see if the source of your nerve compression can be identified. Sometimes, it only takes a minorergonomic adjustmentto your workspace.

If you have ulnar nerve entrapment symptoms, don’t wait for them to worsen before you seek treatment. Early diagnosis and treatment improve your chances of recovering fully. While medications can help control your symptoms, they aren’t the best long-term solution.

Visit an occupational therapist or physical therapist to see if the source of your nerve compression can be identified. Sometimes, it only takes a minorergonomic adjustmentto your workspace.

Treatment for Ulnar Nerve Entrapment

Treatment for ulnar nerve entrapment depends on the severity of the condition. If you haven’t yet developed significant muscle wasting, conservative, nonsurgical treatment is usually recommended.This successfully improves symptoms in most cases.

Conservative treatment includes measures you can take at home and work. It consists of:

One ulnar nerve gliding exercise is to extend your arm straight in front of you with your palm up. Curl your wrist and fingers toward your upper body. Next, extend your open hand away from you, so the palm is up and wrist bent down. Then, bend your elbow keeping the hand in that position.

An illustration of nerve gliding exercises.

Occupational and physical therapists who treat upper extremity injuries often treat ulnar nerve entrapment conditions. Some of these therapists are specialists calledcertified hand therapists (CHTs).

Surgery

In some cases, nerve decompression surgery is required to relieve pressure on the ulnar nerve.If you have significant weakness or have signs of muscle damage or wasting, a healthcare provider may recommend surgery.

Procedures that may be recommended include:

Prognosis for Ulnar Nerve EntrapmentConservative treatment improves the symptoms of ulnar nerve compression at the elbow in 9 out of 10 people.Early diagnosis and treatment of ulnar nerve entrapment leads to better prognosis for recovery.Long-term nerve compression can lead to permanent loss of sensation and muscle use.Symptoms may decrease after surgery. However, it can take months to a year for the nerve to recover its normal sensation after surgery. You may benefit from a rehabilitation program and home exercises.

Prognosis for Ulnar Nerve Entrapment

Conservative treatment improves the symptoms of ulnar nerve compression at the elbow in 9 out of 10 people.Early diagnosis and treatment of ulnar nerve entrapment leads to better prognosis for recovery.Long-term nerve compression can lead to permanent loss of sensation and muscle use.Symptoms may decrease after surgery. However, it can take months to a year for the nerve to recover its normal sensation after surgery. You may benefit from a rehabilitation program and home exercises.

Conservative treatment improves the symptoms of ulnar nerve compression at the elbow in 9 out of 10 people.Early diagnosis and treatment of ulnar nerve entrapment leads to better prognosis for recovery.Long-term nerve compression can lead to permanent loss of sensation and muscle use.

Symptoms may decrease after surgery. However, it can take months to a year for the nerve to recover its normal sensation after surgery. You may benefit from a rehabilitation program and home exercises.

Summary

Ulnar nerve entrapment occurs when the nerve is compressed in the elbow or the hand and wrist. It can cause pain, tingling, and numbness along the inside of the forearm, pinky side of the hand, pinky finger, and half of the ring finger. Nerve entrapment is typically diagnosed with a physical exam and nerve conduction studies.

Treatment includes anti-inflammatory medications, splinting, nerve gliding exercises, and avoiding activities that increase nerve pressure. Occupational or physical therapy can also be beneficial. In severe cases, surgery might be required.

13 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Cubital tunnel syndrome.American Society for Surgery of the Hand.Nerves.Agarwal A, Chandra A, Jaipal U, Saini N.Imaging in the diagnosis of ulnar nerve pathologies-a neoteric approach.Insights Imaging. 2019;10(1):37. doi:10.1186/s13244-019-0714-xQuang VP, Quoc HH, Nguyen B, Quang CN, Chi HN, Nguyen N.Guyon’s canal resulting from lipoma: A case report and review of the literature.Int J Surg Case Rep. 2022;95:107182. doi.org/10.1016/j.ijscr.2022.107182Johns Hopkins Medicine.Ulnar nerve entrapment.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Ulnar nerve entrapment at the elbow (cubital tunnel syndrome).American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Ulnar tunnel syndrome of the wrist.Anderson D, Woods B, Abubakar T, Koontz C, Li N, Hasoon J, Viswanath O, Kaye AD, Urits I.A comprehensive review of cubital tunnel syndrome.Orthop Rev (Pavia). 2022;14(3):38239. doi:10.52965/001c.38239Natroshvili T, van de Warenburg MS, Heine EP, Slater NJ, Walbeehm ET, Bartels RHMA.Conservative treatment of ulnar nerve compression at the elbow: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Arch Plast Surg. 2023;50(1):70-81. doi:10.1055/s-0042-1757571Hospital for Special Surgery.Cubital tunnel syndrome: causes, symptoms, and treatments.Kooner S, Cinats D, Kwong C, Matthewson G, Dhaliwal G.Conservative treatment of cubital tunnel syndrome: a systematic review.Orthop Rev (Pavia). 2019;11(2):7955. doi:10.4081/or.2019.7955Wade RG, Griffiths TT, Flather R, Burr NE, Teo M, Bourke G.Safety and outcomes of different surgical techniques for cubital tunnel decompression.JAMA Netw Open. 2020;3(11):e2024352. doi:10.1001%2Fjamanetworkopen.2020.24352National Library of Medicine.Peripheral neuropathy.

13 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Cubital tunnel syndrome.American Society for Surgery of the Hand.Nerves.Agarwal A, Chandra A, Jaipal U, Saini N.Imaging in the diagnosis of ulnar nerve pathologies-a neoteric approach.Insights Imaging. 2019;10(1):37. doi:10.1186/s13244-019-0714-xQuang VP, Quoc HH, Nguyen B, Quang CN, Chi HN, Nguyen N.Guyon’s canal resulting from lipoma: A case report and review of the literature.Int J Surg Case Rep. 2022;95:107182. doi.org/10.1016/j.ijscr.2022.107182Johns Hopkins Medicine.Ulnar nerve entrapment.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Ulnar nerve entrapment at the elbow (cubital tunnel syndrome).American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Ulnar tunnel syndrome of the wrist.Anderson D, Woods B, Abubakar T, Koontz C, Li N, Hasoon J, Viswanath O, Kaye AD, Urits I.A comprehensive review of cubital tunnel syndrome.Orthop Rev (Pavia). 2022;14(3):38239. doi:10.52965/001c.38239Natroshvili T, van de Warenburg MS, Heine EP, Slater NJ, Walbeehm ET, Bartels RHMA.Conservative treatment of ulnar nerve compression at the elbow: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Arch Plast Surg. 2023;50(1):70-81. doi:10.1055/s-0042-1757571Hospital for Special Surgery.Cubital tunnel syndrome: causes, symptoms, and treatments.Kooner S, Cinats D, Kwong C, Matthewson G, Dhaliwal G.Conservative treatment of cubital tunnel syndrome: a systematic review.Orthop Rev (Pavia). 2019;11(2):7955. doi:10.4081/or.2019.7955Wade RG, Griffiths TT, Flather R, Burr NE, Teo M, Bourke G.Safety and outcomes of different surgical techniques for cubital tunnel decompression.JAMA Netw Open. 2020;3(11):e2024352. doi:10.1001%2Fjamanetworkopen.2020.24352National Library of Medicine.Peripheral neuropathy.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Johns Hopkins Medicine.Cubital tunnel syndrome.American Society for Surgery of the Hand.Nerves.Agarwal A, Chandra A, Jaipal U, Saini N.Imaging in the diagnosis of ulnar nerve pathologies-a neoteric approach.Insights Imaging. 2019;10(1):37. doi:10.1186/s13244-019-0714-xQuang VP, Quoc HH, Nguyen B, Quang CN, Chi HN, Nguyen N.Guyon’s canal resulting from lipoma: A case report and review of the literature.Int J Surg Case Rep. 2022;95:107182. doi.org/10.1016/j.ijscr.2022.107182Johns Hopkins Medicine.Ulnar nerve entrapment.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Ulnar nerve entrapment at the elbow (cubital tunnel syndrome).American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Ulnar tunnel syndrome of the wrist.Anderson D, Woods B, Abubakar T, Koontz C, Li N, Hasoon J, Viswanath O, Kaye AD, Urits I.A comprehensive review of cubital tunnel syndrome.Orthop Rev (Pavia). 2022;14(3):38239. doi:10.52965/001c.38239Natroshvili T, van de Warenburg MS, Heine EP, Slater NJ, Walbeehm ET, Bartels RHMA.Conservative treatment of ulnar nerve compression at the elbow: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Arch Plast Surg. 2023;50(1):70-81. doi:10.1055/s-0042-1757571Hospital for Special Surgery.Cubital tunnel syndrome: causes, symptoms, and treatments.Kooner S, Cinats D, Kwong C, Matthewson G, Dhaliwal G.Conservative treatment of cubital tunnel syndrome: a systematic review.Orthop Rev (Pavia). 2019;11(2):7955. doi:10.4081/or.2019.7955Wade RG, Griffiths TT, Flather R, Burr NE, Teo M, Bourke G.Safety and outcomes of different surgical techniques for cubital tunnel decompression.JAMA Netw Open. 2020;3(11):e2024352. doi:10.1001%2Fjamanetworkopen.2020.24352National Library of Medicine.Peripheral neuropathy.

Johns Hopkins Medicine.Cubital tunnel syndrome.

American Society for Surgery of the Hand.Nerves.

Agarwal A, Chandra A, Jaipal U, Saini N.Imaging in the diagnosis of ulnar nerve pathologies-a neoteric approach.Insights Imaging. 2019;10(1):37. doi:10.1186/s13244-019-0714-x

Quang VP, Quoc HH, Nguyen B, Quang CN, Chi HN, Nguyen N.Guyon’s canal resulting from lipoma: A case report and review of the literature.Int J Surg Case Rep. 2022;95:107182. doi.org/10.1016/j.ijscr.2022.107182

Johns Hopkins Medicine.Ulnar nerve entrapment.

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Ulnar nerve entrapment at the elbow (cubital tunnel syndrome).

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Ulnar tunnel syndrome of the wrist.

Anderson D, Woods B, Abubakar T, Koontz C, Li N, Hasoon J, Viswanath O, Kaye AD, Urits I.A comprehensive review of cubital tunnel syndrome.Orthop Rev (Pavia). 2022;14(3):38239. doi:10.52965/001c.38239

Natroshvili T, van de Warenburg MS, Heine EP, Slater NJ, Walbeehm ET, Bartels RHMA.Conservative treatment of ulnar nerve compression at the elbow: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Arch Plast Surg. 2023;50(1):70-81. doi:10.1055/s-0042-1757571

Hospital for Special Surgery.Cubital tunnel syndrome: causes, symptoms, and treatments.

Kooner S, Cinats D, Kwong C, Matthewson G, Dhaliwal G.Conservative treatment of cubital tunnel syndrome: a systematic review.Orthop Rev (Pavia). 2019;11(2):7955. doi:10.4081/or.2019.7955

Wade RG, Griffiths TT, Flather R, Burr NE, Teo M, Bourke G.Safety and outcomes of different surgical techniques for cubital tunnel decompression.JAMA Netw Open. 2020;3(11):e2024352. doi:10.1001%2Fjamanetworkopen.2020.24352

National Library of Medicine.Peripheral neuropathy.

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