burning sensation in elbow - possible diagnosis??

[evosy1978]

Hey up all

Im a 32yr old plasterer. about 3 months ago I cricked my neck whilst boarding a ceiling. trapped a nerve or something which gave me a slight pain in the side of the neck when turning the one way. No major gripe, but it coincided with me noticing a burning sensation on the outside of BOTH elbows when they were flexed e.g when plastering.. so because im riight handed I only really felt it in the right elbow, but was definately aware of it in the left elbow. This also coincided with about 4 weeks worth of total pins and needles in either one or both of my sets of fingers in the middle of the night. Also my right set of fingers when gripping things, e.g trowel or steering wheel. (the pins and needles would be really annoying whilst trying to work)

Anyhow I worked out i was getting the pins and needles at night when i slept on my hands, so ive now stopped sleeping on my front.

Anyhow ive not done much plastering till last week so i kind of forgot about these different symptoms, Ive now realised that im NOT getting ANY pins and needles at all at night or daytime activities. which is good.

So yesterday i firstly plasterboarded a ceiling. I felt a slight twinge feeling in my neck but nothing that hindered me in turning my head. It happened because my head is constantly looking up and twisting about.... I then plastered the ceiling which due to the pressure and repetitive movement on my right arm brought back the hot burning sensation at the elbow...

So im doing loads of research and read alot about tennis elbow and my symtoms fit the bill except the fact that this burning sensation is in BOTH my elbows?????

So to clarify today i had a slight twinge in the side of my neck which provided I was carefull for the next hour or two didnt really materialise into a bad neck... and then my right elbow got the burning sensation but i also feel it slightly in my left elbow.

I read somewhere a trapped nerve in the neck or upper spine could cause these symptoms?

Oh ------- I totaly forgot that also about 3 months ago (i think) I had to stop doing bicep curls with my weights because there is an almighty click in my RIGHT elbow - about 2cm away from the burning sensation. (its right on the outside of the outside boney bit) I can actually feel it. It happens in the upwards movement of the curl with my palm facing up, but doesnt happen if i turn my hand sidewards.

Is the clicking linked to the burning sensation and is it tennis elbow or mayby trapped nerve in my neckl?

thanks for reading ill explain more if needed.

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[physiobob]

This does not sound like a tennis elbow as such. It could involve the neck and almost certainly does involve the nerves that come from the neck and travel down the arm.

You should go into to see your local physiotherapist for an accurate diagnosis. There may well be some variations in the way you are working (movements) that will assist as well as direct treatment.

Best of luck

[evosy1978]

thanks for the reply. I thought myself that is was a nerve in the neck that may be causing the problem.

So to clarify does the nerve in the neck go down BOTH arms?

Also unfortunately today when holding my hawk in my LEFT hand my fingers went numb, and so i concentrated and can definately say without hesitation that it was the thumb and 3 middle fingers and definately not the little finger. So from research am i right in saying this is the ULNAR nerve.?. OR could a trapped nerve in the neck effect these fingers?

Thanks for any info.

[Gupta1984]

hello

Ya, nerves from neck region go down to both arms.

You told that you feel numbness in your thumb and 3 fingers..its MEDIAN nerve involvement not the ulnar nerve..

ya,trapped nerve effect fingers too...

I would also suuggest to go to Physiotherapist for the diagnosis and acc take some precaution and necessary exercise ..

Take Care ...

[evosy1978]

Ok. thanks for the info. I will get to the physio when i get a minute,.

ANother question I have is would the effected nerve be the cause of my clicking right elbow. Or could this be something else?

Also what is actually causing the burning sensation on the outer side of my elbow. (is this also related to the nerve in question)

Thanks

[Gupta1984]

Hello

ya your both problems are due to nerve only ..Nerves are the tissue which carry messages, if they get affected person feel abnoraml sensation (burning,tingling, shooting pain etc) over the area which is supplied by that nerve....

[evosy1978]

thanks for the reply.

Ive got an appoinmtment to see doctor on thrursday.

Just out of interest, what could be done to help free this trapped nerve?
Also what is actually happening when the elbow clicks?

thanks for any info

[Gupta1984]

it needs some exercises, neural mobilization or might be other physiotherapeutic modalities ... depends on how much severe is the condition and what all symtoms are there, at what level nerve is being trapped and whats the cause of your problem .... elbow clicking might be due to nerve trapping only ...but m not sure ???

[evosy1978]

just an update to say the doctor said it is tennis elbow straight away. I wasnt happy with this diagnosis and i explained that i think its a neck trapped nerve and he said no deinately tennis elbow. I argued that it could not happen in the same place in BOTH elbows upon the same day so i just surely cant have tennis elbow in both arms especially when i dont really use the left arm for anything repetative, he failed to answer that and just proceeded to give me a prescription of anti-inflammatories for 3 weeks.

meanwhile he has got me on the list for the physio for my back problems so ill be talking to them about my elbows when that comes around.

[orthoped]

Well I do agree with you about the fact that your symptoms are not JUST related to Tennis elbow.

But you could have both trapped nerve and tennis elbow.

The episode you said about not being able to workout indicates that as the cause of your tennis elbow (definitely u must have worked out both your forearms).

Your numbness and tingling can be attributed to trapped nerve (actually its not trapped as such so dont worry about relieving it)
Trapped nerve or nerve root pain is generally due to irritation of the nerve by a bulging intervertebral disc. This is not something u need to worry unless it causes weakness of grip or loss of sensations, which indicate a progressive nerve damage and need immediate treatment.

So as of now go ahead with something for your tennis elbow, like physiotherapy, and not just anti-inflammatory medications.

[[email protected]]

well evosy what physiobob and gupta is saying is sound correct i saw your problem but let me know u said when your doing bicep curl ur getting pain ok, right now i am not taking about ur tingling sensation i m precisely asking do you have pain when you do bicep curl and if yes where exactly also tell me location of ur tingling sensation?and regarding your elbow sensation it has to b your neck problem but speak something about ur MRI if u have.always remember TENNIS ELBOW occur repititive movement but to b precise extension okey.

[evosy1978]

thanks for the replies.

I no longer have numbness or pins and needles.

Ive really been thinking about my elbow situation lately. Ive studied EXACTLY where it hurts. Having done lots of research on the net im thinking that i have RSI. They hurts in EXACTLY the same place on each arm, it is 1 inch down the forearm from the lateral epicondyle and the pain is 2 inches in length. Im convinced it is the foearm EXTENSOR muscle. Its when i grab items or lift things up.

I started heavy weight training some time ago where i did 3 excersises 3 times a week for about 4 months. They were overhead press - bench press and inverted rows. These all have the same initially motion with the forearms. Therfore RSI may have happended. I Stoped doing these excersises a while ago due to other reasons BUT im pretty sure the burning started around that time .

From my research this would seem the correct diagnosis?? and the trapped nerve in the neck which caused the numbness in the fingers has gone away. Im thinking it was just a coincidence they were at the same time.

AS for the clicking in the right elbow i dont have any idea what it could be. Its the clicking in the right elbow which stops me doing bicep curls NOT the burning/pain in the forearms extensor muscle. It clicks at the full flexion and then again when extending the arm.. (when fist is in hammer posistion there is NO clicking)??? I can DEFINATELY feel something move around the lateral epicondyle area when i flex my arm.

Thanks for any more comments

[[email protected]]

now ur main question is clicking at ur elbow during full flexion ; so see to it when ur doing bench press;ur doing elbow flexion when ur taking ur dumbell or barbell toward chest(eccentric)notice that u have that click is it pinfull or just moving structure?