All, over the last year or so I've had an unfortunate development with carpal and cubital tunnel syndrome. I had surgery on my right elbow and right wrist to transpose the ulnar nerve and they also cut into my wrist to alleviate some of the issues stemming from carpal tunnel syndrome. I now need the same surgery on my left elbow and wrist. I'm certain both arms issues can be attributed to weight lifting.

Has anyone had these same issues from weight lifting? I've lifted my entire life and I lift five days a week. I love doing it. I look pretty good for a Type 1 Diabetic who is approaching 52. In short, I don't want to stop. I'm now starting to feel numbness in my right hand even after the surgery. I'm so frustrated with these setbacks and the medical industry's inability to fix them.

Is there any hope for me? Not interested in running or swimming, etc. Any advice is much appreciated.

As I mentioned in your other thread, I've had multiple surgeries on my dominant hand/wrist before

When I had surgery to repair the ruptured tendon in my right thumb, I had median nerve irritation through the carpal tunnel for MONTHS after the surgery. But this was just a matter of the scarring and swelling that had occurred post-surgically, and I would feel the numbness and tingling pretty consistently for a month, and then gradually it would improve to only when squeezing something for a period of time.

Surgery is difficult to recover from, and sometimes these things take time before fully resolving. So keep as mobile as you can and lift what you are comfortable with- because continued activity is going to make your recovery faster and stronger. Just stay in the parameters of what your doc and therapist allow.

Thanks. Trouble is I had the surgery over a year ago.

Why are you so certain it's from lifting? Is there a particular movement you correlate it to?

Not sure of anything else to which I could attribute it. I have a desk job working for a major. I mouse with both hands but I have both carpal and cubital issues in both arms and my orthopedic has mentioned the medial heads of my tricep being "big" and sited that as one of the problems.

Have you gone to a good physical therapist? Perhaps someone can watch you move and help identify ways to adjust posture or lifting form to minimize irritation to nerves.

What type of lifting? Olympic type power lifting? General weightlifting? Bar, dumbells? A lot of lighter reps or small sets of heavy reps? Hanging onto heavy weight for leg/full body lifts or lifts focused on the arms and torso?

Two suggestions

1. Look up some of Donnie Thomson's tempering techniques. There is tons of stuff you can do with voodoo floss as well.
2. Minimize hand work. Use straps for any pulling movement. Drop any isolation crap on your arms as well. You get plenty of upper body work from compound movements.

Those are two things I'd try.

RightWingConspirator said:

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Not sure of anything else to which I could attribute it. I have a desk job working for a major. I mouse with both hands but I have both carpal and cubital issues in both arms and my orthopedic has mentioned the medial heads of my tricep being "big" and sited that as one of the problems.

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office (home too, if you are on a computer or sitting) ergonomics is insanely important. I got really bad cubital tunnel and it was 100% related to my office ergo. I got a new desk and chair and it went away completely.

I had bad numbness in my pinky and ring fingers. I also got a standing desk that I use from time to time. That helps too, but it was the angle of my arms to my keyboard and mouse. I had a brace I was using but it wasn't until I swapped everything out that it went away completely.

I had some carpal tunnel too. I have a mouse pad with wrist support.

43, but similar position. Starting weight lifting again and my left elbow is flaring up on me. Causing tingling in ring finger. I've seen a sports chiro and had the ulnar nerve release above my elbow joint. But my elbow joint is inflamed and mad. Only thing it can be is weight lifting. If I take a break it clears up. I try again and it flares. I've stopped biceps curls all together.
I haven't seen an ortho…. Yet. Still trying home remedies and changing/inproving lifting techniques

It's really a combination of different things I do. When I squat I'll rep in sets of anywhere between 325 - 340. When I squat I'll do about 280 or so in smaller rep ranges. I typically bench with dumbbells using the 70-75 lb dumbbells. Just depends on what I'm working out. I'd say reps of anywhere between 5 and 12 is my typical rep range.

I stopped doing any curls a long time ago. The golfers elbow I have in my left arm is very painful so now the only work my biceps get is when I do pull ups and chin ups.

Also, look up voodoo floss for elbow pain on youtube. We've had a lot of success (I can't say fixing issues, so...) with getting guys to where they are comfortable lifting again.

Thanks guys. Will try voodoo floss.