All I wanted was a Pepsi
This has happened to me before, and I had to be shot up with steroids. What happens is that I lean on my left arm around the "funnybone" for an extended period of time. It makes the bottom of my left hand, starting from the tip of the pinky finger, almost numb. It feels like it is "asleep". This will last for many days to a couple of weeks.
Does anyone know of a remedy for this outside of a shot of cortisone? It's really annoying and I don't want to pay to see two doctors.
Your intelligence is surpassed only by your ignorance.
You are more likely to fall down the stairs and break your neck if you live in a house with stairs. You are more likely to be in a car accident if you drive to work. You are more likely to be kicked in the nuts or punched in the nose if you practicing the martial arts. - Judge Pen
All I wanted was a Pepsi
I don't think so. Ever hit your "funny bone" on something? It feels like that only it doesn't go away. I am 100% positive that it is a result of leaning on a certain spot on my arm. My doctor seconded that opinion and the specialist that shot me up with cortisone confirmed it as well.
Your intelligence is surpassed only by your ignorance.
You are more likely to fall down the stairs and break your neck if you live in a house with stairs. You are more likely to be in a car accident if you drive to work. You are more likely to be kicked in the nuts or punched in the nose if you practicing the martial arts. - Judge Pen
All I wanted was a Pepsi
I only had it done once. It was about 3 years ago.
Your intelligence is surpassed only by your ignorance.
You are more likely to fall down the stairs and break your neck if you live in a house with stairs. You are more likely to be in a car accident if you drive to work. You are more likely to be kicked in the nuts or punched in the nose if you practicing the martial arts. - Judge Pen
Registered User
Sitting here and trying to figure this out. First thought was a localized nerve problem resulting from an old injury. That flag is still flying. After reading your second post, I burst out laughing and wondered if you leaning on a strike area which is used to immobilize or numb. I know they exist in the elbow area, but am not knowledgable enough to know precisely if you are doing this.
Have the docs looked into exactly where the problem is, even trying to replicate it in the office? I think you need to find out what is going on here, but I guess you are at that point.
A fine Chinese medical practitioner might be able to do just that.
my two cents.
wishing you well,
Cody
"The truth is more important than the facts." (Frank Lloyd Wright)
"The weight of the sun doesn't keep it from rising." (Cody)
Senior Member
Try ice next time, instead of cortisone. Besides depressing the immune system, cortisone causes a breakdown of the connective tissues around that joint, making it easier to injure the joint.
What guohen says makes sense. Pressure anywhere along a nerve makes it more susceptible to the effects of pressure in other places along the nerve. So a neck problem could make an elbow problem worse, or vice versa.
I had the same problem with my elbow for awhile, but I know what caused mine - a mishap with a nine-link steel whip. Wish I could hit that precisely when I intend to. For several months, I couldn't even let my elbow rest against the seatback when I was driving. It's still a little sensitive there, and I guess there's some scar tissue. I put jow on it and did transverse friction massage to break up the scar tissue. Not fun on a nerve, let me tell you. Good luck.
All I wanted was a Pepsi
Outstanding advice from everyone and it's greatly appreciated.
PLCrane: Are you saying to treat the nerve area with ice or the hand, which is where most of the numbness is?
TIA,
Eric
Your intelligence is surpassed only by your ignorance.
You are more likely to fall down the stairs and break your neck if you live in a house with stairs. You are more likely to be in a car accident if you drive to work. You are more likely to be kicked in the nuts or punched in the nose if you practicing the martial arts. - Judge Pen
Senior Member
If the numbness is coming on after leaning on the elbow, then the source of the problem is irritation, inflammation and swelling at the elbow. Cortisone works by reducing inflammation. So does ice. Ice your funny bone (S.I. 8 if you refer to an acupuncture chart).
Use one of those blue gel packs or a ziplock bag with ice cubes and some water, to keep it at exactly 32F, so you don't freeze your skin.
I think that seeing someone like a TCM practitioner, or a DC or a PT is a good idea. There might be trigger points in the area of the elbow and the shoulder that are contributing to it.
All I wanted was a Pepsi
Ok thanks a bunch. I'll try the ice for a few days first. The key term here is "free".
Your intelligence is surpassed only by your ignorance.
You are more likely to fall down the stairs and break your neck if you live in a house with stairs. You are more likely to be in a car accident if you drive to work. You are more likely to be kicked in the nuts or punched in the nose if you practicing the martial arts. - Judge Pen
fitter happier
Definitely *sounds* like an irritated nerve in the elbow. PLC has the right idea. Definitely visit a TCM doc. They can work wonders with this kinda stuff.
Adam Stanecki - Practitioner of common sense.
"Think for yourself. Question authority." - Timothy Leary
Fluid Fitness - www.fluidfitness.com.au
Dominance Mixed Martial Arts - www.dominance.com.au
Wannabe MMA guy
I dunno, but sometimes when I wake up my arms are asleep to the point of numbness where I can't move them. It's kind of funny, but annoying at the same time.
Dude, if my hand felt asleep and it lasted for a week I would flip out. Also, I would go to the doctor
IronFist
Last edited by IronFist; 07-16-2002 at 10:00 PM.
"If you like metal you're my friend" -- Manowar
"I am the cosmic storms, I am the tiny worms" -- Dimmu Borgir
<BombScare> i beat the internet
<BombScare> the end guy is hard.
fitter happier
I once woke up with my right arm completely asleep. I do mean completely. I couldn't feel a thing. In my daze I rolled over and my dead arm hit me in the head. I looked around for the culprit because there was no feedback through my arm. Scary stuff. It just hang there for a good 5-10 minutes. Couldn't move it. Poked it. Nothing. Gave me this quasi-understanding of paraplegia. Felt terrible.
Adam Stanecki - Practitioner of common sense.
"Think for yourself. Question authority." - Timothy Leary
Fluid Fitness - www.fluidfitness.com.au
Dominance Mixed Martial Arts - www.dominance.com.au
Registered User
happened to me today. feel asleep on my hand and when i woke, felt like i had no hand. couldnt move the fingers or anything. have to move it manually with my other hand. definetlly funny, scary, and a shocker all at once
Ya gotta smile!
There was a girl (in the UK I think) that fell asleep on a train with her hands between her legs (keep it out of the gutter you lot!) She slept that way for several hours and when she woke her hand was completely asleep. Anyway, long story short, she ended up having fingers amputated because they'd "died" from lack of blood! Scary!
"i can barely click the link. but i way why stop drinking .... i got ... moe .. fcke me ..im out of it" - GDA on Traditional vs Modern Wushu
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but what if the man of steel hasta fight another man of steel only that man of steel knows kung fu? - Kristoffer
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How do you think monks/strippers got started before the internet? - Gene Ching
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Find your peace in practice. - Gene Ching
Wannabe MMA guy
Damn... I was thinking about that last semester, though... like what if you fell asleep in a chair with your armpit pessed against the back of the chair (like your arm hanging over it) and you woke up hours later and all the blood had been cut off and you had to get your arm amputated.
I guess it can happen. Scary...
IronFist
"If you like metal you're my friend" -- Manowar
"I am the cosmic storms, I am the tiny worms" -- Dimmu Borgir
<BombScare> i beat the internet
<BombScare> the end guy is hard.
The Xingyiquan man
about two months ago i woke up and my arm was a sleep, this has happened many times b 4 but usually the feeling would return quite quickly, if i touch my lower arm it feels like someone else is touching it, I have always had full use of it as normal it was never completley asleep it just feels like someone elses when it is touched,the feeling is coming back very very slowly, at first my whole arm felt that way now its just the lower arm the doctor said it is probably a trapped nerve, Im goin back to the docs next week maybe he can refer me to a specialist........
if anyone has had a similar problem plase let me know
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