Ulnar neuropathy due to elbow injury

Dear Ask The Doctor: Hello, my name is Fabio and im writing from Italy. i had surgery on a torn ligament in my left elbow july 13, 2011. i originally got hurt playing baseball(pitching actully) and since then i have had no to little feeling in my 2 end fingers. they say that it was normal for the fact that they had to move the nerve alot to put in the new ligament and there was also alot of calcifications around the nerve that had to be cleaned off. everything was going fine, began to work out and began my throwing program but everytime i will push something with my finger tips(with palm if hand no pain) i get a little pain in the canal of the elbow. i am told that i could be flexors of the fingers that are blocked in the elbow area around the nerve but i dont know what to do to make it better. i am doing some kind of message and laser therapy. i would feel better for a couple of days then i throw or push something and feel that pain in the canal. my question is what can i do or take to help this situation and get some feeling back in my fingers thank you

Dear Fabio: The ulnar nerve is an extension of the medial cord of the brachial plexus. This is a mixed nerve that supplies innervation to muscles in the forearm and hand and provides sensation over the medial half of the fourth and the entire fifth digit of the hand, the ulnar part of the palm, and the ulnar portion of the posterior aspect of the hand. In your case due to the operation and the calcifications the nerve was affected and is giving you the symptoms that you described. Occupational therapy and work hardening programs are beneficial. Therapists may use and design splints to restrict the range of joint motion and cushions to ameliorate the effects of pressure. Use of a night splint is a common occupational or physical therapy technique that aims to limit the flexion and extension of the elbow at night. Therapists also use nerve gliding, sliding, or tensioning exercises which seek to promote smoother movements of the nerve within the cubital tunnel and to reduce adhesions and other causes of physical nerve compression. Typically, nerves regenerate at a rate of 1 mm/day. In some cases, regeneration is accompanied by pain and paresthesias, however,a favorable surgical outcome is more likely for sensory function than for motor function; and, overall, a favorable outcome occurs in 85-95% of cases. In the meantime, try to be patient, manage the pain, if any, with ant-inflammatory medication and do a consistent PT and OT program.