> 1.  What causes ulnar nerve damage?
 CR>
 CR> Poor posture for one...

What kind of postural defect causes ulnar nerve damage?  How is
the damage caused?  Are we talking about standing posture,
walking posture, sitting posture, typing posture, or lying posture?  I
occasionally wake up with numbness and tingling in my ring and
little finger and partial numbness in the ring finger side of my
middle finger.  

... Information is the most valuable commodity in the universe.  

Throracic-outlet-obstruction syndrome:

Definition:
Pain and weakness from compression of nerves in the neck that affect
the shoulders, arms, and hands.

Signs and symptoms:
- Pain, numbness and tingling in the neck, shoulders, arms, and hands.
- Weakness in the arms and hands.
- Poor {*filter*} circulation, characterized by coldness, swelling and blueness
  in the hands and fingers.
- Absent pulse in the wrist when raising the arm and turning the head
  toward the opposite shoulder.

Causes:
The nerves and {*filter*} vessels that supply the shoulder, arms, and hands start
in the neck and pass as a bundle near the cervical ribs and collarbone.
Pressure on this nerve and {*filter*}-vessel bundle creates symptoms:

Pressure may be caused by:
- And extra rib in the lower neck or overdeveloped neck muscles.
- Muscle weakness and drooping in the shoulder.
- Prolonged, abnormal position of the neck or arm, as during surgery with
  general anesthesia.
- Injury from overextending the arm or shoulder.
- Tumor that has spread to the head and neck area from another part
  of the body.

End of quote.

Notice the third item - which can cause the pressure: "Prolonged, abnormal
position of the neck or arm". I don't know about you but I have spent
countless hours typing at a computer keyboard in just such a "prolonged,
abnormal position of the neck and arms".

car.
--
Christopher A. Rende           Central Cartage (Nixdorf/Pyramid/SysVR2/BSD4.3)
uunet!edsews!rphroy!trux!car   Multics,DTSS,Unix,Shortwave,Scanners,UnixPC/3B1

trux!ramecs!car     "I don't ever remember forgetting anything." - Chris Rende

I got an ulnar nerve injury from using my computer's mouse.  Instead
of moving my arm over to the mouse, I got in the habit of simply
{*filter*}ing my wrist to use it.  The result was tingling and numbness on
that side of my arm, sometimes extending into my pinky.

A Physical Therapist correctly diagnosed the problem.  Since using a
split to prevent the "cocking" and switching to a trackball, I've made
significant progress.  Good luck!

        Paul Tobin

Resting on the elbow certainly causes increased symptoms in patients
with ulnar neuropathy; hyperflexion of the elbow draws the nerve
taut over the retroepicondylar groove and increases tissue pressure
within the cubital tunnel.  I rather doubt, however, that ulnar
neuropathy is *caused* by resting on the elbow (otherwise 100% of
us would have it).
---
 . SLMR 2.1 .

The question was about ulnar palsies, anyhow.  Thoracic outlet
causes brachial plexus problems.  A good diagnostician wouldn't
confuse them.

--
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gordon Banks  N3JXP      | "Skepticism is the chastity of the intellect, and

----------------------------------------------------------------------------