Sharp Pain in hand from elbow - carpal tunnel ?

IsThisOneFree

Hi All

Hopefully this is the correct forum for this - late last year my Mum broke her hip and is walking with a zimmerframe at the moment. Shortly after the operation to mend her hip, she complained to the doctors of some numbness in her small and wedding finger - they said that it was likely a trapped nerve but that they couldn't treat it right now because she of course needs her hands to walk (with the zimmerframe). It has now gotten progressively worse, and a few days ago she started getting very sharp pains in her hand, which she beleives happens when she leans on her elbow. I beleive there are also some signs of muscle wastage in the palm of her hand (towards the outside). But likewise, she says that she gets pains in her palm which she doesn't *think* are radiating down from her elbow.

What I'm wondering is:

1. Does this sound like a trapped nerve at her elbow only ? Or could it be trapped/enflamed at her wrist also ?
2. If I were to get her a brace for her elbow and/or wrist, would it prevent her he from using a zimmerframe ? Or does that just depend on what brace I get her ?
3. If the nerve is trapped in her wrist, would an elbow brace/support help that at all ?

She's been given some gel for inflammation and also given a tablet to calm down the nerve, but other than this she hasn't been offered much in the way of pallative treatment, and she's nearly in tears with the pain at times. She pointed out the muscle wastage to her physio last week (she was going for physio on her hip) even before she started getting the very sharp pains in her palm, but the physio didn't comment on it. Nor did she comment much on the numbness in her fingers.

I really want to help her out as I know how painful it is, but I don't know what to do, especially as she essentially needs her hands to walk right now.

Thanks so much for any guidance anybody can provide. Hope this post isn't too confusing

Oryx

Unfortunately noone can give you any medical advice here (we cannot see the injury and in any case we are not medical professionals). Go back to the GP and physio and get the right help with this issue.