I have recently learned about Barbell Medicine and have read the very informative article on training with pain along with some of the other articles published on your site.
Training History:
I am a 27 year old male and novice lifter. I started on 5/3/1 program in November of 2019. I made good progress from being a novice (my background is in long distance running) but covid started and gyms were closed for months. Once gyms opened again in the summer of 2020 I started the program over again, however, there was a second gym closure due to covid in December of 2020. I then restarted a linear progression program (after learning 5/3/1 isn’t the most ideal program for my training experience) in January after learning more about lifting programs. I had some lifting experience before doing 5/3/1 but it was more of a crossfit style class. That’s where I was introduced to compound lifts and enjoyed them very much.
My Problem:
This is my first significant medical issue. I have had no problems prior to this. I have been dealing with pinky numbness in both hands for the past six months, which was a few months before the second gym closure in 2020. Numbness and tingling has also shown up in my other fingers a month ago. I mostly get numbness while sitting at my desk doing my job and while playing piano. I don’t get much numbness while lifting but the numbness seems to appear more frequently after a lifting session.
Medical Advice I Have Received:
I am currently seeing an orthopedic hand surgeon. I have tried hand and elbow splints, nerve glides, anti-inflammatories, and trying to keep good posture. None of these have solved the problems. The surgeon sent me to get a EMG / nerve study which showed an ulnar nerve impingement in both elbows, but no problems with carpal tunnel area with the median nerve. The next step is an ultrasound of the elbow and wrist area. The surgeon said that surgery is probably what’s going to be needed to solve the numbness issue so the nerves do not continue to damage. She does not think weightlifting or piano has caused these issues.
My Question:
Do you guys think I should try the rehab process you’ve outlined in your articles on pain where I manage load during training sessions before going down the path of surgery? The reason I ask is because I wonder if the amount of weight I had on the bar was inappropriate when I should have been lifting much lighter weights in order to allow the nerves to heal. My doctor recommends getting the surgery within the next few months rather than waiting. My symptoms are tolerable where I could definitely live with and train through but the nerve study said I had moderate damage to my ulnar nerve.
Hey Ryan J - sorry to hear about your situation. I recommend a consultation with us so we can work through your situation and provide individual recommendations. I wouldn’t typically see the need for jumping straight to surgery in these scenarios without initially attempting conservative management involving addressing related variables such as work demands, training/activity demands, and specific exercises we can do to help this situation. Happy to help. If you are interested, please complete our intake paperwork HERE.
Thanks for the response. I’m going on vacation tomorrow for a week and I have a doctor’s appointment for a second opinion on the hand numbness after the vacation. Once I get some more information from the second doctor I’ll get back to you with the initial paperwork so we can figure out on how to train with the hand problem.