Elbows on the bench: ulnar nerve damage?

Have you experienced ulnar nerve effects when firing rifles off a bench, supported on

  • Yes, I have experienced front limb effects

    Votes: 1 1.7%

  • Yes, I have experienced rear limb effects

    Votes: 3 5.0%

  • Yes, I have experienced effects in both arms

    Votes: 4 6.7%

  • No, it hasn't happened to me

    Votes: 52 86.7%
  • Total voters
    60
  • Poll closed .
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Odd Job

Odd Job

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Greetings fellow rifle shooters. An interesting question has come up from some of the medical staff who I take shooting at the range. They theorise that when using a rifle off the bench, supported on elbows, the mechanics of that form of shooting lends itself to ulnar nerve damage or transient effects such as paraesthesia (numbness and tingling of the 4th and 5th fingers).
I've had paraesthesia on the left side, but I don't think it is related to shooting. Hence the poll. have you had ulnar nerve related problems AND you support firearms on elbows while firing?
Front limb = the one that holds the fore-end
Rear limb = the one that operates the trigger
This has nothing to do with right or left hand dominance. Please only vote if you fire rifles regularly in the manner described.
 
I voted yes to rear limb but it was kinda different. I was shooting a M240 in the prone so both of my elbows where at the rear. But it was my non firing hand used as a check rest on the butstock. After a good long burst, 40-50 rounds, my elbow kinda rolled over a rock and my forearm up through my hand along the pinky side started tingling.

Never had it just shooting a rifle though.
 
I had temporary nerve damage resulting from propping myself up on one elbow while reading one night. It was on a camping trip and the support was not a soft mattress but a hard surface. The duration might have been 2 to 3 hours and it was enough to cause discomfort and tingling for months.

So, I believe it is possible for elbow pressure to cause trouble. I have never experienced it from shooting, and I attribute that to the fact that I adjust my seat height so very little upper body weight is supported by my elbows.

If I was going to be shooting for hours, I would probably rig some kind of pads. I believe padded vs. non-padded makes a difference.
 
If I was going to be shooting for hours, I would probably rig some kind of pads. I believe padded vs. non-padded makes a difference.
Click to expand...

That's what one of the guys at work suggests also.
 
I think my paraesthesia also originated at the neck. I had one of those terrible nerve conduction studies back in the 90s, but they couldn't find any 'bottleneck' at the elbow.
Sucks not to be able to use your favourite rifle, but you have to think of your health also.
 
Not up on my nerve names but if your referring to the nerve bundle which a lot refer to as a funny bone area then yes I have had temporary effects which lasted for up to a couple of days in a few cases.

I shoot a lot, and work up handloads for various calibers in both rifle and handguns. Some of which pack a fairly decent whollop when fired from the bench and a rest. It has generally been while shooting the handguns doe to the height of the rest and position while shooting, but has happened with a couple of lighter weight rifles as well. I now use a foam pad which was salvaged years ago form an old computer desk. It is about 3?4" thick and relieves any resulting concussion from that area with everything I shoot.

I haven't noticed anything that could be called permanent for which I am grateful but in the times it has happened, I definately knew right away it was time to stop and head to the house.
 
Has not happened yet but I wonder if it is something that could develope with time. I'm 33 and I've been shooting since I was about 6(I'm from La.) and I've shot from the bench for hours before. I guess time will tell. I'll pay more attention from now on.
 
Hi 41 Mag, that is the nerve, yes. It is the ulnar nerve that runs behind the elbow, towards the inside.
 
Sometimes in the Morning I have Numbness in the Left 4 5 Fingers but I think it due to Sleeping Position.
I don't get out and shoot on benches Much or Prone, Mostly standing.
 
Bench shooting, left hand squeezes the sandbag under the butt of the rifle and is not affected by recoil at all. Right arm absorbs recoil, and I use a pad under the elbow -- either a sandbag or an "athletic" elbow pad.

Shooting large calibers -- 45/70, .458 Lott. But I use a pad even with "medium" guns like 30-30.
 
I never had diagnosis, but

When I used to shoot the Garand in highpower courses from a cement firing point, the geometry of prone would jack my elbows up something fierce.
 
Stubbi, did you get tingling down the forearm, maybe a 'pins and needles' sensation in your fingers?
 
It's called cubital tunnel syndrome, similar to carpal tunnel syndrome and is a repetitive stress syndrome.

The ulnar nerve, the one that most people recognize as the "funny bone" when the area of the elbow knocked against some hard object.

The protective sheath around the ulnar nerve is rubbed through over the area of the bones in the elbow, this leads to the complete numbness in the pinky finger and some area of the palm and back of the hand plus partial numbness in the ring finger.

The procedure to repair this is called ulnar nerve release, where the nerve is repositioned and the damaged sheath has time to heal and the "tingling "stops.

Mine took about 5 month to fully recover , but I went about 18 months with symptoms before I lost motor function in those two fingers completley.

Any jobs (mine is auto mechanic 30 + years) requiring heavy stress on such areas can bring this malady, and carpal tunnel to a head. You are wearing your body out.

Some early warnning signs are, waking up after a nights sleep and having that tingling in your hands, it comes from your bodys natural sleep position with your elbows bent and the hands held around the neck (fetal), backs of the hands tucked under the chin area.

Surgery on cubital and carpal tunnel is iffy, I know of one other mechanic that had both and had to have repeat surgery on both procedures.

Chiropractic will not help and you do more damage the longer you wait, possibly to the point of no return.


To the original point I shoot with padding ,there are elbow bags available and are well worth using to stop any extra damage.

If you do have that tingling upon awakening try getting hold of an elbow brace that keeps your arms straight or wrap a folded towel around the elbow and hold it in place with an Ace bandage, sleep with it see if that releives the tingling on awakening, you can do the same with your wrists (carpal), if you have the tingling there.

Hate to be so long winded, but If I knew about this , I would have had my surgery earlier.
 
I don't shoot many rounds during any one session at the bench, but I've been shooting from a bench since 1950. I've skinned an elbow, occasionally, but I've never gotten any sort of nerve tingle.

I don't do any supporting with my shooting arm; I've always used plenty of sandbags to support the rifle. And, I finally got smart enough to put some sort of soft covering between my elbow and the bench. :)
 
I'm a veterinarian and rear limbs are hind legs. How can ulnar nerve damage cause a problem with your legs?
 
Lolz I only used that term front and rear to differentiate the trigger vs support arm.
Dagger Dog thanks for the detailed feedback.
 
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