Study on the Treatment of Cubital Tunnel Syndrome with Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine

Abstract

Cubital tunnel syndrome is a common peripheral nerve entrapment disorder. Currently, early-stage patients benefit significantly from conservative treatments including oral Chinese herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage, and scalpel acupuncture, yielding favorable outcomes. For patients with unresponsive conservative treatment, worsening symptoms, or moderate-to-severe cubital tunnel syndrome, timely surgical intervention is essential to prevent irreversible ulnar nerve damage. Multiple surgical approaches exist, such as in situ ulnar nerve release, ulnar nerve transposition, and medial epicondylectomy. Postoperative recovery of the ulnar nerve is a prolonged and complex process involving nerve cell regeneration, axonal regeneration, myelin repair, and neural functional remodeling. At this stage, incorporating Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) principles—primarily focusing on nourishing qi and blood—through herbal medicine and acupuncture can promote ulnar nerve functional recovery. This approach effectively integrates TCM and Western medicine, leveraging the strengths of both disciplines for clinical application. Through literature review, this paper provides an overview of relevant research progress in applied anatomy, causative factors and pathogenesis, diagnosis, auxiliary examinations, classification, and treatment.