Trouble. Big trouble. The guys we have in Cleveland need to start winning games right now, otherwise the season is going to end real quickly.

It ain’t dark yet, but it’s getting there.

Edited, from the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (who my sister, a doctor of physical therapy, assures me are a bunch of jerks)…

The ulnar nerve [“funny bone”] is one of the three main nerves in the arm. It travels from under the collarbone and along the inside of the upper arm. The nerve functions to give sensation to the little finger and the half of the ring finger that is near the little finger. It also controls most of the little muscles in the hand that help with fine movements, and some of the bigger muscles in the forearm that help to make a strong grip.

It is not known exactly what causes compression of the ulnar nerve, [but] a direct blow to the inside of the elbow, leaning on the elbow for prolonged periods, or repetitive activity that requires a bent elbow can irritate the nerve if it is already compressed. Surgeons use various ways to relieve compression from the nerve around the elbow. All of the operations involve making an incision around the elbow.

In one operation, only the " roof " is taken off of the cubital tunnel. This tends to work best when the nerve compression is mild.

More commonly, the nerve is moved from its place behind the elbow to a new place in front of the elbow. This is called an anterior transposition of the ulnar nerve. The nerve can be moved to lie under the skin and fat but on top of the muscle (subcutaneous transposition), within the muscle (intermuscular transposition) or under the muscle (submuscular transposition).

As a side note, if any of you sleep with your elbows bent, or lean on your elbows for long periods while driving or typing … don’t.