Upper Extremity Nerve Compression Syndromes: Assessment and Treatment
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Upper Extremity Nerve Compression Syndromes: Assessment and Treatment
July 11, 2026
8:00 am to 4:00 pm Pacific Time
1000 Veteran Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90024
Registration: UC Employees
Course Description: Sharpen your skills with evaluating and treating peripheral nerve compressions in the elbow, forearm, and wrist! This course combines lecture and lab to provide therapists with the evaluation and treatment tools to perform proximal screening to rule out a cervical or thoracic outlet issue and treatment techniques address cubital tunnel syndrome, radial tunnel, pronator syndrome, Wartenberg’s syndrome, ulnar tunnel and carpal tunnel syndrome.
Learning Outcomes: By the end of this class, the participants will be able to:
1. Differentiate cervical spine and thoracic outlet contributions to upper extremity symptoms by performing and interpreting regional screening findings.
2. Analyze and classify potential sites of radial, median, and ulnar nerve compression at the elbow, forearm and wrist based on anatomical and symptom presentation.
3. Select and justify appropriate provocative tests to identify nerve compressions at the elbow, forearm, and wrist that contribute to occupational impairments.
4. Assess for 1st rib elevation and apply manual therapy interventions to promote increased blood flow to the peripheral nerve distributions.
5. Explain and analyze how hypermobility at the radial head can contribute to adverse neural tension and altered mechanics of the radial nerve.
6. Apply neural flossing techniques to address cubital tunnel syndrome, ulnar tunnel/Guyon’s canal, radial tunnel, Wartenberg’s syndrome, lacertus syndrome, pronator syndrome, and carpal tunnel syndrome.
7. Perform elastic taping strategies to manage cubital tunnel syndrome, radial tunnel syndrome, and Wartenberg’s syndrome
Course Schedule:
| Time | Topic |
|---|---|
| 8:00–9:00 | Proximal screening: cervical spine screen; thoracic outlet syndrome testing (Elevated Arm Stress Test, Cyriax Release Test); assessment of first rib mobility and scapular positioning |
| 9:00–9:45 | Optimizing blood flow to peripheral nerves: addressing first rib elevation and scapular depression |
| 9:45–10:15 | Cubital tunnel syndrome: provocative tests |
| 10:15–10:30 | Break |
| 10:30–11:00 | Cubital tunnel syndrome: neural flossing and elastic taping techniques |
| 11:00–11:30 | Ulnar tunnel (Guyon’s canal): provocative tests and neural flossing |
| 11:30 –12:00 | Proximal median nerve entrapment (PMNE) – lacertus syndrome: provocative testing |
| 12:00–1:00 | Lunch |
| 1:00–1:30 | Proximal median nerve entrapment – pronator syndrome: provocative tests and neural flossing |
| 1:30–2:00 | Carpal tunnel syndrome: provocative tests and neural flossing |
| 2:00–4:00 | Radial tunnel and Wartenberg’s syndrome: provocative tests, PRUJ mobilization, neural flossing, and elastic taping |
Instructional Methods: Lecture and hands-on
Target Audience: OTs, COTA, PTs, PTAs
Educational Level: Intermediate to advanced
Prerequisites: None
Required Materials: bring scissors and a roll of elastic tape to use for the lab portion of the course
Completion Requirements: To earn a certificate of completion, participants must:
- Attend the entire duration of the professional development activity.
- Complete the post-course evaluation no later than 48 hours after the class. A link to the evaluation will be emailed to you following the class.
- Successfully demonstrated competency during the lab portion of the course.
- No partial credit will be awarded.
Cancellation Policy:
Provider Cancelation: The Rehab Education Committee reserves the right to cancel a course due to low enrollment, unforeseen circumstance, or instructor availability. In such cases, participants will be notified via email as soon as possible.
Participant Cancellation: If you are unable to attend, please email [email protected] at least 7 days before the course date. This class is nonrefundable for UC employees. Non‑UC participants are eligible for a refund if requested at least 7 days before the class.
Complaint Policy: UCLA Rehabilitation Education Committee strive to provide professional development that highlights today’s best practices. If you have complaints, please contact [email protected] no later than a week after the event and the Education Committee will review your concerns and respond to you as soon as possible.
Accommodation Request: For questions and accessibility request, contact Joan Vicente at [email protected] or at 424-440-0369 seven days before the course date.
Instructor Bio
Ann Porretto-Loehrke, PT, DPT, CHT, COMT, CMTPT
Ann Porretto-Loehrke, PT, DPT, CHT, COMT, CMTPT has been a practicing physical therapist since 1994 and CHT since 2002. Since obtaining her manual therapy certification in 2003, Ann has utilized her background in differential diagnostics to create engaging clinical content for hand therapists to become more efficient clinicians for the past 20 years. This is illustrated in the “Clinical Manual Assessment of the Wrist” published in the 2016 Special Edition on the Wrist in the Journal of Hand Therapy and the chapter “Therapist Management of Compression Neuropathies of the Elbow” in the most recent edition of the Rehabilitation of the Hand. She possesses a passion for learning and clinical teaching. Ann is the Clinical Development Coordinator at the Hand to Shoulder Center in Appleton, Wisconsin. She enjoys teaching and sharing her knowledge both through in-person courses and online with MedBridge. Ann also serves as co-host for the Hand to Shoulder Podcast, dedicated to evaluation and treatment of upper extremity disorders.
CEU
UCLA Health Rehabilitation Services is recognized by the PT Board of California as a Continuing Competency Approval Agency to approve providers offering continuing competency courses. This course is approved for 0.675 CEUs (6.75 contact hours).
