Hi cemc,... Since it is causing so much pain, I'd be inclined to ask your doctor if it can be removed without much difficulty. It sure does not sound fun.

I'm not sure what it is, but last year I suddenly had a lump appear on the palm of my right hand. The next day, a matching lump appeared on the palm of my left hand! Sort of freaky. My family doc didn't think it was anything to worry about... told me what he thought it was but I've since forgotten the name. Basically painless so the plan was to do nothing, and see if it goes away on it's own.

Showed my Rheumy and she looked a bit more concerned than my family doc... but she also felt we should just keep an eye for now and if they grew then she wanted to get imaging done. A year later, both lumps seem to have broken into a scattering of smaller lumps but they're still basically painless... and seem less scary than a big lump.

Nerve aches up to your elbow sounds problematic. Hope it disappears for you, or proves not too difficult to get rid of!

mig