Hand numbness

[Lio]

I completed a 1000mile run to Italy last week over 12 days. I was on a Galaxy with drops and a few days in my hands, especially my pinkies and ring fingers would feel numb at night. Using a pen to write with I felt like I had boxing gloves on. One week later they feel better but still far from 100%, I'm a keen guitarist and it's all fingers and thumbs if I try to play.

I've read up a wee bit on the net and it sounds as though constant riding - mostly over the hoods - may have compressed the ulnar nerve. A few questions:
How long will this take to repair itself - if indeed that is what I've done?
Is there anything I can do to help the process?
How do I avoid it occurring again in the future?

thanks
Lio

[megilleland]

You seem to have identified the problem. Here is an interpretation of the cause and cure. I would see your doctor.

http://www.hughston.com/hha/a_15_3_2.htm
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/MEDLINEPLUS/ency ... 000789.htm

[PW]

It's a position thing. Weight is distributed between hands, feet and rump, it would appear too much of yours is probably on your hands. Maybe a slight lifting of the bars, or cocking them slightly backwards, would help. Note the "Slight"! The other way to alleviate it is by padding. Gel mitts and/or padded bar tape. (I like Barphat if you can find it).

[Mick F]

I agree PW.

I have the trouble of just my left hand getting numb. I just live with it and try to relax it from time to time.

[Robert]

Playing a stringed instrument and riding an upright bike just don't go together, especially if you try to do it on the same day. I gave up riding a bike to pub music sessions long ago. It would take about half an hour for my hands to work after about half an hours riding. I'm not sure what the answer is, but I think it will take more than raising the bars, or extra padding.

[Willpower]

I completed a 1000mile run to Italy last week over 12 days. I was on a Galaxy with drops and a few days in my hands, especially my pinkies and ring fingers would feel numb at night. Using a pen to write with I felt like I had boxing gloves on. One week later they feel better but still far from 100%, I'm a keen guitarist and it's all fingers and thumbs if I try to play.

I've read up a wee bit on the net and it sounds as though constant riding - mostly over the hoods - may have compressed the ulnar nerve. A few questions:
How long will this take to repair itself - if indeed that is what I've done?
Is there anything I can do to help the process?
How do I avoid it occurring again in the future?

thanks
Lio

My sympathies, I am in exactly the same position. Saw the doctor (who said "oo you don't see many of these these days"). A month down the line it's maybe slightly better, but he said it could take another coupla months.

[Lio]

Willpower
It's reassuring to know that it will clear up. I continue to commute which probably doesn't help. I'm on flats rather than the drops just now. As suggetsed I'm go and see my doc. I'm more concerned about prevention now.

[pjclinch]

If it continues to be a problem then look at recumbents. I'd assumed before I had one that the big comfort difference would be the backsaide, with a big padded chair instead of a wee triangle of leather, but in fact for me the really big improvement was in my hands/wrists and also neck, arms and shoulders. There's no weight on any of that lot, and you don't pay an aerodynamic penalty either.

Pete.

[lauriematt]

I completed a 1000mile run to Italy last week over 12 days. I was on a Galaxy with drops and a few days in my hands, especially my pinkies and ring fingers would feel numb at night. Using a pen to write with I felt like I had boxing gloves on. One week later they feel better but still far from 100%, I'm a keen guitarist and it's all fingers and thumbs if I try to play.

I've read up a wee bit on the net and it sounds as though constant riding - mostly over the hoods - may have compressed the ulnar nerve. A few questions:
How long will this take to repair itself - if indeed that is what I've done?
Is there anything I can do to help the process?
How do I avoid it occurring again in the future?

thanks
Lio

it can be prevented from wearing cyclin gloves, hence the cushiony bit in the palm...im not sure if its the vibrations or something else that causes it tho

[Lio]

I did wear cycling gloves, these were good quality ones but not heavily padded. Do you think more padding is better, I read somewhere that too much padding on the gloves can exacebate the problem? Each day my hands feel slightly better, but frustratingly the fingers just don't want to seem to work on the guitar.

[Lio]

For those interested, I found this fairly detailed a reassuring article on 'cyclist's palsy' :

http://highperformancesports.blogspot.c ... sy-or.html

Lio

[lauriematt]

ive noticed with my hands...that sometimes i have a slight shake in my hands. im not sure if this is cycle related...but i ride a non-sus bike normally with cycling gloves though

[PW]

In my experience it is possible to overdo the padding - I can wear gel mitts on a roadbike with slight padding under the bartape (Barphat for those who would like to try it), the results being excellent. The same mitts are uncomfortable on a long distance tourer which has foam padding under the tape, making it a good deal thicker. On this machine I need unpadded mitts or gloves. It's a case of one or the other. For very long rides I'll take the padded bars, especially in warm weather when I don't want to cover more skin than necessary. For day rides in spring/autumn the gel mitts are better - but that's me, you may feel differently.

[vernon]

I've read up a wee bit on the net and it sounds as though constant riding - mostly over the hoods - may have compressed the ulnar nerve. A few questions:
How long will this take to repair itself - if indeed that is what I've done?
Is there anything I can do to help the process?
How do I avoid it occurring again in the future?

thanks
Lio

I suffered from the same thing last year after a Channel to Med ride of around 800 miles in 12 days. The numbness didn't totally subside for four months. The symptoms gradually faded away. I recall reading about it in an Audax forum and some of the medical interventions involved surgery on the carpal tunnel. Thankfully most folk suggested that leaving it be usually worked. For me it worked but I was anxious when the symptoms were still strongly evident after a couple of months

One of the causes is pressure. I'd done all the right things. I use bar phat and have finger less mitts. I also varied the position of my hands on the bars/hoods yet still suffered. Suppose I could eat fewer pies to lower my body weight and hence the pressure on my hands.

[Lio]

Thanks Vernon.
I went to see the doc this evening, he was very reassuring and more interested in talking about my trip. Anyway he confirmed that it was damage to the ulnar nerve and that this will self repair but could take time. In fact it is improving noticeably, still a bit of a struggle on the guitar though.

I'm anxious to prevent it reoccurring in the future on long trips, like you I wore mitts and moved hand position a lot. I'll need to research the padding and handlebar set up further. I even wondered if butterfly type bars would be helpful although I do like the drops, any views on these?