General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Wrist Pain, 70.3 in 2 days! Rss Feed  
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2017-09-21 9:22 PM

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233
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Ventura, California
Subject: Wrist Pain, 70.3 in 2 days!

I am actually considering bowing out from this weekends 70.3. One I am just not feeling it, I don't feel in shape for it, but mostly I have done something to my wrist.

What I think caused it is too much weight bearing on the bike. I have gained 10lbs and have not been working my core specifically as I normally have in the past. Also my wrists seem to kinda bow inwards on the handle bars when riding. I am truly fearful that the 56 mile bike ride could really do some damage and I am currently uninsured. 

It is not carpel tunnel as far as I can tell as I do not have any numbness or tingling. This is just straight pain. The pain is at the wrist line, and dead centered on the palm line. The pain is not constant but it is sharp if I articulate the wrist or try to grasp something. Its kinda hard to explain but the pain is acute to where I will simply drop what every I might be holding. Picking up a gallon of milk would be nearly impossible. I would have to slide my hand in flat underneath and pick up without grasping or rotating the wrist.

I really would like to do this race and while I know I wont post my best time I still want to get in there and kick butt and give it my best. My wrist is just tweaked and I don't have any clue on what kind of therapy I could do to correct it. I almost feel like if I where to hang from a pull up bar it would pull things back into alignment. It feels like a pinched tendon/nerve, etc..

Perhaps it is carpel tunnel, I just do not and have not had any numbness or tingling. But the pain is in the exact placement of the median nerve and transverse ligament.

IF anyone has any therapy suggestions that might alleviate this issue in a matter of days I am all ears. 

Have already scratched Saturdays sprint, really don't want to scratch the 70.3. It would be a painful loss of $300+

Thanks

 



2017-09-22 6:51 PM
in reply to: rjcalhoun

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Eugene, Oregon
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Subject: RE: Wrist Pain, 70.3 in 2 days!
If you can at all afford it, I would get an x-ray ASAP. Probably you can get one at an urgent care center for reasonable cost. It could possibly be a stress fracture or hairline break--I have had the latter near the elbow (radial head) and it does feel like that. I have had a lot of tendinitis issues and a few nerve ones, but my experience was that pain was very different--despite the fracture being so small it wasn't clearly visible on an x-ray (there was just a ton of swelling that indicated a probable break), my body and mind would just "shut down" and refuse to put body weight on it, pick up something heavy, rotate my wrist....for several weeks until it had, apparently, healed enough to handle the load. With tendinitis or nerve irritation, you can make yourself do the movements; it's just painful and seems like a bad idea.

If it is a tendon or nerve issue, I would guess you could get away with dosing yourself with Advil (although you'd need to be extra careful with hydration in that case) and/or using some kind of anti-inflammatory wrap; possibly using an over the counter support bandage or splint for extra support (put in on it T1) and then dealing with it after the event. It would be easier if you are using aerobars. You probably won't help matters by racing, but it's unlikely you'd do any permanent damage. OTOH, if it is a stress fracture or hairline break, there is a very real danger that you could further stress the area (or hit a big bump) and progress to a full fracture.

You really need to know if you are dealing with a bone or soft tissue injury before you decide to race. If you can't afford the x-ray, personally, I wouldn't race. Honestly, I wouldn't race uninsured. Even if the wrist holds up, there are so many other things that could happen in a tri, some with far more costly consequences. Are you prepared to deal with those financially? if not, maybe stick to lower-risk training until things are going better money-wise and you can afford at least catastrophic coverage.

Caveat--I'm not a doctor or PT. I've just been in endurance sports a long time and dealt with plenty of injuries--my own and others'.
2017-09-26 8:49 PM
in reply to: Hot Runner

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233
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Ventura, California
Subject: RE: Wrist Pain, 70.3 in 2 days!

Thanks for the wise words of wisdom. I went ahead and showed up to the venue as I wanted to visit my friends who where hosting me anyways. I figured I would make the decision when I got there. I did alot of self massage of the wrist area and did not use any pain or anti inflammatory medications. I basically used my wrist as little as possible in the couple days leading up the race and then a nice relaxing 200 mile drive to the event location.

I went ahead and checked in and got the bike into transition and figured I could back out on the bike course if the pain got to be any issue. Probably not the smartest move I have made, racing uninsured and with a potential injury. I paid very close attention to my wrist angles on the bike, moved my hands frequently and actually ended up not having any real pain or issues. I do have some post race minor pain in the wrist from the bike portion. I put myself on light duty at work and will continue to self massage as it continues to feel better. 

One thing that has become very clear, Aero bars are my next equipment purchase. Trying to stay in race mode for 56 miles on a road bike in the drops is just not fun and it just saps away your energy and makes you much more tired then need be. By the time I get on the run I am in stuck in one gear, slow as she goes and that makes for a long run.

This will also be my last race of the year of any kind. I have chosen to refocus on enriching my personal health and fitness in a non-race dictated constant training mode. I will start fresh next year after I meet some new personal goal markers before signing up for any more races.

Thanks again for the response, I appreciate the time you took to post the information.

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