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Cyclist Palsy - hand nerve damange
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 2007-09-26 1:38 PM |
Member  36  Raleigh, NC |  Subject: Cyclist Palsy - hand nerve damangeAnyone experience numbing/tingling in hand after a long bike ride? I had to go to the doctor because mine wouldn't go away and my ring finger on my left hand won't straighten out. He told me I did nerve damage to my ulnar nerve from putting too much pressure on my hand during riding. I can finish out my last 2 tri's, but have to have surgery to repair the nerve. Anyone have this happen before?  |
| 2007-09-26 1:44 PM in reply to: #980093 |
Champion 16151   Checkin' out the podium girls | Subject: RE: Cyclist Palsy - hand nerve damange Fitting? Are you putting way too much weight on your fore-arms? I had a Specialized Allex which I thought fit. That was until I replaced it with a bike which actually DID fit. I had tingling hands for a couple hours after a long ride and didn't understand why. After the bike swap, no more. Better / different gloves and a carbon fiber handlebar and/or fork might also reduce the vibrations which are affecting your upper body. Even a few PSU lower tire pressure or the next larger tire could do that. Second opinion seems wise to me as well. I don't have ultimate confidence in a 10 minute appointment for a surgery to be the first choice of treatment. He might well be correct, just be certain IMHO. |
| 2007-09-26 1:47 PM in reply to: #980112 |
Member 36 Raleigh, NC | Subject: RE: Cyclist Palsy - hand nerve damange I have had my bike adjusted since, but I think it's too late since the damage has been done. I did upgrade my gloves and have an appointment for a second opinion on monday. It's crazy how we try to be healthy and end up hurting ourselves. I can't stop training though - people think I'm crazy. |
| 2007-09-26 1:50 PM in reply to: #980093 |
Extreme Veteran 441 Roswell, GA | Subject: RE: Cyclist Palsy - hand nerve damange After my first century I had problems with my hands due to swelling around the ulnar nerve at the base of my hands. I couldn't straighten out my middle finger either. The symptoms slowly diminished and it was more than two months before they finally felt right. No surgery though. |
| 2007-09-26 2:03 PM in reply to: #980119 |
Member 36 Raleigh, NC | Subject: RE: Cyclist Palsy - hand nerve damange Did you have muscle atrophy and loss of strength in your hand? I have both. Very frustrated and I'm worried i could do perm damage. My hand looks somewhat like a claw now! |
| 2007-09-26 2:23 PM in reply to: #980093 |
Veteran 200 NC | Subject: RE: Cyclist Palsy - hand nerve damange I had ulnar problems starting at my elbow. After many trips to Raleigh Orthopedic, attempts at passive cures such as night splinting, much research, and no lessening of the numbness in the outside half of my hand I had the surgery. From all the reading I did I would assume that you would probably need the surgery if your fingers are starting to claw. However, with that extent of damage you probably won't get a complete recovery with the surgery but more of a plateauing of symptoms. I would recommend Dr. Robert Wyker at Raleigh Ortho. He seemed to me to be a pretty straight shooter and would steer you in the best path. He was my surgeon and I have been pretty happy with the results. Good luck. I hope it does not come to surgery. |
| 2007-09-26 2:28 PM in reply to: #980093 |
Extreme Veteran 475 Tampa, FL | Subject: RE: Cyclist Palsy - hand nerve damange I've had numbness in my left forearm/hand after 2 of my longer rides this year (including a century ride.) Definite loss of strength in the hand as well. Had trouble even pressing down hard enough to use finger nail clippers. The symptoms seemed to pass on their own after about a week. I figured it must have been a pinched nerve. |
| 2007-09-26 2:40 PM in reply to: #980184 |
Member 36 Raleigh, NC | Subject: RE: Cyclist Palsy - hand nerve damange I have seen Dr. Tuttle at Raleigh Ortho. I'm getting a second opinion and have an appt with Dr. Post at the Raleigh Hand Center. I like Dr. Tuttle, but for peace of mind want a second opinion. How was the recovery after the surgery? How long until you were biking/ training again? Was your incision at the elbow or hand? |
| 2007-09-26 3:09 PM in reply to: #980093 |
Member 53 New York City | Subject: RE: Cyclist Palsy - hand nerve damange Yes, I had problems with numb hands this summer. I was riding a borrowed mountain bike that really didn't fit me right, and I was riding for long periods of time without changing my hand position (also, no gloves). It took about a week for me to be able to extend my fingers correctly and almost a month until my hands felt completely normal again. It was pretty bad… I had trouble holding a fork, writing with a pen, shaving, etc.
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| 2007-09-26 3:16 PM in reply to: #980093 |
Elite 3371 | Subject: RE: Cyclist Palsy - hand nerve damange Please let us know how the second opinion turns out... I have the same problem on the bike. Haven't had it checked out though. Also, I many runs my feet go numb. Some days I get home to realize I have enormous blisters and didn't even feel them during the run. In fact, three years ago, I broke my middle toe and didn't even know! |
| 2007-09-26 3:59 PM in reply to: #980093 |
Champion 8540 the colony texas | Subject: RE: Cyclist Palsy - hand nerve damange Yes.. i still have some issues' closing my hand when swimming mostly with just the pinky finger now. It's been a while maybe a couple of months.. the first week I had no strength at all on my hand, to the point where I couldn't use my ring and pinky finger or thumb at all... it was impossible for me to grip a jar to open it, tie shoes, pick up an object with that hand.. . I showed me having a working opposing thumb is a good thing.. after about 3 weeks I went to see a hand specialist.. he said to give it more time and that I just really compressed it a bit. since it more on my little finger instead of the other fingers that was more in line with an ulnar nerve issue.. he did say that surgery could be required if things didnt' get better.. since every couple of days I can see improvment I rescheduled my appointment with him to keep pusing it out until it either has stopped improving or is back to 100%.
are you seeing any improvement from when it originally happened or are things the same? |
| 2007-09-26 4:00 PM in reply to: #980220 |
Veteran 200 NC | Subject: RE: Cyclist Palsy - hand nerve damange My surgery was at the elbow since he thought that was where most of my problem was. I was only in a cast and out of commission for 10 days. He let me start light weights at two weeks. The surgery was in January and all is good except for a scar that is still a little tingly. Make sure your bike is fit properly too. Where you put your forearms on your aerobar is right where the ulnar runs from your elbow to the wrist. Potential for having problems above the wrist if there is too much pressure. |
| 2008-05-28 9:06 PM in reply to: #980093 |
| 2 | Subject: RE: Cyclist Palsy - hand nerve damange Not to dig-up an old post, but I did a search and I'm convinced I have the same problem. Last year, I put 400 miles on my Trek 4300 with no problem (tinkling hands). This year, I have a Trek Elite 9.8, and it didn't take long to notice the symptoms. I put on a taller stem, moved the seat forward and adjusted the bars. That definitely helped, but I don't know if the symptoms will fully go way if I keep riding even if the bike is adjusted to fit, which I'm totally convinced it is. It started out with my right hand having the worst symptoms, now it's almost 100% healed. My left hand is a different story. If I open my hand all the way, I can't bring my fingers together. And like the other posters have stated, I too am experiencing a loss of strength in my hand. My right hand seems to have healed on it's own, but after finding this post I'm not a little worried. Sounds like it could be bad enough to have syrgery. Yikes!!! |
| 2008-05-28 9:15 PM in reply to: #980093 |
| 2 | Subject: RE: Cyclist Palsy - hand nerve damange http://www.elitesportstherapy.com/Cyclists-Palsy.html I found this. |
| 2008-05-28 10:01 PM in reply to: #980093 |
Extreme Veteran 348 Cary, NC | Subject: RE: Cyclist Palsy - hand nerve damange I ran into this problem two years ago after a 4 day canal ride. My left hand couldn't shift my new cannondale with Ultegra Flight deck for 2-3 months. It eventually got better by itself. |
| 2008-05-28 10:33 PM in reply to: #980093 |
Pro 4675 Wisconsin near the Twin Cities metro | Subject: RE: Cyclist Palsy - hand nerve damange no aerobars on your bike? If not, put some clip-on aerobars on and spend as much time in aero position as you can and you'll rarely have numb hands. I'm barely gripping the bars with my hands when in aero...your skeletal structure carries the weight. good luck |
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