Numb hands / carpal tunnel

[Pilsbury]

I took part in LEL last week, but had to pack after 1150km, mainly because of numb hands. I first noticed it when I couldn't shift gears...
I know this is a very common complaint, but would welcome any reasurance as to how long I might expect recovery to take.
My right hand is just numb in the little and ring finger; my left hand is almost entirely numb, and much weaker than normal - I have difficulty doing up zips, opening bottles etc. The constant pins and needles feeling is very frustrating too.
I've been to the doc, and she says take occasional iboprofuen and give it time. I'm wondering how much time has got to pass before I can get back on my bike?
Has onyone else had experience of this?

Cheers.

[hellymedic]

Many of us have experience of this and it's almost impossible to predict how long recovery will take.
Some take a few days, others around 6 months (nerves grow back at about 1mm/day) others never recover fully.
There are two nerves that get bashed during cycling:
1) The ulnar nerve. This supplies part of the ring finger, the little finger and many of the small muscles of the hand. The part that supplies the muscles is separate and may be affected with little/no numbness)
2) The median nerve. This supplies sensation to the thumb, index and middle fingers + part of the ring finger. This is the carpal tunnel nerve.

It sounds like you've damaged your left ulnar nerve (sensory part) and the median and ulnar nerves on the right.

Since swelling around the nerves will make matters worse and the nerves are in tight tunnels and probably a bit bruised, I'd advise elevating the hands as much as is practicable. Some doctors prescribe night splnts for carpal tunnel problems.

Keep as much weight as possible off your hands.
Get better soon!

[Pilsbury]

thank you! Would you recommend that i dont ride at all until most symptoms gone?

[hellymedic]

thank you! Would you recommend that i dont ride at all until most symptoms gone?

You don't really want (literally) to add insult to injury, do you?
Given that these things can take ages to settle, staying off the bike may not be realistic but I'd give it a few weeks and then practice never exceeding 15 minutes riding without taking the weight off your hands. Make a conscious habit of this.

[scottlington]

Not wanting to alarm you (and I am certainly no medical man), but I have had this (carpal rather than ulnar) a few times and it takes months for it to completely return to normal.

I also have a numb toe on my left foot, second on in (next to big toe). This has been numb to varying degrees for donkeys!

[Chris S]

When you do get back on your bike, take a good look at your set-up; it sounds like you have way too much weight on your hands. I used to have a very bad habit of "relaxing" on a long ride by locking out my arms in a straight line, thereby jamming my hands into the bars - surprise surprise, ulnar-numbness.

I'd try tweaks to my position to transfer load from hands to butt.

Also - spend the coming winter doing a core strength programme (include the 100 push-up challenge  ) as this really helps you keep weight off your hands - you get much less tired and "saggy in the middle" on long rides.

Try some different gloves/bar tape if you want - but these are for fine tuning - the big win will come from position and core strength.

[Chris N]

Not wanting to alarm you (and I am certainly no medical man), but I have had this (carpal rather than ulnar) a few times and it takes months for it to completely return to normal.

Agreed.  My right little finger was still a little numb from ulnar nerve damage sustained on the Irish Mail (mid June) at the beginning of LEL.  I'm not expecting the current LEL numbness to go before September.

Should have raised my bars a bit more.

[MSeries]

I'd just like to echo what ChrisS said. Get your position sorted out, it doesn't have to be like this.  Learn to ride no handed, your core strength/stability training with facilitate this.  Learn to drink with both hands and alternate. Better still use downtube shifters and use both hands (only kidding).  But seriously moving your hands around will help stop this happening in future once you have most of you weight on your saddle.

I had a forearm problem after 2005 LEL, took months to go away. Rectified it by changing gear with right and left hands

[scottlington]

Interestingly, LEL doesn't seem to have done any further 'damage'. My fingers and toe are just as numb as they were after BCM. Echoing ChrisS' comments, I have got a lot better at keeping weight off my bars.

[simonp]

My hands are worse than usual. I blame the rain because my saddle sagged, changing my position. I tipped the saddle back a bit just after sleaford which may have helped a bit.

[leeg]

I got numb pinkie and ring finger on right hand on a 400 wearing new Pearl Izumi gloves which seemed to have a gap in padding in line with the ulnar nerve.  Hadn't experienced it before and since switched to Spesh BG gloves which are much much better.

LEL seems to have topped up the numbness and also affected both feet (pins and needles on the middle toes of both feet). 

By the 3rd day of LEL I could really feel that I was collapsing onto the bars.  All my plans for core strength improvement this year should have progressed beyond the plan stage!

[scottlington]

I got numb pinkie and ring finger on right hand on a 400 wearing new Pearl Izumi gloves which seemed to have a gap in padding in line with the ulnar nerve.  Hadn't experienced it before and since switched to Spesh BG gloves which are much much better.

LEL seems to have topped up the numbness and also affected both feet (pins and needles on the middle toes of both feet). 

By the 3rd day of LEL I could really feel that I was collapsing onto the bars.  All my plans for core strength improvement this year should have progressed beyond the plan stage!

+1 for Spesh BG gloves! Not found better.

[Jacomus]

Another +1 for Spesh BG gloves

I found that double wrapping the bars instantly made the problem  go away. I found that because they were thicker, I wasn't curling my fingers round them as much, and I'm sure the reduction in vibrations didn't do any harm either. It's now much easier for me to keep a nice, relaxed grip, because the bars now fit my hands properly.

[Chris N]

You could try going the other way: instead of wrapping everything up in layers and layers of gel and foam, how about minimising padding?  Then any discomfort will be noticeable early on and remind you to move about more.  I guess this method relies on you having more than one position available to you and that your handlebars are at a reasonable height in the first place.

[MSeries]

You could try going the other way: instead of wrapping everything up in layers and layers of gel and foam, how about minimising padding?  Then any discomfort will be noticeable early on and remind you to move about more.  I guess this method relies on you having more than one position available to you and that your handlebars are at a reasonable height in the first place.

A 'good' (set of) position will mean padding isn't needed. I always ride with one layer of cork bar tape and often no mitts or gloves. Often i ride with my hands resting on the bars, not gripping them, with hardly any weight or pressure on my hands.

[Chris S]

Often i ride with my hands resting on the bars, not gripping them, with hardly any weight or pressure on my hands.

This is key. If you can ride for long periods completely unweighted on your hands, then your position is bang on. I found I could only do this sustainably once I had some decent core tone.

[hellymedic]

Chris N makes a valid point about reducing padding etc.
Insidious nerve damage is more likely to set in if there's little pain.
This is paticularly true of the motor (muscle) branch of the ulnar nerve where numbness and pain may be minimal.

[nuttycyclist]

Quick question, as I haven't experienced this before.

Following a 300 last week I got a sudden stinging pain in my right palm when I picked up something heavy in the hotel room.  Felt like I had a little metal splinter in the palm that I had touched.  This twinges once or twice a day, didn't get worse after another 300, and is still the same.  No swelling or bruising.  Sometimes, when I think about it, it almost feels like a small stinging nettle rash on the palm of my hand.


Might this be a small muscle sprain/tear?  Might it be nerve damage?  Might it be nothing more than a tiny invisible splinter after all?

[Pilsbury]

Thanks for the tips - I'll experiment with my set-up when I get back on the bike and try to improve things.
I think my weight distribution was OK during LEL, until my butt began to deteriorate. When that got painful, I couldn't put enough weight on the saddle; I ended up with too much weight on my hands.

I just didn't get enough miles in during the build-up to LEL, I just coudln't find the time. I spent my last day slathering handfulls of savlon onto my raw, bleeding arse, swallowing nurofen and grimacing. I barely noticed the weather.

Next time I will finish!!

[simonp]

Bad luck Pilsbury - it was good to meet you at the pre-ride meal on Saturday.  Better luck next time. 

[Vava]

I am getting pins and needles and then numb hands on my road bike - if I make an effort to sit back on the saddle it goes away. Any idea what I can do with my set up to stop me sliding forward in the saddle cos this inevitably happens. 

[Chris N]

Tilt your saddle nose up, or raise your handlebars.

[Vava]

Saddle doesnt tilt so i will try raising the bars - thanks!

[clifftaylor]

Can you post a pic of you on t'bike ?

[Zoidburg]

I never get numb hands when riding, I do not know if this is to do with having good grip strength though.