Getting older now ....

[thewiz]

and I have noticed that both of my hands often tend to go numb after a few minutes of riding. This makes it so that I need to periodically alternate between removing one hand or the other from the bars and allowing that arm to dangle for a few seconds, maybe up to a minute, until the feeling in the fingers returns. That's all fine while out on the open road but under stop and go conditions it gets kinda' hairy. Pretty sure the problem is carpal tunnel syndrome.

Anyway, since I'm probably not the only one of us on this forum with symptoms like that; I'm curious to know what others do (or have done) regarding this issue and also how they manage the riding under these conditons ????

[Flatlander]

My $0.02 on getting older and wiser!

My suggestion is to possibly bring the bars twards you this may help so you are not reaching and possibly lower the hand position you are at. I have found that trying to keep your hands below heart level helps.

[randy]

Relax. Don't lock your elbows, puts pressure on the palms and makes the hands go numb. Also, an out-of tune motor will vibrate enough to aggravate the numbing. Softer grips can help, too.

[prometheus578]

"Not discounting your diagnosis..."

A bad front tire will cause the same symptom.
Bike originally had a Cheng Shin on the front. Coming back from a long trip, fingers started to tingle. Only had a hundred miles left to go and the pain grew unbearable. Wrists and fingers were numb afterwards for two weeks!
Tire had a hell of a lot of tread left on it, too, but was worn unevenly.
Another thought:
When I got out of the army, during my physical, I complained of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. They tested and said it was "Repetitive Wrist Something or Other". Similar, but not the same.
(I had been exposed to TB the last time I was in Korea and put on some sort of "preventive medication" for six months. Funny thing... wrist pain stopped as soon as the medication stopped)
I've also stopped taking my Cholesterol Meds. And within a week, my shoulder joints stopped aching.
You may want to consider this if you've had a change in medication of any sort.

(See, and all this time, you thought it was just my mind that worked strangely!)

[randy]

Ahhh... that explains a lot... you're off your meds!

[thewiz]

Thx, Prom ... I was hoping a doctor would reply, but it's sounds more like like I've gotten a mechanic instead. Schucks. I didn't know 'Poon Tang' was a medication, but I do think that it is Korean and is readily available there too. Maybe I'll try some and then quit to see if it could help.

Randy, I'm gonna try a set back or riser, don't know what exactly to call it .... I'm also gonna' note my 'state of relaxation' and elbow position, if I can while still watching the road. What you're saying makes good sense, ergonomically speaking.

[manshack_one]

Sounds like you could have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome to me. Do your hands also go numb when you try to hold pencils, tools, silverware, etc? Generally it's from years of repetitive stress such as sitting at a computer for 8-12 hrs a day. I finally went to get checked out when I realized I couldn't cut a steak without stopping to wring my hands out every few seconds. Doctor sent me out for testing. Basically the test consists of having some electrodes taped to your palm and the specialist will "gently" probe you with "mild" electric shocks. Something akin to palm sized cattle prod. First your wrist, then you're forearm, then your elbow (right in the funny bone at that). Then you get the other arm done. But the fun doesnt end there. Next you get a small needle pushed in to your palm and wiggled around looking for your dead nerves. Don't worry about it too much. If you're hands are as bad as mine you've probably realized by now that most of the sensation in your upper arms and hands are gone completely. Don't worry about that either. Once you have the surgery most of it will come back. I say most because it depends on how long you let it go. Basically the carpal ligament is the problem. The tunnel part is talking about the space under the ligament that your nerves and veins use to stay protected from you hitting your arms on things. It's a lot like having a rubber band around your wrist. Only the rubber band is about 6 inches wide.

like I said before I have it and had the surgery on my right hand first since it's my dominant hand. I've just been trying to save up some time and copay to get the other one done. it's an outpatient procedure and you'll spend more time waiting to get in surgery than actually being operated on. I got the hospital at 6:30 or so in the morning and was home by 1 that same afternoon. You won't be able to use that hand for anything for a few days at the least. Mine was on a tuesday and it was friday evening before I could open the fridge or turn a door knob with that hand. I've got a pretty high tolerance for pain but what annoyed me more than anything was the anisthetic they use for your hand. It's a local that takes about 24 hrs to go away completely and as it does it starts at your wrist and works back to your fingertips so you may think that it's permanent but it goes away. Also, you'll end up with about a 2 inch scar and some stitch holes in your palm right along your lifeline crease. You'll follow up 2 weeks to the day for stitch removal and a chat about your progress with the doc. The greatest thing about the surgery to me was it turns the clock back about 15 yrs almost instantly.

Don't expect to do any heavy lifting for a few weeks. I'm a computer guy so my desk job was perfect to go back to. Nothing heavier than a mouse to pick up. Anyways, like most people will say I wish I'd have done it sooner.

you also have an option to get a steroid injection in your wrist instead of surgery but I've heard that's a pain worse than the cattle prod. It's not instant but doesn't require any down time and can be done at the doctors office. Only problem with any of this is you have to learn to change your habits so you don't repeat the same problem in 10 yrs. The surgery lasts the longest (permanently if you can change how you use your hands) but the injection will wear off and you will most likely end up needing surgery any ways.

I have to dangle my left arm down too after holding my handlebars a while. Some days are worse than others. My left hand went numb after the first paragraph in this post but my right is still on the keyboard. Post back with any questions about the procedure. more than happy to share.

Robert

[EZMoney]

Heh Wiz
Have you tried handlebar end weights?
I have talked to guys that say they work great, supposedly it takes out the vibration that is transferred from the frame.
My hands go numb as well and I put soft grips on last year, but that didn't help much, considering a set of bar weights this summer.

[thewiz]

Awesome response, Robert, thank you very much for all of the detail. Glad to hear that the surgery has helped. Like yourself, I have a high tolerance for pain and I just hope I haven't let it go too long.

[manshack_one]

well, I'm only 32 and let it go for about 5 yrs.

How long have you been having trouble?

Keep in mind that basically the inflamed ligament is
pinching off your hand and arms blood supply so the longer
you let it do that the worse off you'll be when it's restored.

[thewiz]

I really don't have any appreciable vibration in any of my XSs, thankfully. I leave that vibration stuff to my buddy, Scott, who is on his way over on his Fat Boy. We are installing custom floor boards to match his derby. He insists that the vibration cured his, what do ya' think about that? ... lol I'm dubious.

I have wrenched and typed, but didn't notice much unti about 10 yrs ago and it has gradually gotten worse. Guitars, computers and wrenching most like the causes. I'm 59 now soon to be 60.

[prometheus578]

"You limp-wristed Nancy-Boy!"

Yeah, Manshack....
The VA hosp. did that "Sticking the needles in my wrist" stuff.
Not knowing the testing proceedure, I was astounded.
Medieval Medicine...
"What the hell is this? Does this woman know me? Is she pissed and doing this to me purposely?"
I've had dental work done (mistakenly) without Novocaine, so I've a real high tolerance... but after a coupl'a minutes of being this woman's personal Voodoo Doll, I said "screw it" and walked out.

Randy...
Yeah, been offa my meds for a while. Nobody noticed. (unless they're just too scared to comment.)

[manshack_one]

I don't know if you're lucky or not that you could feel the needles. My arms and hands were so bad off that the only thing I could feel was the shock of the cattle prod and only then when they really turned up the juice. I even had my 7 yr old girl with me and we would laugh each time the doc would juice me because it made my arm jump involuntarily.

The point of the procedure is to see how long it takes the electric pulse (or shock in my case) to travel up your nerves and reach the probe on your palm. After the first jolt on each arm she asked when I wanted to have my surgery!

shortly after recovering i scraped my arm on something and was reintroduced quickly to what uninhibited nerve receptors are supposed to do for you.

[DJinNH]

I've suffered in the past from the same pain/numbness. I just hope it doesn't bother me too much now that I am trying to get back into riding.

Same problem for my dad. He has had surgery for his carpal tunnel and it helped his day to day work. He no longer rides though.

[TomB]

Hey Wiz

Are your fingers white when you stop and take off your gloves and have you ever worked for long periods with vibrating tools?

White Finger may be another cause click