Numb Hands.. anyone?

[n16ht5]

When riding if I ride pretty hard for 20-30min my right hand goes completely numb from the wrist down and I lose all feeling. I've been taking glucosamine pills which seems to help and wear a brace at night.. is there any other solution for this? Does anyone else experience this?

Chris

[Marylander]

I have this issue in my left hand and used to have it in my right hand, even when riding a street bike on the highway. I had carpal tunnel surgery in my right hand and don't have the issue with that hand any more. I'm not necessarily recommending surgery but it did work for me. The nerve tests showed my right hand was severe and my left was minor so they would not operate on the left. I just try to stay loose with my left and shake it out when I can.

[J D R]

i have the same issue too im always stopping so i can get felling back in my right hand it drives me nuts .

[LukeBrinkerhoff]

I had one hand go numb once when I started riding after break last year. I am not sure if it was from griping too hard, or the grips. I don't have that problem now, I guess I don't death grip my bike anymore. I also stretch the tendons in my forearm a lot, by pulling my finger as far back as I can.

[rider428]

When riding if I ride pretty hard for 20-30min my right hand goes completely numb from the wrist down and I lose all feeling. I've been taking glucosamine pills which seems to help and wear a brace at night.. is there any other solution for this? Does anyone else experience this?

Chris

I use flex bars and it helps quite a bit, but my hand eventually will get numb. I don't have problems with my left, and I don't grip the bars tight. I also use a steering damper and my suspension has been revalved and sprung for me.

[n16ht5]

I'll look into these flex bars... I try not to grip too tight while I ride.. helps but only for so long. Thanks for advice. Was surgery painful/long recovery?

[Hans Schmid]

I would work on your lever position first. Up/Down/In/Out?........Next work on the position of the bars, forward or rearward and adjust the bars to the position you ride in mostly. After that, look at the angle of your elbows in relation to your bars...Do you have narrow shoulders that would require you to have narrow bars? Or are you more broad? Just the simple adjustments make huge improvements in rider comfort........

[Marylander]

Surgery was not painful. I had the surgery in oct and was ok to ride off road some in jan. The doc didn't want me to ride the street bike for a month to avoid the vibration, and I honored that, but my hand felt fine for normal stuff within a week or two. Search the forums here for carpal tunnel surgery.

[KTMPete]

I've had the same problem for years now too, usually in my left hand. I used the clutch a lot on my 2t and thought the hydraulic clutch, stabilizer and Rekluse on the new bike might help this. It has to some extent but still gets numb. For me I think carpal tunnel sergery will be in my future.

[Marylander]

If it didn't happen to me in low stress riding (highways on the street bike) I probably would have spent more time on other solutions before going for the surgery.

I had problems with an unrelated surgery (deviated septum) when I was younger and that did make me wary of getting the carpal tunnel surgery. There's always risk when you let someone cut you up so you do have to take it seriously.

[NoFiddyPilot]

When riding if I ride pretty hard for 20-30min my right hand goes completely numb from the wrist down and I lose all feeling. I've been taking glucosamine pills which seems to help and wear a brace at night.. is there any other solution for this? Does anyone else experience this?

Chris

Glucosamine is for joint lubricity, not nerve issues. It sounds like some sort of nerve impingement and often times, solving the problem is tricky. I'd see a specialist to access the cause and possible solutions.

Try this:

Place your palms together (like you're praying), get your elbows up, push your palms together and hold for a minute. Do the same thing, but by pressing the backs of your hands together. This is a textbook test for carpal tunnel. Normally this should not cause tingling or numbing.

[J_YZ2fittyX]

Glucosamine is for joint lubricity, not nerve issues. It sounds like some sort of nerve impingement and often times, solving the problem is tricky. I'd see a specialist to access the cause and possible solutions.

Try this:

Place your palms together (like you're praying), get your elbows up, push your palms together and hold for a minute. Do the same thing, but by pressing the backs of your hands together. This is a textbook test for carpal tunnel. Normally this should not cause tingling or numbing.

Yea, I also deal with pretty good numbness. It seems to effect me more sometimes then others. I tried your test, and while my hands did not go flat out numb, i definitely feel a slight tingle in my fingers...pretty faint tho.

I also noted the first HS i did, i had numbness for the first lap and a half. I think I tensed up pretty good once the holeshot started lol. Wasnt at all nervous before it oddly. But once I settled in I think I loosened my grip and it helped because I had little if any numbing for the rest of the race. I also stood quite a bit. The 2nd HS I did, I had numbness the entire time pretty much. Started with my bike stalling and me getting exhausted kicking cuz it wouldnt start (dealing with that issue now), happened 4-5 times. So once tired, I think I was squeezing grips too tight as a result because the bike was winning some battles. But I also sat a lot more in this one, and I think bar position, etc, may favor standing a lil more.

Sounds like I have a whole variety pack of numbness causing issues. Time to sell.. ?

[bluffskier]

I took my first long XRL ride today (250 miles) with my new Evo bars/CR250 forks and my fingers were going numb quite a bit on my right hand, I believe it was from holding on too tight as I was doing 75-80 most of the time (speed limit is 75 mostly). I would like pump my hands to get the blood flowing again and it went away for a bit.

I wish they still made the Sunline Grand Touring grips, those were the bomb!!!

[Jaeboe]

Get rid of caffine and stay hydrated.........

[J_YZ2fittyX]

Get rid of caffine and stay hydrated.........

alcohol and tobacco while you're at it. neither of those help it either.

[scalejockey]

Tightness in the carpel nerve tunnel ,,nothing will really help. So said my doc AND a couple years of me trying everything.

Last year i had the CT release done. 15min (while awake)procedure,, a week off the bike to let the stiches heal and everything was good again. If you let it go too long it can do permenant damage!.

Oh yes, and i could sleep all night for the first time in years without knubness.

[Sabeen]

Carpal surgery all the way! I dicked around with every gimmick, every yahoo "drink water, relax, breathe, move your levers, etc". If it gets tingly & numb, it is carpal. If it is in your ring finger & pinky, side of hand by pinky that is worse your Ulnar nerve probably needs the release surgery as well. I have the flex bars, I think they are a waste of money. I also passed the electro test they gave & after a few more months of BS the doc finally cut me & all has been well since. I suffer grip fatigue now from even holding a pressure washer, turns out I have a pinched nerve in my neck that needs surgery as well but I am not so sure I feel okay with surgery on my spine

[J_YZ2fittyX]

Carpal surgery all the way! I dicked around with every gimmick, every yahoo "drink water, relax, breathe, move your levers, etc". If it gets tingly & numb, it is carpal. If it is in your ring finger & pinky, side of hand by pinky that is worse your Ulnar nerve probably needs the release surgery as well. I have the flex bars, I think they are a waste of money. I also passed the electro test they gave & after a few more months of BS the doc finally cut me & all has been well since. I suffer grip fatigue now from even holding a pressure washer, turns out I have a pinched nerve in my neck that needs surgery as well but I am not so sure I feel okay with surgery on my spine

Sheesh. lol. Ya I will possibly look into it. I know a lot of people use the same "be hydrated, squeeze with your legs, breathe, etc". While this may work for some, its not a cure for everyone, and some people just need to go to a doctor, and look into CT or other issues. Though I think you could give the ^^ things an honest try first.

Edited May 16, 2013 by J_WR2fitty

[Marylander]

If you let it go too long it can do permenant damage!.

Yep, this is me.

[Sabeen]

Sheesh. lol. Ya I will possibly look into it. I know a lot of people use the same "be hydrated, squeeze with your legs, breathe, etc". While this may work for some, its not a cure for everyone, and some people just need to go to a doctor, and look into CT or other issues. Though I think you could give the ^^ things an honest try first.

Don't get me wrong, you do have to breathe squeeze, ride relaxed. But you wont be able to do that till your get the carpal nerve fixed. It is a very common thing. Tired hands & arm pump are one thing. Numb, unable to hold a water bottle back at the truck is, drop tools when wrenching, is carpal & will only get worse.