TMBRA - Rider Board

[Anonymous]

Dear Doc,

my right wrist has been increasingly hurting. also the middle and ring fingers gets numb during the day regardless if I am riding or not. it use to only get numb easily when I ride. my left hand does not get numb nor the wrist hurts.

do you think I should go visit a doctor? if so, what kind should I visit?

Thank you

[The Bike Doc]

begin ing:

You have symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. The median nerve passes through tunnel formed by the carpal (wrist) bones and the overlying connective tissue. Compression of it can cause pain that can go anywhere from the thumb, index finger, middle finger and/or the ring finger side along the middle finger side. Occassionally the pain can go retrograde back up the arm to the shoulder. Significant nerve compression can lead to weakness to the muscles in the hand.

Do seek a medical evaluation. Treatment is initially conservative with splinting of the involved hand and wrist, anti-inflamatory medications, resting from repetitive use activities such as what I am doing now (typing). For more severe cases, a local injection of a steroid to decrease inflamation in the carpal tunnel is in order. For the most severe cases surgery to release the overlying fibrous connective tissue band of the carpal tunnel is in order. As part of your medical evaluation your doctor should look for conditions that may contribute to carpal tunnel syndrome such as diabetes and arthritis.

As far as your bike set up goes, you should raise your handle bars, use bar ends on your mountain bike to allow alternating hand positions, soften up your front suspension if you have it, if no suspension look seriously at getting front suspension or at least a suspension handlebar stem. Use padded cycling gloves. For shifters, trigger shifters are better than twist shifter for those afflicted with carpal tunnel syndrome to avoid repetitive flexing and extending of the wrist. For road biking look seriously at going to a recumbent as there is no pressure on the wrists when riding in the recumbent position.

Thanks,
_________________
Paul K. Nolan, MD
AKA: The Bike Doc

[Anonymous]

Thank you again doc!

switching mouse over to left.
staying off the bike. have to type for work but thinking about getting a wrist rest for the keyboard to keep hand level