Numb Hands - Carpal Tunnel???

brocsdad
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Thompsons Station, TN US
Edited Date/Time 12/13/2015 5:31pm
I stopped riding back in 2006 when my son started to ride/race. No that he's older and more independent I would like to start riding again but the last time I rode my hands went numb? I thought I was just out of shape but I have had them go numb Mtn. Biking over the summer. So I think I have carpal tunnel from reading about the symptoms.

For every person that praises how well the surgery turned out with zero problems there's another person complaining about loss of hand strength or mobility.

Has anyone had this experience and had surgery? If so how did it turn out? Did it affect you riding in anyway.

What sucks is I will be out $4k for surgery so there goes my 2013 Honda. Maybe a 2014 if all goes well.

Thanks!

Todd
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TerryK
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CA
12/3/2012 5:20am
Don't jump to conclusions so fast. Numb hands don't necessarily mean carpal tunnel. I have most of the symptoms but not carpal tunnel. See a doctor.
chillrich
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Kamloops CA
12/3/2012 5:55am
Same symptoms here; Nagging Injury

I've had this and from what I understand it is quite common. Pressure on the ulnar nerve will cause the numbness. I think the pressure occurs near elbow. Mine went away over the winter, could have been a small technique adjustment or some inflammation that went away with rest.
resetjet
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12/3/2012 7:52am
Funny you make this post. My surgery is scheduled for tomorrow. Numb hands can be carpal tunnel but not for sure. You have to go to a neurologist and he will test your nerves to find out. The process is real easy. In my case, my hands get numb pretty quick. One day my left thumb, index and middle finger got numb and have been so ever since.

My suggestion is just go see a neurologist, and in his office he can test it with a simple electronic machine and you will know for sure.
FLmxer
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12/3/2012 7:55am
When i broke my lower back I really had no pain in back but it felt like a blow torch on my leg down to my toes and my foot was just numb. I did not believe my back was broken but I was sure my femur was shattered. My leg was fine, it was the nerves in my back that were crushed sending pain and numbness to my leg. After back surgery all feeling came back and pain went away. They had to remove some bone and said it could make things out of place up my spine in my neck later on and I may start seeing numbness in my hands if my neck started pinching on the nerves. Well it is happening and I am getting some numbness in my hands lately. Could be a disc pinching a nerve in your neck and causing the numbness.

The Shop

jhansen510
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12/3/2012 7:58am
I got hurt bad back in 2004. Life flighted out of Cooperland. My wrist was shattered into 100 pcs from going thru the radiator of a large ford tractor that happened to be on the backside of a blind jump. When they put my wrist back together (53 screws, 3 plates) they also did carpal tunnel surg on both hands. My hands feel so much better than they used to. It also taught me not to hold on as tight as I used to.
Brackis
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Stillwater, OK US
12/3/2012 8:01am
I've had the surgery. No ill effects and no more numbness. Had both hands done at same time. Before had surgery left hand would go numb in minutes riding, fishing, weedeating, etc.
resetjet
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12/3/2012 8:06am
Both hands......How did you wipe your ass??????? No don't answer that......LOL
YAKMX
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Allegany, NY US
12/3/2012 8:12am
I had one done then the other about 6 weeks after. Worked wonderfully.

Mine would fall asleep driving,while sleeping,and always while riding.When I couldn't hold onto the bars anymore that is when I made the decision to have the surgery done. But I agree with everyone else get the test done. This will tell you how bad it is. Sometimes wearing braces while you sleep can be enough help.Good Luck!
brocsdad
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Thompsons Station, TN US
12/3/2012 8:14am
jhansen510 wrote:
I got hurt bad back in 2004. Life flighted out of Cooperland. My wrist was shattered into 100 pcs from going thru the radiator of a...
I got hurt bad back in 2004. Life flighted out of Cooperland. My wrist was shattered into 100 pcs from going thru the radiator of a large ford tractor that happened to be on the backside of a blind jump. When they put my wrist back together (53 screws, 3 plates) they also did carpal tunnel surg on both hands. My hands feel so much better than they used to. It also taught me not to hold on as tight as I used to.
53 SCREWS! OUCH!
brocsdad
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12/3/2012 8:16am
Ok so do I make an appointment with an orthopedic doctor and then he refers me to a neuro to be tested?
Motoxdoc
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Steamboat Springs, CO US
12/3/2012 1:14pm
You need to correlate your sympts w/the results of NCV(nerve conduction velocity) and EMG(electromyography) tests to be diagnosed as carpal tunnel syn. The NCV is basically testing how fast and how strong electricity travels down your nerves and the EMG is basically testing the electrical energy in the muscles innervated by those nerves. Couple those 2 tests with an MRI of your cervical spine (neck) and the doc will have a pretty good idea....or at the very least will have ruled out.....wants going on with you. BTW, I own an NCV company.....too bad you're not in CA.!
resetjet
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12/3/2012 4:27pm
My primary referred me to the neurologist, who then referred me to the surgeon.
12/3/2012 6:21pm
Why is everybody in a hurry to get surgery? First make sure your getting your b complex and C vitamins daily. Try taking extra b6 and b12 also. Before you ride, take some BCAA's with L-arginine, or an amino acid mixture. Then come back and tell us how good it went.
40Plus_922mx
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High Desert, CA US
12/3/2012 7:08pm
Back in the early 2000's I was making all the SX replicas for MCM2 and after about 2 years my right hand would start burning and then turn ice cold from the top of the knuckles back to the top of my wrist. Then it would start effecting my riding quite a bit. At the time I was racing an 03 YZ450 with a lot of low end hit. I flat landed a step over at VVMX and my numb throttle hand grabbed a handfull and I shot towards about an 8' tall corner berm. It was all I could do to get it shut down and not launch into orbit. I gave the track making and within about a year all the symtons dissappeared. Maybe you are doing smething to cause the numbness?
Top End
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Upstate, NY US
12/3/2012 9:39pm
Do your whole hands go numb or just part of them? I was in a bad car accident and now my lower two fingers on both hands go numb. I'm going to get it checked out this Wednesday.
groggylbc
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Long Beach, CA US
12/3/2012 10:02pm
try flexx bars!!! i used to get numb hands then switched over to flexx bars...i can ride alot longer and zero numbness!!!!
TerryB
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Cambridge, MN US
12/4/2012 7:57am
Like others have shared, EMG and cervical spine imaging revealed my problems are coming from my neck.
12/6/2012 9:15am
I have had two carpal tunnel and two ulnar nerve (elbow) surgeries done. One arm at a time earlier this year.

I can say that my left hand would go numb after about four laps. Does not anymore.

Also If you are having problems with this my doctor says that constricting the nerve can cause permanent nerve damage.

Both my ulnar nerves were really screwed up. Tissue growing around them and constricting them. My doctor said he has never seen anything like it.

I would at least get tested. Check your ulnar nerve while you are there. I believe your ulnar nerve will effect your pinky finger and half of the the ring finger.
IWreckALot
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Fort Worth, TX US
12/6/2012 11:01am
brocsdad wrote:
I stopped riding back in 2006 when my son started to ride/race. No that he's older and more independent I would like to start riding again...
I stopped riding back in 2006 when my son started to ride/race. No that he's older and more independent I would like to start riding again but the last time I rode my hands went numb? I thought I was just out of shape but I have had them go numb Mtn. Biking over the summer. So I think I have carpal tunnel from reading about the symptoms.

For every person that praises how well the surgery turned out with zero problems there's another person complaining about loss of hand strength or mobility.

Has anyone had this experience and had surgery? If so how did it turn out? Did it affect you riding in anyway.

What sucks is I will be out $4k for surgery so there goes my 2013 Honda. Maybe a 2014 if all goes well.

Thanks!

Todd
My hands were going to sleep when I rode mountain bikes real bad until I recently adjusted the seat towards the handlebars some. In my normal riding position, I was stretching too far and putting too much weight on my hands for an hour or two at a time. If you're holding on too tight while riding dirt bike also, could just be a technique thing. . .

But, if you're still concerned about it, all of us vital doctors will offer all the advice you can handle.
jhansen510
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12/6/2012 3:44pm
jhansen510 wrote:
I got hurt bad back in 2004. Life flighted out of Cooperland. My wrist was shattered into 100 pcs from going thru the radiator of a...
I got hurt bad back in 2004. Life flighted out of Cooperland. My wrist was shattered into 100 pcs from going thru the radiator of a large ford tractor that happened to be on the backside of a blind jump. When they put my wrist back together (53 screws, 3 plates) they also did carpal tunnel surg on both hands. My hands feel so much better than they used to. It also taught me not to hold on as tight as I used to.
brocsdad wrote:
53 SCREWS! OUCH!
They wanted to fuse it, but thank god my parents fought it tooth and nail as I was induced. They told me I wouldnt be able to pickup more than 5 lbs with that hand. It works perfect except for a little bit of dexterity loss. I cant touch my thumb to my pinky. What actuall bothers me the most is the elbow on that same arm. I crashed and was down on all 4's. A guy creamed his front tire right into the back of my elbow 3rd gear pinned. I shattered it and compounded both tib and fib. Also resulting in 50 screws in 3 plates. Ironically my right arm has never been scathed..... Knock on wood!
884
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Fullerton, CA US
12/6/2012 4:01pm
My left wrist was the worst after a bad crash, but after having tests both wrists had carpal tunnel syndrome but before surgery was brought up I was given cortizone shots in each wrist to see if that would ease the symptoms. This just made my good right right wrist worse than my bad left one so I ended up going in for surgery in the late 90's. I'd recommend finding a good surgeopn, my right wrist was operated on first andd where the surgeon cut me is right where a wrench would rest in my hand when i'm working on the bike so that causes agravation, also I had complications with the surgery where the scar tissue trapped the tendons for my middle and ring fingers so they were curled inward and wouldn't straighten out.

While I was waiting for a decison on my right hand I had my left one done, different surgeon and with a different technique of where he cut me and I have had no issues with that wrist at all, infact in the end, I got that surgeon to re-do my right wrist, I was warned it might become a disaster but he fixed it. I don't get any numbeness riding road or mountain bikes, but I've found I have to position my levers higher on my Motocross bike and that helps with any wrist fatigue when riding alot of laps, I also found it more comfortable switching to non-padded gloves to give me a better feel off the bars and tend to ride with more of a relaxed grip rather having a death grip.

But get tested first, and maybe try some different gloves, grips or lever position in the meantime, any little helps rather than having down time due to surgery..
kaptkaos
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Miami, FL US
11/17/2015 7:16am
I was suffering from hand numbness and pain while riding MTB and Road bicycles. I also had my hands get numb on long drives and while I sleep. Tried all sorts of remedies, bike fittings, training, diet, cardio. Its not arm pump which you can treat with training and technique. True CTS is not treatable without surgery unless you want to wear a splint 24x7.

My hands will give up on me long before I am even breathing hard, sweating, or hit 175 HR. This makes riding any MX bike or MTB very dangerous, and road cycling very painful.

I just had the Nerve conduction study and they shocked and poked me and told me I had severe/extreme CTS and already had permanent nerve damage. So I am scheduling the Endoscopic Release surgery ASAP. It sucks because right now is the best riding weather and I have been training and dieting very hard and gotten into the best condition I have been in years. Now i have to sit out for a while which sucks, but hopefully in the long term it will help me ride because i was about to give it up completely. I hope I can get back on a bike within 5 weeks. That would be fantastic.Hopefully I can run/row much sooner. I wanted to do both at the same time, but someone brought up a good point about wiping your ass....for those that went endoscopically, how soon were you able to wipe your own ass??
KMC440
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US
11/17/2015 8:07am
This isn't a cure but it may help.... it helped me.

Whenever you have a table or chair hell even a steering wheel handy. Stretch your hand by placing your fingertips on the edge of the table, top of chair backrest or on the steering wheel and push down stretching the bottom of your forearm at the wrist. Press and hold for 20+seconds. Do this every chance you get. Can't hurt to try and it beats surgery.
p.s. I had some relief from my issue in about a week and was greatly improved after a couple of months.
Good luck.
IceMan446
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Sacramento, CA US
11/17/2015 8:13am
kaptkaos wrote:
I was suffering from hand numbness and pain while riding MTB and Road bicycles. I also had my hands get numb on long drives and while...
I was suffering from hand numbness and pain while riding MTB and Road bicycles. I also had my hands get numb on long drives and while I sleep. Tried all sorts of remedies, bike fittings, training, diet, cardio. Its not arm pump which you can treat with training and technique. True CTS is not treatable without surgery unless you want to wear a splint 24x7.

My hands will give up on me long before I am even breathing hard, sweating, or hit 175 HR. This makes riding any MX bike or MTB very dangerous, and road cycling very painful.

I just had the Nerve conduction study and they shocked and poked me and told me I had severe/extreme CTS and already had permanent nerve damage. So I am scheduling the Endoscopic Release surgery ASAP. It sucks because right now is the best riding weather and I have been training and dieting very hard and gotten into the best condition I have been in years. Now i have to sit out for a while which sucks, but hopefully in the long term it will help me ride because i was about to give it up completely. I hope I can get back on a bike within 5 weeks. That would be fantastic.Hopefully I can run/row much sooner. I wanted to do both at the same time, but someone brought up a good point about wiping your ass....for those that went endoscopically, how soon were you able to wipe your own ass??
I had both of mine done at the same time and had zero problems. I say get them both done at the same time. I had my surgery on a Friday and went back to work on Tuesday. I was very lucky to have a surgeon that has done a lot of work for the Oakland A's, SF Giants and the 49ers. He was a huge difference in me getting the procedure done.

My only issue was the movement in my wrists after having the procedure. It took maybe 8-9 weeks to get full movement back, but my carpal tunnel on my right hand was severely narrowed and they had to use a tool to widen it before using the scope and from what my doctor said, that was the cause of the movement issue.

I have noticed I sleep better with zero numbness or tingling and with riding, I don't have numbness in either hand. I do get a tad bit of arm pump in my throttle arm but that is just due to lack of time on the bike and holding on too tight.
Forty
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Saint Paul, MN US
11/17/2015 10:34am
If you haven't done so....

Get in riding shape.

Try making some adjustments to the bars and your body position, take the weight off of your hands, pay particular attention to the bend/angle of your wrists and elbows while riding.

Continue to ask questions and make adjustments that produce good results.

Surgery is last , last , last resort IMO.
kaptkaos
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Miami, FL US
11/17/2015 10:42am
Thanks for the response guys! I hope to be scheduling it for this month. I will know by Friday.

robkinuk
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Ashbourne GB
11/17/2015 11:04am
Had both wrists done, one a year ago and the other this spring. Best thing I did, no more numbness and tingling with dead hands at night.
Just make sure if you have a local anaesthetic they wack plenty in there. Second time I really felt the cut that released carpal nerve so anaesthetist flooded more into surgery.
kaptkaos
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Miami, FL US
11/24/2015 12:17pm
So I spoke to my Dr last Friday and he agreed I need it done, I explained I needed it done quick, and he said how about if I squeeze you in on Monday? I said lets do both hands! He said no way, he never does that without exception but he said that when he examines me a week after doing my right hand, he will schedule me for the left right away if all looks good. So I went in yesterday afternoon and it was a breeze. I really wish he had done both. I was just fine right after surgery and was able to manage very well. I got up and went to work today as normal and I am typing and pretty much doing everything except exercise and riding. I feel no pain and although I am wrapped up in that hand and cant use any force or strength, it feels like it should be recuperating very soon. I am so pumped about getting back on an MTB or MX bike without this problem. I will keep the post up to date. To make matters worse, I sold my 2008 CRF450 on Sunday and I picked up a beautiful 2013 and I cant ride it!!!!! All I can do is walk by it in the garage and look at it. I can tell you this will be the cleanest/shiniest 2013 on the planet after this long weekend for sure!
kaptkaos
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Miami, FL US
11/30/2015 9:16am
So its exactly one week post op on my right wrist. I go to the Dr today, hopefully they let me stop wearing a bandage. I had to redo all the bandages as I messed them up working on the bike over the holiday weekend. I feel that my recovery was super quick and fast for the first two days after surgery and has since plateaued and stayed the same, which is frustrating, lets see what the Dr says I should be feeling. I have zero pain or discomfort except when I try to make strength with my hand or lift/ move something heavy with my hand. I tried to set my sag and it hurt like hell hitting the preload ring with the hammer so I had to stop and couldnt do it. I was going to ask the Dr to do my left this week so my overall recovery time and time off workout/riding is less but I am having some doubts and may wait another week to see if the recovery speeds up. At this point I dont get any numbness on that hand anymore during the night or at work. If I can ride my MTB and MX bikes without numb/painful/dead hands it will be worth it. I will update after Dr appt today.

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