numbness

mycad said:

my husband has had a tingling/numbness in the last 3 fingers of his left hand. The numbness is also in the funny bone area. What could be causing this it has been this way for 1 week straight at least. CAN YOU PLEASE HELP!!!

Click to expand...

One word: Gloves.... Get the gloves that have the thickest padding and use them... Also move the hands on teh baike, before you feel the need...
good luck, I've been there...

mycad said:

my husband has had a tingling/numbness in the last 3 fingers of his left hand. The numbness is also in the funny bone area. What could be causing this it has been this way for 1 week straight at least. CAN YOU PLEASE HELP!!!

Click to expand...

The most likely explanation is inflammation of the ulnar nerve -- this is one of two nerves that runs down your arm from the shoulder, through the elbow (at the "funny bone") and down into your wrist and palms. It controls, in part, the outer fingers of your hand, the gripping strength of your palm, and forearm control. This is a common bike-related problem, but can easily become more serious. The first question is whether he experiences only when riding or just after, with the numbness going away shortly after he gets off the bike. If this is the case, then getting good cycling gloves, making sure the bike is properly fitted (seat foreward and aft, position of handlebars), and changing hand position often (especially trying to avoid long periods on the straight part of the bars, with wrists bent back) should correct the problem.

HOWEVER, if he is experiencing the numbness, tingling, and pain during times when he is not riding (e.g. typing, first thing in the morning, doing chores around the house, etc.), then there is probably an injury to the nerve. I had this problem after a four-day touring trip when my bike was not properly fitted, putting too much pressure on my palms and wrists. You can do some at-home healing by simply resting -- avoiding activities that cause the problem for several weeks, wearing a wrist brace (can buy at the drugstore) loosely (no compression, just stabilization) when you sleep or do necessary activities that aggravate the problem (for me, typing), and just generally trying to rest the arm, as well as doing some simple stretching/strengthening exercises. Nerves take a LONG time to heal, but it will heal eventually if you address it early. If it does not seem to be improving after a couple of weeks of rest and limited activity, a visit to the doctor is in order. They can do electro-conductive tests to isolate the area of inflammation, assess the damage and likely prescribe physical therapy.

If you want to educate yourself more, just do a google search for "ulnar nerve" -- you will get a lot of helpful information, particularly from various sports medicine sites at universities. Good luck! This is something to take seriously, but it is very correctable --