Foot + hand numbness, at same time - Help, pls

(BigBenBiker) said:

Hi All,

Every now and then, when I'm trying to better than my average, I get
numbness on the left foot, right on the spot where the Time Attack
cleat is, and at exactly the same time, left hand numbness.

This occurs at high speed heart beats - I'm not using a HR monitor,
but I can feel the efford.

Look up "Morton's Neuroma" here:

http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/fact/thr_report.cfm?Thread_ID=233

Might this be part of what you are experiencing?

"Fitz"

Quoted message said:

So, I ease up for a while, the heart beat goes down, the numbness on
the left side foot and hand go away, and then I'm ready to proceed
with a more realistic pace for my capacities.

First: can anyone explain me what exactly is happening here, why I
feel numbness on the left side only, every time??

Seond: what can I do improve the situation, besides perhaps loosing
weight, training more often, etc.?

Thanks in advance!
bbb

(BigBenBiker) said:

Hi All,

Every now and then, when I'm trying to better than my average, I get
numbness on the left foot, right on the spot where the Time Attack
cleat is, and at exactly the same time, left hand numbness.

This occurs at high speed heart beats - I'm not using a HR monitor,
but I can feel the efford.

So, I ease up for a while, the heart beat goes down, the numbness on
the left side foot and hand go away, and then I'm ready to proceed
with a more realistic pace for my capacities.

First: can anyone explain me what exactly is happening here, why I
feel numbness on the left side only, every time??

Seond: what can I do improve the situation, besides perhaps loosing
weight, training more often, etc.?

Thanks in advance!
bbb

That's strange I get the same thing on my right hand & foot; more so
on my racer with 23x700c tyres at 115/120psi than on my tourer with
25's @ 100psi.

I'm certainlly not worrying about tumours, more wondering about
differences in:
- cleat position between l/r shoes (prob is worse with one tighter
pair of shoes too)
- any asymmetry in my body position on the bike. or is one leg longer
than the other?
- is my seat perfectly straight or veering l/r slightly
- are the handlebars perfectly centered / sti shifters at the same
exact position l /r?
- with the right hand numbness i notice that my gloves are much more
worn on the right hand (i assume from more frequent rt sided sti gear
changes), so maybe replacing the gloves would help with the hand
numbness, i even wonderedabout cutting up some old neoprene overshoes
& wrapping the material over the handlebar for extra padding.
- certainlly i don't get as much problems with the fatter lower
pressure tyres, but it is still there on longer rides even on the
tourer. glad to know i'm not the only one with this mainly one sided
prob!

would be interested to know others thoughts.. Alan

Hi Fitz,

Fitz said:

On Aug 3, 2:50 pm, [email hidden] (BigBenBiker) wrote:
Look up "Morton's Neuroma" here:

http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/fact/thr_report.cfm?Thread_ID=233

Might this be part of what you are experiencing?

"Fitz"

Not sure: I fell numbness, but not pain, and it doesn't extend that
much to the toes...

I'll look around for custom shoe inserts, as sugested in the page you
mentioned.

How about the relation with the hand numbness, though??

Thanks,
bbb

On Fri, 03 Aug 2007 21:50:03 GMT, [email hidden] (BigBenBiker)

Quoted message said:

First: can anyone explain me what exactly is happening here, why I
feel numbness on the left side only, every time??

Seond: what can I do improve the situation, besides perhaps loosing
weight, training more often, etc.?

Well, this is definitely the best place to get medical advice, so read
on!

My basic and crude understanding of anatomy tells me you have a nerve
related issue. Somehow a nerve is getting crunched, for lack of a
better term, and you're getting numb. It doesn't necessarily mean
there's anything wrong with you, just that you have some way to push
on a nerve locally that translates into a more global nerve change.

The best advice would be to see a Dr. but they will then send you in
for some electronic tests with a neurologist involving wires and
current which they measure. It's also a method of torture used by the
KGB. You want to have good insurance before undergoing this testing.

Or, if you're not inclined to go pro, try changing positions, or
shoes, or bikes, etc and experiment. You might also try loosing weight
and training more :-)

(BigBenBiker) said:

Hi All,

Every now and then, when I'm trying to better than my average, I get
numbness on the left foot, right on the spot where the Time Attack
cleat is, and at exactly the same time, left hand numbness.

This occurs at high speed heart beats - I'm not using a HR monitor,
but I can feel the efford.

So, I ease up for a while, the heart beat goes down, the numbness on
the left side foot and hand go away, and then I'm ready to proceed
with a more realistic pace for my capacities.

First: can anyone explain me what exactly is happening here, why I
feel numbness on the left side only, every time??

Seond: what can I do improve the situation, besides perhaps loosing
weight, training more often, etc.?

Thanks in advance!
bbb

Hi there Big Ben Biker.

Since this only happens at a high heartbeat level I think you might be
having a blood circulation problem or possibly suffering a mild
stroke. Your heart may be getting too stressed. I think this is
indicated because the numbness is on the left side and it goes away
when the heartrate drops again. I strongly suggest having this looked
at by a doctor just to be sure it is not a heart related problem.

When it does happen are you sitting or standing? Does this happen when
you are riding up a steep or long hill where you do not have an
elevated hearbeat? If it does not I think that can rule out it being a
nerve related issue as the numbness would happen whenever you applied
a lot of pressure even if the heartrate was lower than what it is when
you are experiencing the numbness now. A sports medicine doctor would
be a better choice than a main-stream doctor.

Cheers from Peter

"Sir Ridesalot" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

(BigBenBiker) said:

Hi All,

Every now and then, when I'm trying to better than my average, I get
numbness on the left foot, right on the spot where the Time Attack
cleat is, and at exactly the same time, left hand numbness.

This occurs at high speed heart beats - I'm not using a HR monitor,
but I can feel the efford.

So, I ease up for a while, the heart beat goes down, the numbness on
the left side foot and hand go away, and then I'm ready to proceed
with a more realistic pace for my capacities.

First: can anyone explain me what exactly is happening here, why I
feel numbness on the left side only, every time??

Seond: what can I do improve the situation, besides perhaps loosing
weight, training more often, etc.?

Thanks in advance!
bbb

Hi there Big Ben Biker.

Since this only happens at a high heartbeat level I think you might be
having a blood circulation problem or possibly suffering a mild
stroke. Your heart may be getting too stressed. I think this is
indicated because the numbness is on the left side and it goes away
when the heartrate drops again. I strongly suggest having this looked
at by a doctor just to be sure it is not a heart related problem.

When it does happen are you sitting or standing? Does this happen when
you are riding up a steep or long hill where you do not have an
elevated hearbeat? If it does not I think that can rule out it being a
nerve related issue as the numbness would happen whenever you applied
a lot of pressure even if the heartrate was lower than what it is when
you are experiencing the numbness now. A sports medicine doctor would
be a better choice than a main-stream doctor.

Cheers from Peter

I don't know about a stroke but numbness in the left arm at elevated heart
rate can be a symptom of coronary problems which the OP should definitely
get checked out by an MD.

Chas.

"still me" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Fri, 03 Aug 2007 21:50:03 GMT, [email hidden] (BigBenBiker)

Quoted message said:

First: can anyone explain me what exactly is happening here, why I
feel numbness on the left side only, every time??

Seond: what can I do improve the situation, besides perhaps loosing
weight, training more often, etc.?

Well, this is definitely the best place to get medical advice, so read
on!

My basic and crude understanding of anatomy tells me you have a nerve
related issue. Somehow a nerve is getting crunched, for lack of a
better term, and you're getting numb. It doesn't necessarily mean
there's anything wrong with you, just that you have some way to push
on a nerve locally that translates into a more global nerve change.

The best advice would be to see a Dr. but they will then send you in
for some electronic tests with a neurologist involving wires and
current which they measure. It's also a method of torture used by the
KGB. You want to have good insurance before undergoing this testing.

<snip>

I got several EMG tests for severe carpal tunnel syndrome. Did you ever
see the movie "Marathon Man" with Dustin Hoffman and Laurence Olivier?

"Is it safe?"

I kept telling the doc "Yes! It's safe" as he was jacking up the voltage.
;-)

Chas. - I'll tell you anything you want to hear....

In article <[email hidden]>,

(BigBenBiker) said:

Hi All,

Every now and then, when I'm trying to better than my average, I get
numbness on the left foot, right on the spot where the Time Attack
cleat is, and at exactly the same time, left hand numbness.

This occurs at high speed heart beats - I'm not using a HR monitor,
but I can feel the efford.

So, I ease up for a while, the heart beat goes down, the numbness on
the left side foot and hand go away, and then I'm ready to proceed
with a more realistic pace for my capacities.

First: can anyone explain me what exactly is happening here, why I
feel numbness on the left side only, every time??

Seond: what can I do improve the situation, besides perhaps loosing
weight, training more often, etc.?

You could have a medical problem, a circulatory impairment.

--
Michael Press

Hi Peter,

Sir Ridesalot said:

When it does happen are you sitting or standing?

Always sitting - I hardly ever pedal standing.

Quoted message said:

Does this happen when
you are riding up a steep or long hill where you do not have an
elevated hearbeat?

I know very well 2 hills I do just about every time I go for a ride,
where this does not happen, but in both cases my hearbeat always jumps
through the roof - one is long moderatelly hill, the other is rather
short, but very steep

Now you got me puzzled - why don't I ever feel this problem in these
hills which are the worst in rides??

And I can only remember this problem happening in fairly horizontal
roads, where I'm trying to go faster than my "normal" speed.

It just came to mind, that in the hilly parts of the road, I *always*
ride more upright than when I'm trying to "cheat" the wind, push
harder, and go faster...

We've looking ath this from downside (foot) -> upwards (hand). Could
the hand nerve possibly be the "guilty" part here??

Oh well, I'll give it another though tomorrow.

Thanks a lot!!

bbb

In article <[email hidden]>,

(BigBenBiker) said:

Hi All,

Every now and then, when I'm trying to better than my average, I get
numbness on the left foot, right on the spot where the Time Attack
cleat is, and at exactly the same time, left hand numbness.

This occurs at high speed heart beats - I'm not using a HR monitor,
but I can feel the efford.

So, I ease up for a while, the heart beat goes down, the numbness on
the left side foot and hand go away, and then I'm ready to proceed
with a more realistic pace for my capacities.

First: can anyone explain me what exactly is happening here, why I
feel numbness on the left side only, every time??

Seond: what can I do improve the situation, besides perhaps loosing
weight, training more often, etc.?

Have you tried asking your doctor? There may be an actual health
problem here.

In article <[email hidden]>,

(BigBenBiker) said:

And I can only remember this problem happening in fairly horizontal
roads, where I'm trying to go faster than my "normal" speed.

It just came to mind, that in the hilly parts of the road, I *always*
ride more upright than when I'm trying to "cheat" the wind, push
harder, and go faster...

There are too many possibilities. Cardiac problems, circulatory
problems in your neck or brain (e.g., right carotid artery blockage,
right hemisphere aneurysm), impingement of your spinal chord from a
bulging disk, etc.

If I was having transient numbness in intense exercise I would (1) stop
doing the things that cause the problem and (2) see a doctor. I would
see my doctor ASAP.

Stop being a guy and go see your doctor already.

Hi Tim,

Tim McNamara said:

If I was having transient numbness in intense exercise I would (1) stop
doing the things that cause the problem and (2) see a doctor. I would
see my doctor ASAP.

Stop being a guy and go see your doctor already.

I think my doctor is just going to laugh at me, and tel me to stop
doing what is causing my numbness, and get real - cycling is for kids
and for pros.

But ok, I'll give it a shoot, exagerate a little, mention some other
problem - like me feet swelling in the summer when I work for too long
at my desk, which is a problem that's been on my mother's side of the
family for generations, including also the people who don't have desk
jobs, etc.

Thank you for the advice!!

Best,
bbb