Pins and needles in left hand?

Ok last few days i've been getting pins and needles and its really annoying me. I wear Gel gloves so i have them padded. So what causing it? I do suffer from inflammtion back pain only on the bike and neck aches after a while about 30 miles but with the back and neck pain i've never had the pins and needles before. So why now? And how do i prevent it?

 

Are the gloves too tight? I would check with my doctor if I were you. You may have the beginnings of a circulation problem. If you are having neck pains and back problems when you ride, it sounds as if you might be having a fit issue also.

 

Gloves are nice and loose. I dont see how i can have a start of a circulation problem when its only on the bike?

Im also very fit, im 16 so my blood should be pumping all good from riding 200 miles a week.

 

"Fit" as in how you fit on the bike, not "fit" as in fitness.

 

You may want to try changing your position on the bars ocasionally. Also if the bike is not a good fit you may have to much of your weight on your hands. Try moving your saddle position this could help change your position and transfer some of your weight off of your hands. You could also take your bike to the LBS and have them check your fit if you are 16 you are probably growing out of your bike. They could change your stem lenght to give you a little extra lenght in the reach. I am not a doctor and if your problem is medical you should have a complete check up no matter how old you are.

 

Today i moved my seat down to ease back pain. I brought a smaller stem because the other one was to big and i was over stretching causing back pain.

 

And i ment 'Fit' as in im fit so my blood is circulation fine my heart is fine as in its fit and good pumping blood round so im not at risk of the problem?

 

I get the exact same thing and have tried several different sets of gel padded gloves without a lot of improvement. As suggested, swapping hand positions frequently seems to eliminate the issue entirely for my road bike (this actually has me in the market for a set of aero bars). I've been putting it down as pinching of the median nerve so far.

The problem is way worse on my MTB. More than 15-20 miles on it in one sitting and I'll have tingling numbness in my ring finger and pinky of my left hand for a couple days afterwards. I've still got the stock grips on this bike and was planning to get some better ones (and maybe bar ends) next time I decide to allocate budget to this bike.

I'm pretty happy with my fit on both bikes other than this issue. Would you say sliding the saddle back would take some weight off my hands?

 

Sounds like a nerve compression problem. If the "tingling" is in the thumb and first two fingers it is likely your median nerve, and there are multiple potential entrapment sites from the neck on down to the hand. If the "tingling" is in the last two fingers it's likely the ulnar nerve. The ulnar nerve passes through the tunnel of guyon in the heel of the hand on the side with your baby finger. Compression of the ulnar nerve in the tunnel of guyon in cyclists is called handlebar palsy. Use multiple positions for your hands and don't spend too much time on the bar tops with your wrist in extension (bent back) because this would be the most likely way for you to compress the ulnar nerve here. These are peripheral neuropathies. It is also possible that the site of nerve compression is in your neck. Either way it's nothing to mess around with. If you cannot get it cleared up in short order get professional help.

 

Thanks for the great info. Sounds like I need to eliminate the bar top from my hand position rotation on the road bike and find some decent aero bars and bar ends.

 

Pins and needles is a warning sign from your body that something isn't right. It is caused by either a problem with your nerves or a problem with your circulation. You'll have to experiment to figure out which and what the fix is, but there's lots of good advice in the earlier posts.

 

Hi Sam,
I had this same problem last year during long rides. Check out the link below, somethng called handlebar palsey. I tilted my seat back just a bit and also try not to lean forward as much. Changing hand possition a lot helps too.

A professional fit may help, but there are things you can try on your own first.

Good Luck.

Ulnar Neuropathy or Handlebar Palsy