A few weeks ago there was a question on the GMBC list-serve about what to do for numb hands while riding. Hopefully this means at least one person should find this topic interesting.  

Numb hands are caused by nerve compression most often of the ulnar (funny bone nerve that enters your wrist on the pinky side) and sometimes of the median nerve (the nerve involved with carpal tunnel syndrome that enters through the midline of the wrist).  Injury to one or both of these nerves can cause numbness and tingling of the hands and/or weakness and clumsiness of the hands.

To correct the problem there are several bike fitting options as well as a couple of suggestions while riding to take pressure off your hands and nerves. You can either try these suggestions yourself or ask your local bike shop for help.

-          Frequently change hand position while riding

-          Keep your wrists in a neutral/relaxed position (forearm and hand should be close to being lined up)

-          Wear well padded gloves (gel is the best form of padding)

-          Use well padded bar tape

-          Check saddle tilt (if the nose is too low your weight may be moving forward onto your hands)

-          Check your reach (elbows should be bent about 65-70 degrees)

-          Ride a fatter/wider front tire at a lower pressure (to decrease vibration)

-          Check handlebar shape and possibly try carbon handlebars (the shape will affect wrist position)

-          Check saddle height relative to handlebars (recommendations vary by frame size. The goal is to take weight off your hands.)

If these measures are not enough to correct the problem check in with your sports medicine practitioner to evaluate the problem. They will want to make sure that the nerve issue is indeed at the wrist and not coming from the elbow, shoulder/chest or neck. Once it is established that it is indeed a wrist issue the focus will be to decrease irritation of the nerves by working on wrist mobility and correcting mechanics/posture of the entire upper body. Modalities like ultrasound may also be used to decrease inflammation of the nerve. In cases that are resistant to all of these suggestions, you will be referred to an orthopedist for more aggressive testing and treatment. You are best off trying to fix the problem as soon as you start to notice symptoms – the less irritated the nerves are the quicker they heal!