Just lately I have been getting tingling numbness in my pinky and ring finger while riding. Its on my long rides. I haven’t had any change in fit or anything that I can think that would cause this. I have been fitted to the bike. I have ceegee pads and stock felt bar tape. All which are about 6 mounts old. Any ideas on why all the sudden I’m getting numbness?
That would be the ulnar nerve! I have been managing it for years. Swimming really gets mine fired up, riding can too. I don’t ride a Tri bike any more, but if I am putting too much pressure on the heal of my hand it can flare up. In aerobars I know you have to be careful of where your pads are contacting your elbows/forearms. Pay attention to how you sleep too, if you keep your elbows bent all night it can add to the problem.
There’s pressure outside the body (handlebars and such) and also pressure inside the body that pinches off the nerve. Muscle swelling due to fatigue and soreness can put pressure on a nerve. If I do a lot of glute and hamstring work, my left toes get numb due to pressure on the sciatic nerve. If you’re straining or pushing in your shoulder or arm, you can be causing swelling that’s pinching off that nerve. Cure for that is to relax the shoulders and upper body more while riding.
I do get shoulder stiffness. So I will try relaxing on my next ride.
Definitely the ulnar nerve. In my early days of cycling I had it flare up once, and I couldn’t even work buttons for 2 days afterwards. I got gloves with more padding on the heel of the hand, and have never had a problem since (~15 years). I think being more relaxed on the bike helped, as my problem occurred after one of my first fast group rides, so I was probably a bit tense.
Good luck with it.
Yes. It’s called “handlebar palsy.” Compression of a branch of the ulnar nerve at the heel of hand below pinky finger. Try putting more weight on palm of hand vs. heel.
Happens to me now when I rest my arm on the desk for too long while at the pc. Can take a few days to clear up once it has set in.
This is impingement of ulnar nerve at elbow: cubital tunnel syndrome.
Too much “Shocker!”
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Definitely sounds like cubital tunnel syndrome. Mine was so bad a few years ago, I had to have surgery to correct it; but that was due to a bad fracture/dislocation I sustained as a teen.
Ulnar nerve palsy–. Can happen at the elbow or directly in the hand. You may need to alter your bike fit. First, I would try changing your hand position more frequently on the bars. Padding may help but won’t completely stop the compression. If it is persistent, see your doc for further evaluation.
Yep, I stand corrected.
The sensory distribution is definitely ulnar nerve. Could be wrist or elbow pressure as the symptoms are about the same. Look it up on Google and you can probably figure it out. Saturday night palsy is actually the radial nerve and is associated with weakness usually wrist drop (palsy). Falling asleep with your upper arm on the bar rail knocks out the nerve. A common Saturday night problem. Not for triathletes though.
Agree with above, clearly the ulnar nerve. Can be from either elbow or hand/wrist:
At elbow = cubital tunnel. typical cause are too much time in a hyperflexed position (elbow bent) or, less likely, direct pressure on the ulnar nerve at elbow. The ulnar nerve runs in the cubital tunnel on the medial aspect of the elbow and is the “funny bone.” Make sure you aren’t putting direct pressure on this when in the aero position. If due to the elbow being hyperflexed for prolonged time, extend your elbow periodically. If you ever get numb during your sleep or when you wake up, try strapping a pillow around your elbow (use ace bandage or duct tape) to prevent it from being hyperflexed during sleep. This is always my first recommendation of my patients who present with cubital tunnel and this simple trick solves >80% of cases.
At wrist/hand = compression of ulnar nerve at Guyon’s Canal, aka handle bar palsy To prevent this, make sure you have well padded gloves, change position frequently and put more pressure on the thenar (thumb) side than the hypothenar (little finger) side.
Good luck. Try not to ignore it. Nerve issues can usually be treated easily early, but if you ignore it, it can cause permanent nerve damage.
Is it possible to get same symptoms from running ? I have recently completed a 100 mile race and have the same tingling in my right two fingers and general lack of dexterity. I carried a handheld water bottle for the entire race (21 hrs) in my right hand and thought it might be some kind of RSI injury. Thanks.
presumably either due to compression at your hand/wrist from the bottle or from keeping your elbow in a flexed position for so long. Also, electrolyte abnormalities (i.e. low potassium) lower the threshold for nerve pathology (numbness) as well. I have had numbness in the ulnar nerve distribution after both IM Cozumel and Kona, but not after cooler Ironman tri’s and never in training. Given that this was isolated to hot/humid IM races, I have attributed this to a combination of low potassium and the constant elbow flexion in bike and run.
Thank you very much. Appreciate your view.
Do you wear rings? Never had your issue, but also quit wearing wedding ring about 5-6 years ago. I look so homely, with no game, that my wife feels extremely secure without me wearing this ring.
I got a mountain bike a few weeks ago and have had the same problem on long rides. I ordered new grips which should take care of it for me.
I had the same problem for years. It turned out to be a bulging c6-c7 disk which ruptured causing tremendous pain and weakness. Your problem could be anywhere between your hand and your neck. If you really want to get to the bottom of it go see a doctor.
Perhaps I missed the specifics of when you get the symptoms. Does it occur with road bike and tri bike? If both, think of C7/T1 pinched nerve or (more rarely) thoracic outlet syndrome. Jarring or prolonged neck extension can aggravate either condition.
If it occurs with road bike only, compression at the wrist is more likely.
If it occurs only with tri bike, (or can reproduce symptoms by leaning or bending elbows when not on bike… gasp) think elbow compression.
If several of the above, none of the above, any weakness, hand clumsiness definitely see a neurologist, physiatrist, or sports medicine orthopedist. At least four different possible levels of compression makes it more interesting!
Good luck.
FWIW, I have to change my screen name. After 5 or 6 years of strictly dus I’ve learned to swim and can do tris. Does tri, not du work?