Ran a half marathon a couple weeks ago. Weather was fine, not cold, not hot. About mile 8 my arms and forearms started to go numb. They weren’t swelling (like happens sometimes when my electrolytes are off and my fingers swell), and not terribly numb, but starting to get numb. Stayed that way for the rest of the race. Then I ran 8 miles easy the next day and same thing happened about mile 5.
Any ideas?
Happens to me sometimes.
I shake my arms and squeeze my hands into fists, that appears to help most of the times. I’m thinking that I’m just holding my arms in a position that is cutting off blood flow during that particular motion.
Intresting thing to try…does it happen on hilly runs or trail runs?
jaretj
My arms go numb too! Happens when I run very hard. Stops when the race is over. Usually during a 5 or 10 k. I always thought it was because of increased blood flow going to my heart and legs. I don’t need any in my forearms and hands.
Weird but true. I am a pretty decent runner. 16:30 5k and 34:30 10k
I’m no doctor (but I do play one on ST), but my guess is some sort of vertebrea subluxation that is cutting off circulation.
Get a massage, stretch out the spaces between your discs in the thorasic area (my guess is that it is the T-1 that is impacted), and for sure see a chiropractor. Get one of those large yoga exercise balls and roll on it every day to keep your spine stretched.
If it only happens when you run then it is a nerve compression due to your running posture. May be at vertebral level or may be at brachial plexus (between neck and armpit). If it’s all fingers then it is from one of these two levels, if it is just 2-3 fingers then it may be from how your holding your wrist or elbow. You need to get it better or you risk permanent nerve damage. If it’s all fingers then stretching backward over a ball might help but it is also probably due to weakness at the core.
Had similar thing happen to my face - in an adventure race, twice in 2 years, both times on the kayak leg.
No explanation - exhaustion/hydration/??
Reynauds syndrome maybe - except I think that is more like numbness at extremities brought on by exposure cold, that takes forever to go away.
Ran a half marathon a couple weeks ago. Weather was fine, not cold, not hot. About mile 8 my arms and forearms started to go numb. They weren’t swelling (like happens sometimes when my electrolytes are off and my fingers swell), and not terribly numb, but starting to get numb. Stayed that way for the rest of the race. Then I ran 8 miles easy the next day and same thing happened about mile 5.
Any ideas?
I have the same thing except that the numbness occurs in two fingers and sometimes in two of my toes. It typically goes away during the run or shortly after finishing anything less than 10 mi.
I have complained that it’s Reynaud’s, but doctor disagrees. My dad has the same issue in his hands, but he doesn’t run- he’s a smoker. So maybe it’s genetic?
I don’t think numbness can be caused by increased blood flow. I had a similar issue. Couldn’t feel my thumb after running. Went up my arm a ways, sometimes included other fingers. I assumed spinal issue. MRI revealed nothing unusual (most of us have spinal issues - the question is whether or not they are symptomatic). Something had to be pinching, I just hoped it wasn’t at the spine. I figured I’d work my up my arm with simple self-massage. At the shoulder the pinky ball is called for (against a wall). Definitely some tight stuff there, but here’s what did it for me: lie on your side on the floor with your arm over your head. Get the pinky ball into your armpit and work it (prop it up on some small object if you can’t get it into the armpit far enough). If it causes your fingers to go numb you’ve got the right spot. Work around the armpit and into the upper tricep. Do this for 15-20 minutes every day. This doesn’t take the place of stretching - that should be done too. After a few weeks of this, with continued exercise (and swimming in particular), my tingling and numbness faded to nonexistant. I get in there once a week or so for maintenance. This is a dirt cheap process you can try before involving expensive medical practitioners. Good luck to you.
I have this problem in my fingers and toes when I run or bike long distances. Sometimes they are discolored, yellow or purple, which makes me think something is up with my circulation. Always goes away after I stop.
I googled for this exact same issue I experienced and came across this thread. Anyway, my forearms go numb when I do hard sustained running and it get really uncomfortable and painful, even though my lungs and legs feel relatively fine, so it feels like its a performance limiter for me. The sensation goes away slowly if I slow down or stop. It doesn’t happen during interval training so for me it seems to be related to the duration of continuous hard effort. I wish I knew what causes it and more importantly how to make it not happen. Maybe I just need more training.
Numbness is usually the result of pressure on a nerve.
This pressure could be the result of bone compression ie vertabrae compressing nerve,
fluid compression ie swelling compressing nerve or
vessel compression ie compartments syndrome - more blood flowing into a compartment than out of it, causing swelling of compartment and compression of nerve running through or around compartment.
There are a host of other reasons, but you really need to consult a Dr.
Look up “thoracic outlet syndrome” and " brachial plexus". You may be overdeveloped from the weight room or have a long neck, low shoulder anatomy or, has been suggested, poor posture when you run such as holding your upper body too tight. You can read about the corrective postures to reduce the impingement. Do not think about offers of surgery. Tightness in the piriformis muscle can lead to numbness in the leg when running especially if you are a “tight” person. I’m a neurologist.
I just realized I wrote that under my wife’s address. Mine is cttrimd.
I had this for years on my left side and being the roCkeT enGineEr that I was I refused to listen to my PT friend that it was tightness. As was touched on here Thoracic Outlet Syndrome which in many cases can be remedied by a hard core stretching regimen. It can come back on rare occasions when I’m traveling a ton carrying bags on my shoulder and sitting a lot which doesn’t lend itself to good posture. Stretch it out and it’s gone! It usually manifests itself while swimming when it shows up now…not for a good 2 years though thankfully.
I run with my arms like a praying mantis (high and tight). On long runs I get tingly in my hands. I went to an Army Hospital when i was in the service about it (I was in a combat zone, and worried it might be exposure to some chemical). They diagnosed it as Cubital Tunnel Syndrome.
What is Cubital Tunnel Syndrome?
Cubital tunnel syndrome is a condition brought on by increased pressure on the ulnar nerve at the elbow. There is a bump of bone on the inner portion of the elbow (medial epicondyle) under which the ulnar nerve passes. This site is commonly called the “funny bone” (see Figure 1). At this site, the ulnar nerve lies directly next to the bone and is susceptible to pressure. When the pressure on the nerve becomes great enough to disturb the way the nerve works, then numbness, tingling, and pain may be felt in the elbow, forearm, hand, and/or fingers.
Read more here:
http://www.assh.org/...lTunnelSyndrome.aspx
Cure for it was lots of stretching, lots of B vitamins (naturually preferred), a night splint, and to try to bend my elbows less while running…
I run with my arms like a praying mantis (high and tight). On long runs I get tingly in my hands. I went to an Army Hospital when i was in the service about it (I was in a combat zone, and worried it might be exposure to some chemical). They diagnosed it as Cubital Tunnel Syndrome.
What is Cubital Tunnel Syndrome?
Cure for it was lots of stretching, lots of B vitamins (naturually preferred), a night splint, and to try to bend my elbows more while running…
Do you mean try to “not” bend your elbows? Keeping your elbow bent will put pressure on the ulnar nerve.
Woops… Bend elbow LESS!!! I have edited original post.
so did you get more numbness in your pinky finger and some in your ring finger as cubital tunnel syndrome is compression on the ulnar nerve? i have been experiencing some of this lately and think it is more due to all the studying i am doing (med school) then exarcerbated further by my 12-16 hours of weekly training.
what kind of stretching did you do? and what position did you sleep in for improvement? we have learned about cubital tunnel syndrome in anatomy courses but haven’t gotten to any treatment for upper extremity yet in our OMM (osteopathic manipulative medicine) classes
The pinky would get numb first, then the riing finger , then the hand. Worst was taking a shower and tring to wash my hair after a run. The elevatio, angle, and heat made it so could barely feel my head!
The stretching was basic range or motion. like straightening my arm then flexing my bicep.
I slept in a “mummy” sleeping bag! they told me to keep it zipped up tight to keep my arms at my side.
The stretching is actually nerve gliding so that the nerve will move to it’s full length and glide across structures that might restrict it’s path. When the elbow is bent the wrist can also be bent and the shoulder abducted out to side, then extend the elbow and extend the wrist. It can make the nerve more healthy if done frequently with gentle feel of stretch, avoiding prolonged position if numbness or tingling is provoked.