My girlfriend and I are on a trans American bike tour. Yesterday she pinched a nerve in her shoulder that rendered her left shoulder and arm virtually immobile without acute pain and severe spasm, and numbness in her fingers A random chiropractor from the telephone directory diagnosed too much exposure to the sun and a calcium deficiency. A seat in the shade and a pint of milk wasn’t on my list of cures.

She ended up going to an emergency centre where they injected steroids and painkillers, and prescribed more painkillers in tablet form

We were fortunate it happened where it did, near medical help and a hotel. Further north there is nothing but mountains and Mosquitos.

It looks as if the tour may be over for now, which is a shame with around 1400 miles still to ride through some of the best landscapes.

I’m curious to hear if anyone has suffered a similar pinched nerve, how their recovery went and how easily such a trauma reoccured.

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/8912

Something like that is probably going to come from her neck. Have a couple of days rest and see how it clears up. Once you do get going again you might want to try butterfly bars to give a range of different hand positions.

Her bike position currently puts most of her weigh on the saddle. She’s very supple and does a fair bit of yoga and stretching. my concern is that if there is any significant recovery it will be short lived.

Aye, but she’s probably not used to sitting in that position all day every day. Unless it’s a proper sit up and beg bike she’ll be sitting with her neck in extension for most of the day which will be putting pressure on the nerves where they leave the spinal column.

Get her to lie down and you try and gently pull her head away from her body and see it that makes the pain lessen.

Failing that her trapezius muscles could be really tight which would pull on the nerves in her arm and cause a similar pain.

SBZ knows more than me, but I would echo his suggestion; it’s more likely to be a repetitive strain type thing if all you have been doing is riding.

Why not decide to stay in one place for a bit?

Choose a nice place to stay in, then make up the time by going on the train, or talking a local type chappie with a pick up into driving you both 100 miles or so up the road to get back on schedule?

It sounds very much like holiday-of-a-lifetime stuff, so well worth spending a bit more cash and taking it easy for a day or two to see if it helps.

I have to concur with both of them.

a day or two resting and stretching might well put a very different complexion on things

We are going to stay put for a couple or more days, and see how things heal. We have had no trouble hitching even with the bikes in the land of the mega pick up truck. Wyoming and Yellowstone are not far up the road, neither of us really want to miss that.

I have had similar sort of pain from a pinched nerve. Mine was from a trapezeus muscle in spasm. A couple of days rest and some massage and I was fine again

When I first started riding 18 months avon I went OTB and put my arms out to protect me face, I had 8 months of a weird pins and needles sensation and at one point it became so painful I took paracetemol, Idubrofen and Co-Codamol one night and it didn’t touch it, anti depressants were used to numb the pain.

When the local PCT got me in to the physiotherapy system I had to have my head hung in a sling (traction) for 20 minute sessions twice a week, within a month it’s gone..

I echo SBZ as well, probably comming from the neck. I have suffered on and off with a C4 C5 nerve trap for nearly 10 years that at it’s worst has been unbearable.
After X Rays and MRI scans and a helpful GP I have now found a Chiropractor that has helped massively.
So my recommendation wold be to try and see a Physio or Chiropractor and rest up.

Thanks folks, the spasms are still unpredictable, we tried the head stretching and massage, it helped a little, we will call Mme Moonteresses chiropractor in Portland this morning for advice. Staying put in Kremmling CO, for a couple of more days. Hot Sulphur Springs is just a few miles up the road. Might do the trick.