So I wake fairly regularly with my left little finger cold/numb that needs 'cycling' to get he blood flow back. I was wondering if there is anything anyone has done to allieve before going down a medical (possible operation) route?
Over a period of a few years I went from one finger to my whole left hand going numb and waking me up 2 or 3 times a night. It was the disturbed nights which drove me to the doctor. To cut a long story short I had an operation to relieve the trapped nerve. That was 5 years ago & I suppose about 90% succesful. I still get the odd numbness every now and again but nowhere near as bad.
Could you have changed the way you sleep? Would that have helped in your case (earlier on)? I sleep on my leftside with the arm (elbow) underneath me. I was thinking of wrapping something around my elbow to prevent me doing this in my sleep?
Ps. I broke the elbow on the affected arm back in 1995
I guess it depends on how much you move around when asleep. I did try varying positions but none made much difference I'm afraid.
I should have mentioned my nerve was trapped in the palm of the hand rather than elbow.
is this a self diagnosed ulnar nerve compression hora?
while it's not (un)likely given a fractured elbow it's not the only reason you might get numbness in your pinkie (you're pretty specific about that - does the numbness exhibit itself elsewhere). so, unless someone who knows what they're talking about is telling you it is what you think it is, you need to be getting yourself along to the french equivalent of the gp and getting it looked at properly.
mundane i know but there you are...
Common cycling injury. I suffered with numbness for a couple months when the reach on my road bike was too far forward. You sure it's sleep related?
I had the same problem - but was being kept awake at night by it - eventually went down the surgical route. I had all the nerve tests done which didn't show much - something to do with muscle density - honest. They decided to try and free things up up anyway. Consultant was amazed i hadnt had more problems.
Made a huge difference to me. I can now hold handlebars properly for the firts time in years and hold a book up to read. Most important - i now get 8 hours a night uninterrupted sleep.
I had lots of bad wrist ache and numb fingers a few years ago, almost to the point where i couldn't and didn't want to ride. I got some Jones H-bars to give them a try due to the 'natural' positioning of the hands and wrists (pretty much as your hands hands hang naturally) and they have worked wonders. Does make my bike look a bit spacky though...
swiss01 - its just the pinky. I have to revive it (as its seriously blue/cold and numb by the time I wake up). Also I lay with my elbow tucked in underneath me on my lefthand side.
I should try different (softer/mushroom grips) as well.
The Jones H-Bar.....whoaaaa!!! 😯
hora, it was about 6 years ago so a damn sight cheaper.....! Of course, you could mean they are fugly as....
Whooa as in different! How do you cope on technical trails?
Exactly the same!!!
Hold on with both hands..... 😀
Exactly the same!!!
Hold on with both hands..... 😀
Check out Jeff Jones website for some true U.S. 'gnarly' riding
>Also I lay with my elbow tucked in underneath me on my lefthand side.
I think that's partly what set mine of on the lhs - plus a long period of leaning on my elbow whilst trying to debug someone else's s/w !
I woke one night with a numb arm, took several days to get near-normal sensation back in my hand - it's now the same as the rhs side, which must have come on over a period of years. Gets worse occasionally according to how I sleep, but after a day or two returns to the original slightly numbed state. The first few fingers have the same problem tho' - after the inital lhs issue, I had a bunch of tests done, specialist concluded it was a bit of both ulnar nerve compression and carpal tunnel (probably not helped by leaning in handlebars), and suggested I didn't do whatever set it off 😮
Probably unrelated, I also have some neck trouble which prevents me riding a road bike - too low, muscles go into spasm - whereas an mtb is just about ok. So in an effort to help both, I now ride a recumbent on-road. It's also increased the size of the bike collection, 'cos I've lost a road bike and gained two recumbents 😉
>Jones H-Bar
Ah, wondered what those were..they'd probably help with tennis elbow too - which I also get from time-to time, hence the fashion faux-pas of bar-ends on risers on one bike.