Any Physio’s on the forum – Ulnar neuropathy/handlebar palsy?

Need a bit of help to make sure i’m on the right lines……..

I have been training recently and doing a lot more riding than normal and over longer distances, I usually do Sat/Sunday and a couple of times mid week – but i’ve been stepping this up and doing a lot more.
About 2 years ago i got really bad pain in my left wrist (with palms flat on the table it’s the left side of the left wrist) – I went through my GP and eventually got referred to a NHS physio but she seemed to have little experience with wrist pain from cycling sports. So it was a bit of dead end. Eventually after about 3 or 4 months the pain went on its own.

Since then i have had a bit of pain here or there but only lasts a few rides then goes away.

Recently though its back – i ride both mountain bike and road bikes. It’s in the same place on my left wrist. I mainly ride on the hoods of the road handlebars and it seems worst after a long ride and both road/mtb when braking from the hoods and braking hard from the mtb handlebars.

I have the pain off the bike if I do certain movements with the wrist (no funny remarks) such as stretch my hand backwards, and roll my wrist is certain ways.

Any help on prevention, exercises etc would be much appreciated……….

Thanks in advance

Mary bars, higher bars, ergon grips?

I’d pay to go see a proper sports physio

Outside of the big cities, they’re quite cheap – costs me £28

Mary bars don’t fit with my style of riding. All ideas are welcome though

Think it’s coming from the road bike more than mtb. I’ve read that position has a big effect. Going to try tilting my saddle back, flipping my stem (currently negative rise roadie style) and fitting gel inserts under the bar tape. See if that has an effect.

Paying for a physio is next – but I was just after some info to see if I’m on the right lines first.

where is the pain exactly? is it in the wrist or go into the hand? do you loose sensation anywhere?

Pain is in the wrist definitely on the left hand side (palms down), doesn’t really go into the hand. I have been suffering from numb hands on very long road rides and pain off road seems to come after a long descent esp if I have been braking heavily.

Bump

Do you have dodgy elbows, forearms like popeye, dodgy shoulder or a dodgy neck?

er…I’m not a Physio, but one of my riding buddies is. By coincidence, she mentioned last week that she needs to fit her ergon grips to her new bike. I asked her what they are etc. and she said she uses ’em to reduce hand fatigue & numbness on longer and/or less techy rides.

As previous postees have advised, I guess best thing would be to get checked out by a physio who specializes in sports injuries, just in case there’s something underlying. Anyway, HTH.

(p.s. if you’re in Sheffield I know a good Physio;))

i’ve had wrist pain in the past from riding my mountain bike, similar to what you’re describing. it appeared after cutting my bars down. i got some specialized gloves with the padding in the heal of the palm, and it mostly went away. if i wore different gloves it came back. later i went back to wider bars and the pain went completely. i also set the levers a bit higher too so they were easier to reach and i could keep my arms looser on the decents. no experience of ride bikes though…

Do you have dodgy elbows, forearms like popeye, dodgy shoulder or a dodgy neck?

Nope all healthly

Think I am going to go to a sports physio but I’ve got 10 journals to read tonight about bikes and wrist pain……..

Any scar tissue around your wrist?

No scar tissue either.

I’ve just swapped my road stem to a positive rise and tilted by saddle back by a degree.

Are you bending your wrist when you’re on the hoods? As in if you were to try and get your thumb to touch the inside of your elbow.

It could be a load of things. it could be spinal issues in your neck, it could be muscular in your neck, it could be mechanical in your wrist, it could be neurological in your wrist.

Whatr yo need is a professional diagnosis

Hands are near enough straight with my arm if anything they slightly going outrages by a degree or two but only a tiny amount.

What makes you think that it’s nerve related?

I have not crashed or damaged my hand physically. The pain gets worse after a ride, but improves but then goes worse again. I have full movement and no restrictions but certain movements causes pain. No pain when touching the said area, pain only during movement.
Biking has a long history of wrist type pain – carpel tunnel doesn’t seem to fit – symptoms of handlebar palsy seems fit due to location of the pain.

Reason I’m asking is that you have not got any nerve related symptoms. Sounds to me like one or more of the flexor or extensor muscles in your wrist is giving you stick, possibly as a result of the change in the amount of riding that you’re doing.

Maybe try some wrist stretches and strengthening exercises before you go spending cash.

So are you thinking more repetitive strain type injury?

Something along those lines. Building up strength in your wrists using something like a powerball cant do much damage I wouldnt think. (this carries the disclaimer of not having examined you)

I’m always interested in the whole ‘choose different gloves/different grips’ to deal with hand or wrist pain thing.

In my experience, the problem is usually much further back, it’s people putting too much weight through their hands and not enough through their bums.

I forget where I read it, or who said it, but I recall being told that when in the drops, you should be able to ride with no hands without changing your position.

I’d say put your seat back, aim consciously to have less weight going through your hands, and change hand position a lot more.

Thanks Zulus will give that a go.