Getting on my Nerves: Ulnar Nerves

Just seen a quack and received the news that biking is damaging my ulnar nerve (in hand, wrist & elbow) Yay.
The only advice she could give was “ride less or get good ulnar nerve protection in your gloves”.

So: can an ‘expert’ recommend me some gloves with the best ulnar nerve protection?

Ta.

Ergon grips, mary bars, raise the bar height, rotate the levers on the bar – all possible strategies to help alleviate the situyation

Specialized BG gloves?

May be worth going to one of those places where they can fit the bike properly, better than continuing problems.

+1 TJ’s advice, Ergon grips may look a bit rubbish but they are good.

i had a good dose of this a few years back. initially improved with hefty taping but since then straight bars, foam grips, decent gloves have done the trick

Are you riding off-road with front suspension or rigid? If rigid, then try suspended… If suspended already, then I’ve exhausted all my suggestions here, D’oh 😕

I had the same prob,bg gloves sorted me out

+1 for specialized body geometry gloves

Unicycle.

and/or try some On-One Mary bars…

ergon grips sorted my prob out bg gloves did help but didn’t compleatly get rid of it for me would deffo recommend ergon grips and spending some time playing with bar postion and angle of brakes and shifters

Spesh BG gloves

Also are you able to post a pic that shows the handlebar angle on your bike. Likely not but Ive seen/ridden one or two handlebars rotated at perculaliar uncomfortable looking angles?

Another thumbs up to the Spesh BG gloves. Sorted me out.

i get some horrible pain in the thick fleshy bit at the base of my thumbs looking at them palms up (is this what your getting?) i was putting it down to years of boxing but it sounds like it may not be???

Lawmanmx, ulnar nerve is on tother side.

Female Body Geometry gloves have just a little more padding than the mens. If you can fit them they’re worth using instead. The extra padding seems to be below the fingers which means you carry more weighton your palm and less on your ulnar nerve.

I speak from bitter experience. If you do lose feeling in your little/ring fingers life gets disproportionately harder.

cheers baznav, looks like it was me first thought then, Lol

+1 for ergon grips.

Lawmanmx> get yourself refered for an EMG test. If its nerves that’ll find it 😉

Thanks for the input guys: I have BG gloves, but like me are old an battered. I’ll get some new ones ASAP.
Ergon grips: not so sure about those, phychologically it would feel like a disabled badge on my “hardcore hardtail”, I don’t think I’m ready to take such a drastic step.
Flat bars: got, but will look at the controls and stem again to see if improvements can be made.

Ta!

Did she explain whether the damage is being caused more by pressure or vibration?

If the former I’d think that changing riding position would be more effective, whereas padded gloves / different grips / maybe different suspension set up for the latter.

I’m not an expert, but clearly “cycling = physical effect” is less helpful than “specific aspect of cycling = physical effect”.

Are you getting the numbness down little finger and half of your next finger?
If you are, I had this a few years ago, won’t matter what gloves bars or even if you ride or not, its your elbow joint trapping the nerve, I had a small op to have it tucked away never had a problem since, in my left hand anyway.
Starting to get it in my right now a bit.

That’s interesting happy because that’s my symptoms exactly. Will book in to see docs

May be worth going to one of those places where they can fit the bike properly, better than continuing problems.

I’d do this or find a good sports physio. Having a not dissimilar chat last night about back injuries and that what physios you get referred to via NHS aims are versus when you go to a specific sports physio. It’s not a criticism of the system just that GPs and physios have a different aim within the NHS ie if your hand is sore then it’s pretty obvious not doing it will resolve the issue. The difference when see a sports physio (apart from paying) is that they know you want to continue your sport and aim to find ways to reduce pain or problems you get from doing it.

Mine got so bad the numbness started to go up the palm and into my wrist, it wasn’t there all the time though waken up in bed it would be at its worst.
Basically the surgeon said the nerve had come away/moved probably due to vibration at work using hammers tools etc, the damage had been done once the nerve had moved the elbow put presure on it =numbness.
I Can’t see how physio or anything can cure it, all u can do is try and stop it getting worse, avoid vibrating tools and breaking bumps on the bike.
I could sit at home all week and still get it, so sod I’m just going to carry on riding if it gets to bad a little op week off and it will be sorted.

get yourself refered for an EMG test. If its nerves that’ll find it

That’s the worst form of pain I’ve had.

Mine was so bad I had pins and needles twisting their way up my arm, very scary. Dr said it was either lifting something oddly/bashed it, resting my arm in a different position or sleeping on it. Turns out I’d got a new van with a different arm rest, do lots of manual handling at work and yes I’d slept on it funny.

Mine got so bad the numbness started to go up the palm and into my wrist

Yeah. Still, it has an upside. Feels like someone else giving me w*nk 😉

Lawmanmx – Member

i get some horrible pain in the thick fleshy bit at the base of my thumbs looking at them palms up (is this what your getting?) i was putting it down to years of boxing but it sounds like it may not be???

There is a muscle there that does some of the movements in your thumb – it can get cramp when gripping bars. Try to relax and wriggle your thumbs

I think the answer must be a plusher bike…