Arm pain after riding

Last night I had a lovely 80 degree ride for an hour :) It felt great, I was stronger climbing than I had hoped, and all in all it was wonderful! I only stopped at one hour because I had a 6am group training class this morning.

All felt great...until I was off the bike about 2 minutes. If that long :( My right arm (which is on my 'good' side) was killing me! In two places, the top of my arm below my elbow - pretty much in the middle, and the underside of my arm from my wrist about halfway to my elbow (little finger side).

I looked at my Ergon grips and they appeared to be equal, it didn't look like either had slipped. I am seeing next Friday to make certain that my fit is optimum (I just have so many blasted physical fit issues), but I've not experienced anything like this before. Does this sound like the product of a tiny slippage of grip angle? Nothing else hurt - so I don't think it was from not riding regularly for awhile - I would expect other...body parts to hurt before my lower arm.

Has anyone experienced anything like this? It IS true that I tweaked that shoulder last week a bit by going too heavy on chest presses, so it might have been some referred pain going on but that shoulder really isn't bothering me anymore...

Trapped nerve?

hmm ... that very well could be- it felt like nerve pain- but shouldn't that have hurt while riding, not after my position relaxed? I was focusing on keeping my shoulders from rounding and bracing my back. No problem keeping my core tight.

I don't honestly know what's technically "referred" pain and what isn't, but I would wonder if it's the fascia that are not quite right after you tweaked your shoulder. I'm sure you know with all the PT and everything you've been through, how all that connects up.

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Originally Posted by OakLeaf

I don't honestly know what's technically "referred" pain and what isn't, but I would wonder if it's the fascia that are not quite right after you tweaked your shoulder. I'm sure you know with all the PT and everything you've been through, how all that connects up.

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Indeed....it isn't like I don't know a ton of shoulder rehab exercises, and I've already started doing them on that shoulder. I also figured out how I tweaked it last week, which is a good thing.

Make sure your handlebars/handlebar stem are aligned straight /correctly to rest of the bike/front wheel.

I once experienced arm pain and then discovered the bike I was riding, the handlebar set was a bit off-kilter in relationship to the front wheel. Being off by less half an inch can make a difference. Stuff like that can happen when leaning bike and locked up somewhere, etc.

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Originally Posted by Catrin

hmm ... that very well could be- it felt like nerve pain- but shouldn't that have hurt while riding, not after my position relaxed? I was focusing on keeping my shoulders from rounding and bracing my back. No problem keeping my core tight.

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I managed to pinch/trap a nerve in my elbow by doing dishes. Seriously.

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Originally Posted by shootingstar

Make sure your handlebars/handlebar stem are aligned straight /correctly to rest of the bike/front wheel.

I once experienced arm pain and then discovered the bike I was riding, the handlebar set was a bit off-kilter in relationship to the front wheel. Being off by less half an inch can make a difference. Stuff like that can happen when leaning bike and locked up somewhere, etc.

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Shootingstar, did it hurt while you were riding or after you stopped?

After I stopped.

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Originally Posted by shootingstar

After I stopped.

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Very interesting! I remember towards the end of my ride that I was trying to see if my ergon grip had slipped, so something drew my attention to it even if it wasn't hurting. I will look at it again, and more closely. It looks like it is going to be raining for something like the next week...so I've time to look at it :( Hoping to get in at least one more ride before my fitting appointment next Friday. He knows everything there is to know about my bike and my fit issues, it helps to work with the same person long-term. He is also the one who coordinated my custom bike design with Waterford/Gunner.

So I too am having some right-sided weirdness today after a 200 mile ride yesterday, only mine isn't pain - it's weakness. I have suddenly lost a lot of my grip strength. I couldn't start the car today, had some trouble eating with a fork, writing, using tweezers (had to groom my eyebrows, heh), couldn't operate a squeeze valve. But zero pain. Could this also be a trapped nerve?

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Originally Posted by MojoGrrl

So I too am having some right-sided weirdness today after a 200 mile ride yesterday, only mine isn't pain - it's weakness. I have suddenly lost a lot of my grip strength. I couldn't start the car today, had some trouble eating with a fork, writing, using tweezers (had to groom my eyebrows, heh), couldn't operate a squeeze valve. But zero pain. Could this also be a trapped nerve?

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How is this, did it pass or still having problems with it? Let us know how things are going...I would certainly get it checked out, especially if it didn't quickly pass (or even if it did).

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Originally Posted by Catrin

How is this, did it pass or still having problems with it? Let us know how things are going...I would certainly get it checked out, especially if it didn't quickly pass (or even if it did).

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Still have it; I did some internet research and talked to my husband (who is a doctor) and it seems to be "cyclist's palsy" from an ulnar nerve compression. I'm taking ibuprofen, I should be wrapping it or putting it in a brace (I did last night but the damn Ace bandage wouldn't stay fastened), doing some gentle carpal tunnel wrist exercises, and seeing how it goes. It should resolve on its own in a few days. If not I'll call the (non-husband) doctor.

Update: hand is recovering. It regained sensation (read: started hurting) after a couple of days, and my grip strength came back. It's a little sensitive to the touch/pressure right now so I'm babying it and keeping a brace on it mostly to remind me to be careful with it, but it seems to be doing okay.

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Originally Posted by MojoGrrl

Update: hand is recovering. It regained sensation (read: started hurting) after a couple of days, and my grip strength came back. It's a little sensitive to the touch/pressure right now so I'm babying it and keeping a brace on it mostly to remind me to be careful with it, but it seems to be doing okay.

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Good news...whewww! I know that had to be stressful!
I am visiting my fitter tomorrow to check my fit, sometimes things do change on the bike - whether a setting slips a bit or our body changes...and my body is just too blasted particular about bike setup - what with this previous injury and that one and...

Try Trigger Point Therapy for painful episodes. These types of pains reoccur and can become something more serious. You can fix yourself on the spot if you learn how.

My fitter found a fair number of things that needed adjusting on my bike which explains the arm problem, so thankful to have such a talented fitter who knows how to work with my physical limitations!