Asking the right questions

[Duck on Wheels]

"I still hurt in my joints but continue to try to do some kind of exercise like pilates or something when I cannot ride my bike. That seems to help. I know when I ride, my wrist will kill me during the ride and I have to constantly stop and kind of losen them up."

Hmmm. How well does your bike fit you? The one time I had wrist and elbow pain while riding was on a rental bike that was a tad too big for me. I was overstretched reaching the handlebar and after a few miles my elbows were hurting, then after a few miles more my wrists. I had to sit up and ride one-handed, shaking my free arm loose, then switch hands, then get off and walk for a ways, then back on ... I finished the ride and was fine after lunch, had even had fun and was glad to have met lots of TE gals, but next time I'll get there early and test ride the bike if I'm renting.

[DDH]

No my bike fits me. My wrist hurt when I bend them and leave them in that position any length of time. Doesn't matter if I am riding or typing on the computer.
I don't mean that I actually stop, I meant that I change hands up and shake one or the other out as I switch.

My hurting in my joints is worse when I am still and don't exercise or move around. When I get up in the mornings I have to be really careful how I step down because I know I am fixing to try to walk on feet and ankles that don't want me to. Once I am up and around, and get things losened back up slowly then I am better. When I have been sitting in my chair watching the T.V. and go to get up to go to the bathroom or anything then it is the same thing. My left ankle is really bad and I think because of the pain I am compensating on the other foot which is causing my right foot to hurt too.
I know it sounds like I am a freaking mess. I make myself get up and get around and refuse to let this get me down. I watch my mother barely able to get around because she wants a pill to fix everything and it hurts to move so she doesn't and I won't become my mother.

[spokewench]

OK - Donna: Did you call you doctor three times yesterday? If not, do it TODAY!

Spoke Mom!

[DeniseGoldberg]

No my bike fits me. My wrist hurt when I bend them and leave them in that position any length of time. Doesn't matter if I am riding or typing on the computer.

But when you're riding your wrists shouldn't be bent - they should be straight. The only time I can imagine that your wrists would be bent is if you're riding with your hands on top of the bar and you are leaning (putting weight) on them. When my hands are on the drops or over the brake hoods my wrists are straight. And if they are on the bar in front of me and I'm riding well, they aren't bent then either.

Maybe Sheldon Brown's write-up on Bicycling and Pain might help identify something: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/pain.html

Here's another article from the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin that might be helpful: http://www.bfw.org/articles/pinsand.php

--- Denise