Tingly hand

[MomOnBike]

I just got a nerve conduction study done for exactly that sort of tingling, except mine went/still goes down into that side of my palm. The verdict was ulnar nerve impingement. I was told to get the @#%$*!! off my elbow and side of my hand.

Does your chair have armrests? Are you resting the elbow/ulnar nerve on them? That could be a part of the problem. The doc talked about what he called "architect's hand" (or something similar - don't look it up, I think it's his own private terminology), where people, like architects have this problem 'cause they rest the sides of their hands on a hard surface to draw in all those lovely little bricks in their fancy drawings.

My chair at work is now without armrests, and I am typing right now with an elbow pad between me and the armrest on my chair at home. It's taken a month or so, but most of the tingling has gone away.

The doc told me to take a long rest under a tropical palm tree somewhere and the problem would go away on its own. I laughed in his face 'cause he forgot to say that he'd pay for it.

BTW, the nerve conduction study: If you have access to an electric fence, just grab onto that - it will feel about the same - except it will be much cheaper.

[KnottedYet]

I doubt anyone could pay me enough to go through a nerve conduction study...

[SadieKate]

Nerve conduction study and spinal tap. Had 1 each. More than enough for a lifetime.

MomOnBike - I was told that I needed to keep my elbow from being bent at right angles for long periods. Changing this habit changed the tingling almost immediately.

[MomOnBike]

Yeah, I know. Thing is, I type, and type, and type, and ... you get the idea ... for a living. You see, I have a daughter at one of those expensive schools that everyone's heard of. I need the bucks, or I'd quit at least one of my jobs.

I don't really have much choice, my elbow is going to be bent for at least three and a half more years. Bleh.

[emily_in_nc]

I used to get tingling in my ring finger and pinky if I slept too long with my elbow sharply bent. I'd wake up in the night with bad tingling and numbness on the side I'd been sleeping on with my elbow bent (sometimes right side, sometimes left). It would also tingle during the day at work at times (I'm on the computer all day).

I did some research online and diagnosed myself with cubital tunnel syndrome (ulnar nerve entrapment). I bought a special foam pillow that is shaped properly to support the neck of side sleepers so that I wouldn't have to bend my arm up to support my head while I was sleeping. I also made a concerted effort to sleep with my arms as straight as possible, based on the recommendations I read online. Problem solved! (This all happened around 2 years ago and has not recurred.)

I mentioned all this to my physician at my annual physical, and she was impressed. She agreed with my diagnosis and what I did for it, and she advised so long as the problem did not recur, to just keep that up. So, it might not be what you are doing during the day at all, but what you do when you sleep!

Hope this helps,
Emily

[maillotpois]

Interesting stuff!

Sorry about the having to type Mom on Bike- I hear you on that!

Emily - I actually do have athermarest pillow (shaped like you describe) and a thermarest bed. And I don't sleep on that side. So it's something I'm doing when I'm awake.

My lap top's in my lap now - which makes things feel better. (And it's warm!)

[bmccasland]

Gee, I wish I knew about you ladies a few years ago...
MomOnBike - yup i've had a nerve conduction study too - because I grumbled to my neurologist (seeing him for then out of control migraines) about my thumb hurting. Thought he'd order an x-ray, but NO he thinks conductivity not structural, thus the study. Results, hand works fine, probably arthritis, here is some arthritis meds. Still haven't had that x-ray.

Maillotopois - I pinched the ulnar nerve in my hand on a long bike ride, didn't realize it at the time, but discovered the lack of function. Could wave "bye-bye" but couldn't do the "Vulcan hand sign" thing. Anyway we figured out I was riding in my drops too much and putting pressure on the side of my hand, the base of the pinky area. Doc (different one, and this one commutes by bike) gave me a wrist brace and sent me to my bike mechanic for another fit test & adjustment, and to have my handle bars corked. Got dubbed "witch blade" for a whole MS Tour training season thanks to riding with the brace, which kept me out of the drops.

So if you're riding, you might check hand position, and have your handle bars corked. Also maybe new riding gloves?

The rest on a beach wouldn't be bad either. Although until you figure out what you're doing to aggrivate the condition, and fix that, you'll need regular "therapy" trips .

[Running Mommy]

I had a WICKED case of "cyclist palsy" after IMAZ last year. Compressed ulnar. My left hand was the worst, but both side were affected. Gripped the aerobars too tight was my doctors guess. To this day I still have issues with it, but not near as bad as last spring. My left hand was like a claw and I couldnt put all my fingers together (think: to wave). It made swimming a nightmare because it was hard to pull.
So now I'm very careful if I feel a tingly sensation in either hand/arm.