Tingly hand

[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.