2 completely separate issues...but seeking advice

[nscrbug]

Hi everyone! I've been off the forum for a while - busy with work, life, and nursing some ongoing injuries. My first issue is with my hands. I continue to have numbness and pain while riding and it has made me down right miserable. I have logged over 8,500 miles this season...and I can honestly say that not ONE of those miles were ridden without some degree of hand numbness and pain. I finally broke down and went to see a doctor (a physiatrist) in November. He performed an EMG and diagnosed me with moderate bilateral carpel tunnel. I sought out a second opinion from a highly recommended orthopedic hand doctor. He wasn't completely convinced that it was 100% carpel tunnel, so he did his own little "experiment". He gave me a cortisone injection in my right wrist only, and told me to go out and ride the upcoming weekend. He wanted me to report back to him if I felt any difference between the hand with the injection compared to the other hand without it. While the hand with the injection wasn't 100% pain-free or numb-free, I DID feel a substantial difference compared to the non-injected hand. My left hand was "gone" within the first 20 minutes of riding, while my right hand still had feeling to some degree, throughout the entire ride. A large enough difference for me to notice, for sure. So based on these findings, along with the results from the EMG...this second doctor feels that carpel tunnel release surgery is my only chance at being able to ride "relatively" pain and numb-free. We have not scheduled the surgery yet, but if I decide to do it...it will likely be in mid-January. I would have my right hand done first, and then a few weeks later, the left hand done...with the assumption that by the time I'm back on the bike (probably late Feb/early March) on a regular basis, I will be fully recovered. For anybody that has had carpel tunnel surgery, is this a "conservative" assumption? Or am I looking at a longer recovery time? I'm a bit scared at the prospect of this procedure. I have never had any type of surgery before (except dental), so naturally I am quite nervous. My biggest fear is going through all of this, and ending up worse off than before the surgery! I know that is probably not a likely scenario, but it DOES cross my mind.

My second issue is my left foot. Back in August, I was diagnosed by a podiatrist with tendonitis of the peroneal brevis tendon in my left foot. I did 6 weeks of physical therapy. My last PT session was on Dec. 6th. My foot STILL hurts today. It throbs with pain nearly everyday. After doing some of my own research, I'm beginning to think I might be dealing with a stress fracture of my fifth metatarsal. Of course, I have no proof of this...yet. I'm considering having an MRI done to see if anything shows up. But that would be a costly hunch if the MRI ends up showing nothing. Has anyone ever been misdiagnosed as having tendonitis when all along it was really a stress fracture? Any advice here? I know there isn't much that can be done for a stress fracture other than resting and ice. But I'm open to hearing any other options. Thanks!!!

Linda

[indysteel]

Linda, I'm sorry you're going through so much. I think the hand surgery, while scary, sounds like a good step for you, considering how much pain you've been in for so long. I know nothing of the recovery time though.

As for your foot, what imaging of your foot have you already done, if any? Xrays do often miss stress fractures until they've started to heal, but perhaps that would be a cheaper place to start. If it turns out to be a Jones Fracture (base of the 5th metatarsal) then I'd want to know if it's likely to recur based your biomechanics. There are surgical options for that if you're prone to stress fractures in that area.

[OakLeaf]

Aw, Linda, being injured s*cks - so sorry you're having to go through that.

My main hesitation on the CTS surgery would be that it won't correct whatever caused the issue to begin with. I've known people who worked in a factory with poor ergonomics, who've had surgery multiple times on each wrist, and as soon as they went back to work and started using their hands in the same way, the problem came right back again. I'm not sure what the best solution might be, since you've probably been through your bike fit six ways to Sunday already. I guess I'd really try to nail the surgeon down on how long term of a solution he thinks surgery might be if nothing else changes.

Whatever you decide I hope it gives you complete relief and that you heal up quick. (((((Linda)))))

[goldfinch]

My spouse had terrible carpal tunnel and cubital tunnel problems. He had endoscopic surgery, which has a quicker recovery and I understand better long term success than open surgery. We had to drive 150 miles to the surgery (we went to a specialist that only does this stuff ) and went there and back the same day. I just had to do the driving. He has recovered but has permanent damage due to long delay in seeking surgery. At least his condition did not continue to get worse. I think one key is not going back to riding until you are entirely recovered from the surgery. I don't know what your recovery period would be but don't push it and go back to riding before you doctor give the ok.

This is a good article: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/c...pal_tunnel.htm Recurance is rare.

[emily_in_nc]

Have you considered a recumbent bike? I know it's not the answer you want to hear, but it would certainly take the pressure off your wrists, at least as you are regaining 100% function if you have the surgery. It might be a back-up bike for you after that. Just something to think about if you haven't.

I do empathize as I have recurring/chronic pain from a pelvic fracture in 2005. I've logged many pain-free miles since then, but just as many with aching pain. It's been a long process of determining what triggers the pain and how to best avoid it through bike selection and set up (more upright is better) and ride selection (too many hills in one ride has a tendency to trigger the pain). I hope your pain will be a thing of the past soon, but it's good to have alternatives just in case.

Good luck!

[snapdragen]

Linda, have they checked your neck? My hand/arm issues turned out to be compressed discs in my neck, along with a narrowing of the spinal canal.