RIDEWELL
Dealing with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Do your fi ngers go numb when you ride?
By Marven Ewen #150506
MOST OF US LIKE our bikes
Both environmental and personal pre- to have
some character. The throbbing of a twin engine or the snarl of an inline four excites us. We not only enjoy the
sound of these mechanical wonders, but we can actually feel the bike come alive through the handgrips. There is a point, however, when the tactile pleasure becomes pain due to motor- cycle-specific issues, environmental conditions or human factors. If you often
disposing factors contribute to develop- ment of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, such as persistent pressure on the palm, vibration, cold temperature, repetitive use of the hand, or holding the wrist flexed or extended for longer periods. Wow, sounds like riding a motorcycle! Why doesn’t everyone have it? Because
there are personal factors involved such as genetic predisposition, obesity, gender (women are affected three times more often), pregnancy, and connective tissue diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.
you ride if it is contributing to the problem. Keep your hands warm and dry on cold or wet rides. Relax your grip. When safe to do so on a long ride, consider using some sort of cruise control so you can relax your throttle hand. If that isn’t possible, consider getting an assistive device such as a Throt- tle Rocker or Cramp Buster. If this is a persistent, recurrent problem
notice that your fingers get numb riding, you may have a condition called Carpal Tun- nel Syndrome. In this condition, one of the nerves that carries sensory and motor information through the wrist to the hand, known as the Median nerve, gets compressed. As it passes over the palm side of the wrist from the forearm to the hand, it has to pass under the carpal ligament. This is a fibrous tissue between wrist bones. Several flexor tendons accompany
the median nerve through this nar- row space. If this space becomes too narrow relative to its contents, pres- sure is put on the nerve. This is felt as a tingly, numb, and painful sensation that extends to the thumb, index fin- ger, middle finger and thumb side of the ring finger.
96 BMW OWNERS NEWS May 2016
BOTH ENVIRONMENTAL AND PERSONAL PREDISPOSING FACTORS CONTRIBUTE TO
DEVELOPMENT OF CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME, SUCH AS PERSISTENT PRESSURE ON THE PALM,
VIBRATION, COLD TEMPERATURE, REPETITIVE USE OF THE HAND, OR HOLDING THE WRIST FLEXED OR EXTENDED FOR LONGER PERIODS.
WOW, SOUNDS LIKE RIDING A MOTORCYCLE! This is a treatable condition, but like
most things it would be better not to develop it in the first place. If left untreated over time, it can progress to nerve damage, with loss of sensation and wasting of some of the muscles in the hand. Maintain your motorcycle to limit any unnecessary mechanical vibration. Make sure the posi- tion of your handlebars makes sense ergo- nomically—you don’t want to have unnecessary pressure on your palms or to use a grip that is unnatural. Ensure your gloves fit properly. Remove anything such as a watch or bracelet from your wrist while
that won’t improve no matter what you do, see your doctor. In milder cases, non-sur- gical options such as night splints can help because many people sleep with their wrists flexed at night, exacerbating the problem. Sometimes, steroid injections or short-term steroids given orally might be used; however, if these measures don’t help and there is nerve damage docu- mented by Electro- myography (EMG), then surgery is indi- cated. An EMG is an electrodiagnostic test your doctor or hand surgeon can order that measures how
the nerve is functioning and is thereby able to objectively document damage. A hand surgeon will correct the problem
by performing a Carpal Tunnel Release. It is often done with a small scope, resulting in a smaller incision. In this surgery, the carpal ligament is cut and thereby relieves pressure on the nerve. Not a big deal with regard to surgical risk, but you will lose some riding time as you recover. Expect to be in a splint for about a week and have some physical therapy afterward. Ride in comfort and stay well.
skills
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