Hi, I did a trackday at Mallory Park last week for the first time - what a lovely little circuit! I really enjoyed the intensity of the circuit, no time to rest as it's so short that as soon as you exit one bend/straight then it's time to set up for the next one! There are two "big stop" parts - Edwina's Chicane and the Shaw Hairpin: these are approached at full revs and then you have to get hard on the brakes and bang it down two gears... Problem is - by the middle of the afternoon, half way through the session I started to get severe pins n' needles in my right hand. By the end of the session I couldn't feel my hand as it was completely numb. All sessions after that were the same - OK at first and then pin n' needles followed by complete numbness - NOT GOOD!! I believe this is known as "arm pump"? I'm doing Snetterton on 28th July which also has some big stop areas (although there is more time to rest/wriggle fingers around the lap) and I'd like to make sure it doesn't happen again. Question: how can I prevent/reduce this from happening again - any exercises recommended (apart from the "obvious"!)? Cheers, RX
Chicken wings flappy arm movements on the straights and relax on the bike whilst heavy braking. Grip vis de knees dear fellow when braking, not pushing your full weight through your arms. The hand and arms should be loose and pliable, no need (in fact v bad practice) to hang on like a baboon chasing a mango solero ice cream van.
wank a bit more ;-) I think the pros tape up their forearms, that physio tape stuff running elbow to knuckle, think its meant to keep pressure on the muscles or something...noticed in a pic Tom Halifax was sporting such item yesterday, may be worth giving him a call, you know the guys at MR yep?
Worthwhile experimenting with the angle of your clip ons. Everybody's different, so even a tiny adjustment of the angle can spread the weight more evenly over your hand, as opposed to putting it all on the outside/inside of the palm. Worked for me.
I have just been looking it to the same problem but on my MTB, getting pins and needles after a while in one or both hands. Could be a touch of carpal tunnel syndrome, on the MTB forms it says adjusting bars or even different grips can help, even down to the gloves you are wearing the padding putting your hand/wrist at a slightly un natural angle plus with the pressure on your wrists will be contributing. There was no definitive answer as everyone is different. On my 999 if I'm on it for periods with out much moving around then my wrists are destroyed, 30 miles on the motorway and I'm in tears, cant say I have had the problem on track. As some one has said try more wanking!!
As in your title I suggest you see a doctor, as this isn't www.nhsisscrewed.co.uk I imagine the advice could be varied/hearsay/third party unconfirmed so suggest you try a doctor. :biggrin:
Same effect as my left and arm holding on to the handle of the outfit through Graham Hill Bed several times...........Sometimes I couldn't get my arm out of my leathers for 15 minutes or more...... ...........I never found a cure for it...........It might have been worse if it hadn't been for riding Guzzis for 10 years. AL
Ricky, have you changed the angle of your brake and clutch on the bars, relative to standard? If you've angled them down slightly to make them more comfortable it can exacerbate the problem, especially as you tend to hold your weight more on your wrists during braking. Try adjusting the angle of the brake and clutch and see how you go.
As has been said already, essentially the only way to alleviate this is to relax your grip on the bars. When you grip the bars, the muscles in your arms are used (obviously) and with prolonged use will they start to swell and put pressure on the blood vessels in your arm. This squashes them and restricts the blood flow causing the tingling/numbness. As I recall it's known as vasoconstriction. Its something windsurfers get too which is why they use a harness to take the weight off their arms/grip on the boom. Again its already been mentioned but have a play with the ergonomics of the bars and your position to them. This could be changing the position of the clipons, brake/clutch etc but its also about your relationship to the bars themselves and how you position your body. I have fewer problems when I make a conscious effort to keep my forearms more parallel to the road. Kit can be tricky too. I have a jacket which is tighter than I'd like on the fore-arms and it does make a difference when I wear it (more likely to get tingling) and its even worse when I have the lining in it. I also make sure that the velcro wrist strap is loose on a certain pair of gloves where as on others its not an issue. When I've had it in the past its just been a case of paying attention to every element that could cause it and make an effort to address any issues. Hope you get it sorted....its a pain in the (hand) arse. Ali
Found that my left arm started to get pins and needles, then pain, then numbness. The problem I have is that my left shoulder contracts toward my neck and tenses up. When I get the symptoms, I start to roll my shoulder and it clears. just my personal experience only, but worth trying to loosen up from the top down as it is easy to cause pinching in the nerves from neck downward.
Sounds like median nerve compression caused by compression of the nerve through the carpal tunnel. I've had it quite bad this year from over-flexation of my wrist doing DIY at home. Also comes on if i'm too heavy on my wrists when riding. As an IT worker i'm pretty much prone to getting an RSI. Already had my right carpal tunnel operated on back in 2005 but it's not a 100% fix. I was expecting/hoping to get my left had done this year but my GP has elected for a steroid injection first to see if that improves my symptoms.
Dear Dr Alistair,,,, Seriously try How To Use Chinese Medicine Balls For The Hands | LIVESTRONG.COM or should that be in the 'what toy do you use thread' I had a trapped nerve/tendonitis similar type thing a couple of years ago - went privately and got prescribed nitroglycerin patches along with cortizone injection - which worked and its not been back since Get some proper medical advice
