Numb or tingling hands while cycling
Tingling and/or numbness in your hands while cycling are very annoying. Many cyclists suffer from this regularly. You regularly see cyclists take their hands off the wheel and then shake them loose. Fortunately, there are various solutions to prevent these annoying hand problems!
What causes tingling hands while cycling?
There are two important nerve tracts in our palm: the median nerve and the ulnar nerve. These nerves provide our fingers with touch, touch and control the muscles in the hand. The median nerve supplies the area of the thumb, index finger, middle finger and half of the ring finger. The ulnar nerve supplies the outer side of the ring finger and the little finger. Both nerves have a different course in our palm. It is important to make a good distinction between exactly which fingers are affected while cycling in order to be able to remedy this in a targeted manner.
While cycling, we lean on our hands, because of this pressure on the steering wheel, we can restrict the blood supply to the nerve tracts just discussed. When we look at what a nerve looks like, we see that this nerve consists of different layers. The outer layers of the nerves provide the sensation of the touch and the inner layers control the muscles of our fingers. As a result, the symptoms often start with tingling/deaf fingers due to compression on the outer layers, and during persistent pressure, the inner layers also come under compression and the control of the fingers can be made difficult. As soon as the pressure is removed from the hands, the blood flow can start again and the symptoms disappear.
The main cause of these hand problems is therefore excessive pressure on the hands, especially on the regions where the nerves run. On the bike, this can be caused by many factors and combinations:
- An incorrect steering width, which prevents the hands from being positioned properly. In general, we see that a steering wheel that is too wide has been installed. As a result, the wrists want to rotate inward, causing more pressure and stretch on the nerves in the wrists.
- Too long range and/or deep steering wheel position. As a result, it is possible that you are moved too far forward with your body's center of gravity, so you will have to stop this with your hands and put too much pressure on the hands.
- Position of the brake levers (shifters). This part of the bike is often forgotten but has a major influence on the position of the hands. An incorrect position can actually put extra pressure or stretch on the nerve structures, causing problems with their blood circulation.
- Saddle position. If the saddle is tilted too far with the nose down, you can create a situation where you will slide forward. This must also be absorbed by the hands, resulting in increased pressure. The saddle can also be positioned too far forward, creating a similar situation as in point 2.
- Saddle type. A saddle that is too wide is the most common problem here. Because the saddle is too wide, you create a situation that makes you sit more forward at the tip of the saddle. As a result, the weight distribution is disrupted. The shape of a saddle can also be very decisive here. A saddle that does not fit the seat properly causes instability and many other diverse problems.
You now understand that it's incredibly important to ensure that your weight is evenly distributed between your hands, seat, and pedals. In addition, if you change something about your bike, it can affect another point of contact with the bike.
During a bike fit, all these aspects are closely discussed and we can focus on finding the right solution. In addition, I apply my physiotherapy expertise to assess whether the complaints are not caused by other physical problems, such as the forearm, neck or shoulder.
