When it comes to carpal tunnel syndrome Los Angeles motorists are just as susceptible to this hand condition as people in the office. In particular, numbness and tingling in the hands and fingers is a common complaint of motorcyclists. These symptoms may be due to carpal tunnel syndrome. After riding for awhile, there are a variety of factors that may cause a rider to develop carpal tunnel syndrome: the vibration of the motor as felt through the handlebars; the constant grip needed to maintain a throttle setting on a long ride; the pressure from repeated use of the brake or clutch lever; awkward weight distribution on the wrists from maintaining a certain riding posture. These all conspire to predispose a motorcyclist to develop carpal tunnel syndrome. The rider might feel these carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms as numbness or tingling in the hands or fingers after or during a ride. The hand might feel like it has fallen asleep.
That’s a sign to get this checked out by a hand specialist. Ask any Los Angeles hand surgeon and he or she will agree: carpal tunnel syndrome is a nerve problem. It occurs when the median nerve, which travels through the wrist on its way to providing for sensation in the hand and fingers, becomes irritated. The median nerve may be irritated from the constant vibration of the engine. It may have its blood supply crimped off by an awkward position of the wrist, which may be dictated by a sportbike riding position (or, on the other side, by apehangers keeping the ‘pits cool) or by a constant application of throttle with the right hand. Or, the nerve may be compressed at the wrist by a ligament. As the median nerve passes through the wrist, it runs in a tunnel. The tunnel is comprised of bone on three sides, and a very tough ligament on the other. Through the tunnel run the median nerve and the nine tendons that allow you to make a fist with your fingers. If there’s swelling in that tunnel (which is usually from the tendons, as they may swell with overuse), then the nerve gets pinched off and lets you know it’s irritated by numbness, tingling, or pain in the hand, palm, or wrist.
Treatment involves first making the right diagnosis. That can be done by physical examination and ordering a nerve test. If those confirm the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome, there are a variety of treatments that will allow you to keep riding your bike. Initial treatment for a motorcyclist should involve things that aren’t typically done for non-motorcyclists. The rider should be reminded to try wearing gloves (or even gel padded gloves) to minimize the vibration transmitted through the handlebars or clip-ons to the hand and wrist. A larger handlebar grip size can be used, which sometimes helps. Try to avoid putting too much pressure on the wrists, such as when riding a sportbike. Remember to use airflow and abdominal and back muscles to keep your body upright, and to take some pressure off of the wrist area. While riding, take some time to let go of the handlebars, to open and close the hand or do some stretching exercises; that will help promote bloodflow to the hand and wrist. Change your hand position from time to time. Use a throttle rocker or similar device on long highway rides. Make sure the clutch and brake levers are properly adjusted for your hand size. You can even try bar risers to raise the height of the clip-ons or rotate them to a more comfortable and ergonomic position. Note that none of these methods involve the concept of “stop riding.”
If those things don’t seem to help, then more conventional carpal tunnel syndrome treatments include wrist splints (mainly at nighttime, for sleeping), oral anti-inflammatories, therapy, and cortisone injections. If you still have symptoms despite all those things, then consideration should be given to a surgical release of the offending ligament which is pressing on the median nerve. Typically it takes about 6 to 8 weeks to recover, after which time you should be good to go for a return to riding.
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