numb fingers?

Message

chug · #1 Unread post by **chug** » Mon Jul 18, 2005 3:30 pm

What is up with my fingers?After about an hour of riding my middle and ring fingers go completely white(pretty spooky) They almost feel like they are someone elses and not mine!I did a little experimenting over the last week, and if I ride without gloves it's not as bad.The last time it happened I almost had to get the girl at the gas station to get the change out of my front pocket

.My gloves are leather and don't fit tight at all.I don't think I am gripping the bars too tight or anything like that.Wondering if anyone else has this problem and what do I need to try to avoid this freaky pale fingered delema.

chug · #2 Unread post by **chug** » Mon Jul 18, 2005 3:35 pm

sorry guys just found a post about it

chug · #3 Unread post by **chug** » Tue Jul 19, 2005 10:22 am

Read through the post that I found and none of it sounds like my delema.I don't squeeze the bars tight,and I don't feel and vibration in the bars. Could it be carpell tunnel or what the hack?

iwannadie · Tue Jul 19, 2005 10:46 am

could it be a circulation issue? maybe ride for a while and every say 5 minutes take your hand off the grip and move your fingers around(make a fist over and over) just to get the bood going, and see if that does anything different. if so do it less and less.

or even winggle your middle finger or tap it on the grip often while your riding ro make sure your flowing blood around.

i had a similar problem with my foot it would go numb but just moving it around slightly every now and then would get the blood going.

or try a different pair of gloves, or no gloves?

just and idea.

mswarrior · Tue Jul 19, 2005 12:24 pm

I'd say a circulation problem. You might want to try a throttle lock so you can ease up on holding the grip. Relax your hand a bit more and wiggle your fingers a bit also help. On the highway I take turns taking each hand off the bars even for only a few seconds.

chug · #6 Unread post by **chug** » Tue Jul 19, 2005 12:24 pm

Tried the wiggle thing and even rode with my middle fingers up on the brake and clutch levers, I almost think it maybe something to do with the palm of my hands or something? Loosing circulation?

Wizzard · #7 Unread post by **Wizzard** » Tue Jul 19, 2005 12:35 pm

Dug out my throttle rocker and put it on . Will let ya know tomorrow if it makes any difference . Could just be my ancient circulation ........

Regards, Wizzard

#8 Unread post by **Sev** » Tue Jul 19, 2005 1:02 pm

This might sound a little wierd, but next time you're watching TV take a broom handle or something about the same diameter as your grips and hold it about as tight as you hold your grips, and ideally with your wrist in the same position. Sit like that through the whole show, or two sitcoms. The full hour basically, if you have the same problem then you know it's your hands and not the bike.

If you don't have that problem it might just be vibrations or the shape of the grips. I'd get a pair of gel ones, just in case as they dappen vibes.

You've said that you get the same problem no matter how you hold your hand on the grips, which actually leads me to believe it's a result of something other then your grip. There are a couple of posibilites, though I doubt it's lack of circulation caused by pressure. Your arteries are all close to the bones in your hand and even that little bit of muscle across them should prevent that. Vibration on the other hand...

iwannadie · #9 Unread post by **iwannadie** » Tue Jul 19, 2005 1:40 pm

ciculation is a very tricky thing to deal with. the veins on the top of your hand mind be cut off by the gloves even if they dont feel tight or some muscle problem that has no thing to do with riding. also the angle of your wrist might be weird enough to effect the circulation there as well. its odd that its those 2 fingers exclusively. doubt its vibration iif you rode with your fingers out on the lever relaxed.

id say every 1 hour ride try different things. make it a real point to keep your grip Loose or only grip with your thumb/index finger relaxing the others. also try not to lean your weight on your hand. change your hand position(higher and lower). no gloves, different gloves. could maybe be the wind being cold.

i know i deal with circulation issues alot now having my left femoral artery blocked off. amazing how moving your foot an inch or two effects ciculation even while sitting on the couch ha.

#10 Unread post by **dr_bar** » Tue Jul 19, 2005 2:09 pm

Okay, numbness from riding isn't usually a serious thing. But, being involved in health and safety in the workplace for the past 30+ years, the "white finger" aspect of it concerns me. I would be curious what you do for a living...

Not to be an alarmist, but here are some links that you may want to read. There is duplication of info at these sites but they're all worth the read.

For those of us that have a severe vibration issue with our bikes, we may want to consider the info ourselves. I have a set of Kuryakyn ISO® Grips on my bike and they do wonders for the vibration...

http://www.tuc.org.uk/h_and_s/tuc-8705-f0.cfm

http://rsi.websitehosting-services.co.u ... finger.pdf

http://www.raynauds.org.uk/pdfs/vwf.pdf

http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art ... ekey=19739

http://www.caw.ca/whatwedo/health&safet ... calno4.asp