{"id":197049,"date":"2024-10-22T11:07:44","date_gmt":"2024-10-22T11:07:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/?p=197049"},"modified":"2024-10-22T11:07:44","modified_gmt":"2024-10-22T11:07:44","slug":"dealing-with-cycling-injuries-wrists-and-hands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2024\/10\/22\/dealing-with-cycling-injuries-wrists-and-hands\/","title":{"rendered":"Dealing with Cycling Injuries \u2013 Wrists and Hands"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you been struggling with numbness, tingling, or pain in your hands and wrists while cycling? Here is an article to help you identify what could be the source of this discomfort and how to fix or prevent it. Let\u2019s take a look.<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Handlebar position<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Poor bike fit and handlebar position are the biggest factors contributing to wrist and hand pain in cyclists. Ideally, you should have around 60% of your weight supported by the rear of the bike and only 40% by the front. If your handlebars are too far forward or too low, this forces you to lean forward more putting excess pressure on your wrists and hands.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re experiencing a general discomfort in the wrists and hands that often comes with neck or shoulder pain, it\u2019s likely that your handlebar position is the cause.<\/p>\n

Nerve compression<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Unfortunately, some people get wrist pain even with a correct handlebar setup. This can be due to riding with hands in the same position on the handlebars for a long time or as a result of locked elbows which puts more pressure on the wrist. Depending on where you feel the pain, there could be two different types of wrist pain.<\/p>\n

Ulnar nerve compression<\/strong> \u2013 If you feel tingling, numbness or weakness in the ring and little fingers, your ulnar nerve is getting too compressed while cycling. This is sometimes called handlebar palsy.<\/p>\n

Median nerve compression<\/strong> \u2013 If you feel tingling in the thumb, index, middle and ring finger and weakness in grip strength, your median nerve is getting too compressed. This is called carpal tunnel syndrome.<\/p>\n

If either of these two types of pain happen to you on long rides, try changing the way you hold your handlebars frequently. That should help spread the load over other parts of the wrist and hand and give your nerves time to decompress.<\/p>\n

Repetitive strain<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Long rides are always a challenge for your wrists and hands. The road vibrations and repetitive strain of supporting your weight for hours on end can be a cause of pain even if you do many things right. Especially if you don\u2019t give your wrists enough time between rides to recover, or increase training volume too quickly, you can develop tendonitis, inflammation of the wrist tendons.<\/p>\n

If overuse and repetitive strain is the cause of your pain, it typically manifests as aching pain, stiffness, or swelling in the hands and wrists after or during rides.<\/p>\n

How to prevent and manage wrist and hand pain as a cyclist<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Handlebar setup:<\/strong> Make sure your handlebar height, distance and angle are setup to your body type and riding style.<\/p>\n

Relaxed elbows and grip:<\/strong> Avoid excessive grip and keep your wrist neutral and elbows loose to absorb road vibrations.<\/p>\n

Changing hand positions:<\/strong> Avoid holding your handlebars only one way during long rides. Use your drops, hold the bar from the sides, from the top, change regularly.<\/p>\n

Padded cycling gloves:<\/strong> Use cycling gloves<\/a> to cushion the hands and wrists and reduce some of the pressure.<\/p>\n

Hand and wrist strength exercises:<\/strong> Include hand and wrist stretches and resistance exercises into your routine if you\u2019re experiencing pain, especially if you\u2019re dealing with compression of the median nerve.<\/p>\n

Regular breaks:<\/strong> During long rides, take regular breaks to relieve pressure on the wrists and hands and improve blood flow. Also make sure to ramp up time spent on the bike gradually.<\/p>\n

If the pain is not going away with the tips in this article, talk to a medical professional and ask for a proper evaluation and treatment plan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Have you been struggling with numbness, tingling, or pain in your hands and wrists while cycling? Here is an article […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":99,"featured_media":192091,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[332],"tags":[8032,8075,8074],"global-categories":[3366],"class_list":["post-197049","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-and-training","tag-dealing-with-cycling-injuries","tag-hand-pain","tag-wrist-pain","global-categories-cycling"],"yoast_head":"\nDealing with Cycling Injuries \u2013 Wrists and Hands - \u0160koda We Love Cycling<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Have you been struggling with numbness, tingling, or pain in your hands and wrists while cycling? 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