Just last week, one of my Twitter followers reached out to me to ask for advice regarding his hands going numb during bike rides. First of all: thank you for making me feel special and seen. I put a lot of effort into my blog posts and frequently I question if people actually read them and if they are useful. Hearing from a follower regarding an issue they are facing makes me feel validated in my efforts.
I did give him a quick answer, but that’s not the whole story. Below is all you should know about your hands going numb. Read it – I am sure we all have faced the issue at one point or another and would love to avoid it in the future.
Why are they going numb?
Numbness in your hands is caused by prolonged pressure on a nerve. There are three of them that can cause issues. One is a pinched nerve in your neck. If that’s the case – you can go straight to the last long-term solution for addressing it.
The more common problem with the numbness in your hands stems from compression of one of two nerves in your hand. The first one of them is the median nerve and the symptoms are numbness of your thumb and the two fingers closest to it. Here issues come from pressure you exert when pressing against handlebars.
The other nerve you may be compressing is called the ulnar nerve and it’s associated with your pinky and the ring finger. It gets compressed when you grip your handlebars.
Solutions below don’t differentiate between issues from the two nerves separately. I usually can’t tell which part of my hand is going numb the most and you may be like ‘it hurts, just make it stop!’ So try each of the solutions. But try giving it a thought, as it will help you resolve the issues sooner.
Immediate relief
I think we are all well-aware of the simplest solution of just shaking your hands out, but there is a couple of other things you can do while riding that can help relieve the problem:
Take your weight off your hands
Use your core to lift yourself up with your core. You may not be able to hold this position for long, but it will help.
Change your hand position
Maybe you are holding the handlebars in a particularly unfortunate way, leading to nerve compression? Or is it just keeping your hands in the same position for hours on end? Try moving your hands around to find a more comfortable position, including dropping on the lower bars or, if you are on a tri bike, switch to aero bars for a bit.
Locked elbows
While you are moving your hands around, make sure that you don’t lock your elbows and don’t keep them stiff, as this increases how much vibrations gets transferred to your hands.
Loosen your grip
And don’t white-knuckle it. You are compressing your ulnar nerve and it’s making your pinky and ring finger go numb. Relax your grip. Allow your nerves to be free and make sure you are letting blood flow through your hands.
Long term solution
Here is a couple of solutions that may help you address issue in the long run:
Bike fit
I would suggest making this your first check if you are struggling with numb hands while riding, especially if it’s on the side of the thumb. Remember – that’s when the median nerve gets pinched. Being in an incorrect position on a bike can lead to multiple issues, such as back problems or knee injuries. To learn more about bike fit, check out my recent post on the subject.
Work on your core
This is a matching solution to the first short-term solution I have suggested. If your median nerve keeps getting pinched and you know your bike fit is right, it is possible that your core is weak, which leads you to use your arms too much to support your body weight. If this is the case, regular core workouts will help address this problem.
Stretch
Your mobility and flexibility will help with your position on the bike and to relax all the muscle that’s pinching your nerves. And even if it doesn’t help this particular problem? Stretching is still a good idea.
Tires
I know this sounds weird at the first glance, but your tires may impact your hands. But why? This is because size of your tires and how hard they are influences how much impact when hitting bumps in the road gets transferred to your hands. Bigger, softer tires will decrease your chances of getting numb hands.
Gloves
Now I happen to dislike riding in gloves, but there is a good reason why many cyclists swear by them. Like softer, larger tires, they help absorb shocks and vibrations, making the ride easier on your hands.
More tape on your handlebars
I think you can see where this is going… Decrease impact on your hands by padding the handlebars. I think this may be a better idea for me, since I dislike the gloves.
Visit a chiropractor or do physical therapy
If the issue is a pinched nerve, none of these solutions (except of possibly stretching) will get you far. You will need professional help. Obviously, I hope your problem can be fixed just by moving around, but if your numbness develops early in the rides and pretty much every time, then there is a high likelihood that it’s not as simple as just moving your hanflebars.
As always, stay safe, keep moving and I will see you out there!