How to prevent hand and wrist pain from cycling - BikeRadar
Hand off aches, tingling and numbness by following this expert advice
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Almost every rider has experienced sore, aching and tingling hands and wrists towards the end of a long ride.
As one of three points of contact with the bike, the hands and wrists absorb vibrations transmitted from the tyres into the handlebars.
The makeup of the hands and wrists is delicate, so they are liable to overuse – the factor behind the most common causes of cycling pain.
If you're suffering from sore hands and wrist pain from cycling, you've come to the right place.
We'll explain the structure of the hands and wrists and what causes pain there. We've spoken to a series of expert physios and bike fitters, who suggest ways to prevent cycling hand and wrist pain.
What is the structure of the hand and wrists?
The hand and palm are formed by five metacarpal bones, one for each finger, which articulate and project from the top row of the carpal bones to form the hand and palm.
The distal forearm bones (ulnar and radius) articulate with a complex of eight bones (carpal bones), to form the wrist.
What causes hand and wrist pain from cycling?
When you cycle, the hands grip the bar and, along with the wrists, support your upper body.
Hand and wrist pain from cycling happens when there is too much weight on your hands, or your hands and/or wrists are in an awkward position. This can stop force transmitting effectively through your upper limb, where larger muscles can help absorb it, and leads to a build-up of pressure on your hands and wrists.
The pressure compresses nerves in these areas, which leads to the two main types of neurogenic hand and wrist pain from cycling: carpal tunnel syndrome and ulnar nerve pain (or handlebar/cyclist's palsy).
Both conditions cause aching and throbbing. Handlebar palsy, as with other kinds of palsy, causes the hands to tingle, go numb and lose function. This is because most nerves have a dual sensory and motor function.
Pressure causes pain when the sensory aspect is irritated and loss of movement happens when the motor aspect is affected.
Handlebar or cyclist's palsy
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