Mountain Biking Arm Pain: How To Reduce It?

Arm pain is a common occurrence when mountain biking. They present with numbness and can sometimes be accompanied by weakness or loss of coordination.

Here are some tips to prevent and / or reduce pain.

symptoms

In some people, these symptoms are present on both hands. These pains are caused by compression of the nerves passing through the wrist.

These are two nerves that can be affected:

• Ulnar nerve... Compression is called ulnar neuropathy in medical jargon, but it is also commonly referred to as cyclist paralysis. Numbness is felt in the little finger, ring finger, and inside of the hand.

• Median nerve... The set of symptoms caused by its compression is called carpal tunnel syndrome. Here, the thumb, index, middle or ring finger are affected.

These two pathologies arise from intense cycling.

This usually happens when you cycle for several days in a row. These compressions are caused by prolonged excessive flexion of the wrists on the handlebars.

In addition, on mountain bikes, we squeeze the wrists harder than on road bikes, which increases the risk of pinching the nerves.

A few simple tips to prevent or relieve these pains

Make the right settings

• Adjust the height of the cab. It shouldn't be too low. Your wrists shouldn't break when you grip the wheel.

• Adjust the saddle height. It shouldn't be too high for the same reasons as above.

Thinking about comfort

• Choose ergonomic handlebar grips for your bike, such as spirgrips.

• Wear padded gloves, if possible with a gel that allows you to feel comfortable and absorbs vibration from the bike.

• Change the position of your hands on the handlebars regularly to avoid excessive bending of your wrists for prolonged periods of time.

Stretching

• After each mountain bike ride, extend your forearms as follows:

For this stretch to be effective, it must be done with your arm fully extended.

• Stretch your shoulders and arms.

• Stretch your neck and entire back, especially if you have pain in both arms.

See a therapist

In most cases, the pain subsides at the end of the mountain bike ride. But if you are mountain biking intensively, this pain can return more or less quickly and incapacitate you.

In such cases, do not hesitate to consult your doctor.

If you have the same pain on both sides, the nerve discomfort may be caused by the cervical spine. Next, you should adjust your mountain bike so that your head doesn't stick out too far. However, this does not always work, as the nerve can be blocked by several tissues in the body, and changing the position of the head does not help much. The only way to solve this problem is to see a healthcare professional (doctor, osteopath, physiotherapist, etc.).

If you are diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome or cyclist paralysis, the osteopath can target structures in your body that interfere with the median or ulnar nerves and thereby reduce the compression. A physical therapist can take care of restoring the balance of your muscle chains in cases where the problem has been present for a long time.

Conclusion

After consulting a doctor, he may prescribe an anti-inflammatory drug (if you are not participating in the full competition). However, beware of the side effects of NSAIDs.

Finally, to relieve the most persistent pain, all that remains is to stop cycling for a few days until the pain is completely gone.

Sources 📸:

• leilaniyogini. com
• dharco.com