Hand pain during the night

[Kingfisher101]

Hi, Does anyone else who cycles a lot get this? I keep waking up and my hands are cramping with pins and needles. I think it might be to do with riding my MTB a lot on rough ground because a lot of vibration goes through the hands doesn't it?
I'm not sleeping on my hands either. I ride my bikes a lot say 5 days out of 7 and those days it will be for 2-4 hours each time.
I think it might be carpal tunnel but I'm nor sure I think I might ring the Drs, but I was just interested to see if any other cyclists get this.
I'm not a diabetic either.

 

[fossyant]

Might be worth a consultation with a physio.

I get pins and needles in my arms, but it's shoulder issues impinging the nerves - if I'm not careful how I sleep - I usually use a pillow in front of me to raise my arm a bit. Down to cycling and crashing too many times.

 

[Cycleops]

I hope you're not giving Mrs Palm and her five daughters too much exercise.

 

[wafter]

I've had hand pain from riding in the past, but this was joint pain on top of existing inflammation issues that I think was compounded by sub-optimal contact with the grips and lots of vibration (it went away over the winter, perhaps because I was wearing gloves).

I have experienced the symptoms you describe though - once when I had a pretty grotty bout of food poisoning, the other when I was fasting and failed to maintain my electrolyte levels. It's happened outside of these circumstances too; but with no obvious cause - pins and needles in the hands / up the arms and hands cramping / clenching closed towards making a fist. Not a pleasant experience!

 

[MikeG]

Yeah, I used to get this a lot, and was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome. I had a minor (local anaesthetic) operation, which relieved the pain (+ pins & needles etc) entirely, but wasn't without consequences.

 

[alicat]

^^^^ yes, the same happened to me. No adverse consequences post op, however.

 

[vickster]

Yep, carpal tunnel syndrome causes pain at night

 

[figbat]

Another cause of arm/hand/leg numbness can be diabetes. This came up recently when I was suffering with what turned out to be sciatica - one thing the doctor mentioned was diabetes as a cause of loss of sensation.

 

[Kingfisher101]

Another cause of arm/hand/leg numbness can be diabetes. This came up recently when I was suffering with what turned out to be sciatica - one thing the doctor mentioned was diabetes as a cause of loss of sensation.

I haven't got that I've been tested before and I was nowhere near it.

 

[MikeG]

^^^^ yes, the same happened to me. No adverse consequences post op, however.

It would be really interesting to have done a grip-strength test before and after the op. I've always favoured my right hand, but for 3 or 4 years after the procedure I used my left hand to open tight jar lids and so on, because my right hand had lost so much strength. I would urge anyone who is about to undergo the op to measure this attribute (if you don't have access to the proper kit try squeezing a set of bathroom scales and record the result). Oh, and the heel of your hand is sensitive for quite a few months, too. I once banged a shed door shut with the heel of my operated hand, and nearly passed out with the pain.

 

[Drago]

Yeah, I used to get this a lot, and was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome. I had a minor (local anaesthetic) operation, which relieved the pain (+ pins & needles etc) entirely, but wasn't without consequences.

Or cubital tunnel syndrome. I've nerve damage at area and the symptoms are similar to the OPs if I sleep with my arm bent.

 

[grumpydad]

Sounds very much like carpel tunnel, simple op puts it right, had mine done in both hands a few years ago, possibly 2012 I remember the Olympics were on and we were painting the downstairs rooms and it was the painting that aggravated mine, although it had been bad on and off for a while

 

[alicat]

It would be really interesting to have done a grip-strength test before and after the op. I've always favoured my right hand, but for 3 or 4 years after the procedure I used my left hand to open tight jaI r lids and so on, because my right hand had lost so much strength. I would urge anyone who is about to undergo the op to measure this attribute (if you don't have access to the proper kit try squeezing a set of bathroom scales and record the result). Oh, and the heel of your hand is sensitive for quite a few months, too. I once banged a shed door shut with the heel of my operated hand, and nearly passed out with the pain.

I can't say I noticed either of those things. I was in quite a lot of pain after each operation (I had both hands done a year apart) and did wonder at the time if the pain was worth it to alleviate fairly mild symptoms. With the passing of time, I'm glad I got it fixed.

 

[MikeG]

I can't say I noticed either of those things.....

I spend an awful lot of time in my workshop, and working on my house. I doubt I would have noticed anything if I didn't.

 

[Time Waster]

Your nerves pass through several pinch points not just your wrist/ carpel tunnel. Any one of those can cause the symptoms the op has. Go to your gp but don't expect them to know what the problem is if it isn't carpel tunnel. They are pretty much useless at diagnosing anything but cp tunnel.

The gp will likely ask you to hold your arms up so the backs of your hands are pressed against each other with a 90 degrees bend and your elbows straight out level with your wrists. Hold this for a few minutes and if it hurts, tingles or gives you pins and needles it's likely to be carpel tunnel. If not it's more likely to be something else. Another thing to note is which fingers tingle the most when you get the sensation. CTS it's certain fingers, if it's your elbow pinch point it's other fingers. Can't remember which.

The other thing is to sort your sleeping out. Neck position in regards to your spine can be a factor. If you're a side sleeper get a higher and firmer pillow to lift your head more into alignment with your spine. It might help. Keep replacing pillows if they collapse which they will do with time. Also, note if it mostly happens when you're lying on one side. You could have a stronger shoulder muscles on one side that reduces the incidence on that side. Exercise your shoulder and neck muscles to strengthen them, it can help.

Get medical help. Your gp is not going to be good enough to sort it. A physio might but might not.

Exercises to try include a prayer type position with your elbows out. Hold it for a bit of time, say 20s to 30s then release. Repeat for 10 repetitions. Another is the sneaky tip request Exercise. This is when you hold your arm to your side and bend your hand out behind you like you're asking someone behind you for a tip. Hold it there for some time because your customer is slow with the tip. Relax then repeat. So 10 repetitions then repeat the action for the other arm.

There are more exercises but I can't remember them. They can help without needing surgery.

Good luck but don't rely on us here, get good medical diagnosis and help. Also, if the test fit CTS has no effect make sure the GP knows. If it's not CTS then they need to enable you to find out what it is and get you treatment for that. They may well try and fob you off with physio for carpel tunnel syndrome when it's not, because that's more common and they're familiar with it/ with its treatment.