loss of fine motor skills

I did a bike ride saturday,,,,,,,,,,,no problems............and I can't remember having any problems with my hands yesterday.........but woke up this morning and had trouble with using my hands............the last 3 fingers on each hand are worst...............infact I coundn't do up my own bra and had to ask my teenage son...............

went on a long bike ride today and had trouble at times changing gears.......and tonight couldn't do up my bra again and trouble with fine motor skills............

haven't had a problem like this on the bike before...................so could I have damaged a nerve or something on saturday and not noticed or could I have slept funny last night.............................but it it on both hands.or something elseimage

Comments

  • Handlebar palsy? Maybe. But not a doc or physio, so what do I know!
  • I think it's likely to be the bike. Do you wear gloves? How good is the padding? Do you still have full sensation with those fingers?
  • I wear fingerless gloves and I have had them a while now so padding could be going......

    they feel abit like pins and needles in the fingers.especially the tips......i don't seem to have proper strength in the hands..............

    i will stop cycling for a few day and go look for some new gloves..........

  •  +1 for New gloves

    image
  • PSCPSC ✭✭✭

    +another.

    You might want to have a look at your handlebars too - is the bar tape worn/hard?

  • the bike is newish .only used it a couple of times last year and been using it the last 3 weeks so the handlebar tape should be good.............but being using the gloves a long time now

    Basil......its the middle fingers and the end two....the thumb and index fingers seem ok.....just a bit tingley..but functionable..

    shoulders are feeling tight as well.....so probably bike related

  • SlugstaSlugsta ✭✭✭
    tmb's suggestion of handlebar palsy sounds possibe
  • Little and ring fingers = ulnar nerve. So quite possible you've impinged them on handlebars. This kind of thing would usually result in temporary neuropraxia (=nerve bruising) which should just gradually settle over the next few days. But if it seems to get worse - pain/weakness etc - see your doc.
  • Thanks BB.......I'll keep an eye on it.........

    2 long rides in 3 days is probably a bit too much............

  • UltraCasUltraCas ✭✭✭

    I think Ditchy had a similar problem on her old bike and I think Holly had the problem too.....change your gloves but if it still happens then you need to look at your position on the bike

    I can sympathise with the sensation though as that's how my neck problems first presented themselves, so if it doesn't settle or go away don't ignore it. I got to the point with my right hand that I couldn't hold a pen properly...kind of a problem for a journo!

  • I had the bike fitted for me with bike science so hopefully the setup is correct.................probably my ageimage..............

    it makes thing like cooking strange as half the sensation in my hand is there but not the other...............image

  • Can you raise the bars a bit ? Less weight on them then ?
  • Seren. some good old core work wouldnt go amiss as well so you are not leaning through your arms and causing neck strain/ulnar pain
  • Hallam BlueHallam Blue ✭✭✭

    What kind of handlebars have you got on your bike. If they are straight bars (like a mountain bike) you could switch to drop handlebars, or even tri-bars, which give you a variety of ways to hold them, relieving the pressure.

  • I can move into three postions on the bike.........as I have tri bars fitted..........so I do a lot of the ride on the top of the bars......with sometimes on the tri bars and sometimes on the drop bars................

    I am a bit reluctant to move the bars as I have had them measured for me and am getting very little pain in my shoulders and no lower back pain cycling which is a positve...............

    i will try rest and changing the gloves as my first port of call........

    thanks for all the adviseimage

  • right....left off exercise since Monday...........right hand greatly improved..............tried swimming this morning.......and noticed left hand is useless.......won't work in a swim motion.............

    also noticed that I can't put my fingers together whilst holding the hand out flat................to get the fingers together then I have to bend the hand...........

    also reuduced strength in that hand.........and can't do up my bra still................

    so have I left it long enough.or would it be best to try and get a doctors appointment next week..........

  • boinged thanks to FB pointing me in this direction.

    Seren, my friend is suffering with handlebar palsy, I wondered how you had got on since you posted this?

  • Hey Seren - I had to remove tri bars for a British Cycling organised century on Saturday.  Hands were going numb in the last 30 miles and I had to keep shaking them out.

    48 hours on and left hand is still pretty paralysed in little and adjoining finger.

    I need new / better gloves and suspect my core is too weak and standard handlebars not perfect but the important / immediate question from me is.. PLEASE what did you do to speed up recovery & how long did it take?

  • .....

     

     I never got to the bottom of what happened to me..it happened a few times and lasted a week or so for the first few times.....after the first occassion it was mainly just my left hand affected.........then when it happened it only lasted a few hours.in the end it only happened when i was swimming in cold water and it all recovered quickly afterwards...

     

    I was under a neurologist for over a year.....he did nerve tests and MRI's and scan of my heart  and he could not find out the cause........he was certain that it wasn't from the bike though.....

    as they stopped happening  we eventually stopped looking for a cause......

     

    I think that it was the cold that was triggering something at the time.........occasionally now in cold water the left hand does start to claw up a little and is not very useful afterwards but is quickly back to normal...

  • I had to do the Enduroman ironman in 2011 with only one functional hand,............meant I had to reach over with my right hand to change gears on the left side.....I would not recommend anyone doing this when there is the coldest , windiest day of the year 

  • Interesting.  My right hand claws on the outside in cold water but that is because I broke my fifth metacarpel and I suspect the tendon does not sit perfectly / contracts oddly when cold.

    I'm sure you'd have known about it had your broken a bone in your hand!

  • haha

     

     no if you notice my thread started in 2011 when it first happened and was asking advice.......I went to see my GP and the time under the neurologist was all after that.......

    I did not come back to ask advice of the internet

    the thread has been brought up again as Robbie has a similar problem and is asking advise......

    His could be something as simple as the suggestion given to me..but it could be something else........

    so no... I am an idiot but not that much of an idiotimage

  • >> ✭✭✭

     the last three fingers are controlled by the ulnar nerve, compression of it can cause 'claw hand' which can be caused by squeezing hard on the bar.

    sounds like it probably might have been that since the neurologist ruled out anything odd or serious. peripheral nerves can do grow back so it would fit with this if it got better.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulnar_claw

    maybe this helps you other poster. but see your GP if you are worried, not RW.

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