[Christine]

It's weird and annoying: My left thumb has little feeling on the inside. When I rub my hand at the base between it and my index finger, it feels like an electric guitar string being plucked, sending a snap of painful vibrations up through my thumb. Like a tendon is out of place or something.

Can't figure out how this happened. Haven't done anything unusual lately that I can recall, including drugs. Any idea what this could be? I haven't been on the bike in a few days, but have been to the gym- maybe gripping the handles of the elliptical trainer or something.

 

[dogonfr]

It's weird and annoying: My left thumb has little feeling on the inside. When I rub my hand at the base between it and my index finger, it feels like an electric guitar string being plucked, sending a snap of painful vibrations up through my thumb. Like a tendon is out of place or something.
Can't figure out how this happened. Haven't done anything unusual lately that I can recall, including drugs. Any idea what this could be? I haven't been on the bike in a few days, but have been to the gym- maybe gripping the handles of the elliptical trainer or something.

Doc help me please!!!! My right thumb had major pains for about 4 years. Whenever i rode i would wear a EVS wrist brace. I asked the doctor about surgery he said ya we can cut you open repair it, then you go through healing , it'll screw up again & we do more surgery. NOT! Any way the right one feels great now after 4 years. Oh darn now the left on is killing me, cant get a glove on without severe pain. Feels as if im pulling my thumb out of socket, now i wear a brace on the left, we'll see what happens. I'm 47 beat the crap out of myself growing up with fun, BMX, racing 3 wheelers & MX, skate boarding, roller skating in parks, etc. How old are you & how much abuse have you put your body through, thats were your answer lies, maybe i sould say IS instead.

 

[Christine]

I never did anything like BMX or DH, haven't brought my rigid on the trails in ages. My riding style is XC.

 

[namaSSte]

I never did anything like BMX or DH, haven't brought my rigid on the trails in ages. My riding style is XC.

could be indicative of either carpel tunnel or a disc problem (most likely C5-C6 given the location of the numbness). Have a doc take some normal x-rays and do a few easy exercises with you and you'll be able to either confirm those or rule them out.

I have a C5/C6 disc issue and bad numbness and tingling in my left thumb and first finger. In my case, I dont think its the disc but actually an impingement of the nerve bundle running through my shoulder. Im having surgery in a week on a torn AC ligament and rotator cuff tear so I think that will clear up the tingling. I only mention that because if you've had a crash that could also have contributed.

 

[Christine]

Yikes, could be a spine thing?? Can't remember any recent crashes, nothing impressive anyway. I'm extra-careful these days w/o health insurance.

Ahhhhh hang on a sec.....a couple of months ago I *did* crash (dopey slow-speed topple) and fall on this hand, on a pile of rocks. I thought I broke my hand it was so sore, but by the next day it was fine. No symptoms until this week, though. How weird is that.

 

[namaSSte]

Yikes, could be a spine thing?? Can't remember any recent crashes, nothing impressive anyway. I'm extra-careful these days w/o health insurance.

Ahhhhh hang on a sec.....a couple of months ago I *did* crash (dopey slow-speed topple) and fall on this hand, on a pile of rocks. I thought I broke my hand it was so sore, but by the next day it was fine. No symptoms until this week, though. How weird is that.

just dont screw with it. I put surgery off for over a year and now I wish I had just taken care of things when I knew I needed to. Do yourself a favor and get an x-ray done. Oh yeah, and stop crashing .

 

[dogonfr]

just dont screw with it. I put surgery off for over a year and now I wish I had just taken care of things when I knew I needed to. Do yourself a favor and get an x-ray done. Oh yeah, and stop crashing .

At least get the doc to check it out & x-rays, i'm not a big fan of surgery unless there is no option. You might be onto something when you fell injured your hand but walla next day all better, sory the body does'nt work that way. Any injury you get even mild will come back to haunt you at sometime. Our bodys have a very good memory. Possibly Advil helped things feel beter for awhile. Some of the pains i feel nowdays i can trace back to a past injury. Most females have a higer tolerance of pain the men.

 

[dir-T]

I once had a cyst on the tendon that runs up my pinky finger that caused some problems. It went away on its own but not after I mistook it for an infected splinter, tried to "pop" it causing an infection that inflammed the sheath surrounding the tendon etc etc. Now it's fine but I have a little dimple on the side of my finger.

Come to think of it, that's the same hand as the thumb which I haven't had feeling in for the past 15 years. That's due to nerve damage sustained during a teenage "power drill incident".

 

[LyNx]

Ahhhhh hang on a sec.....a couple of months ago I *did* crash (dopey slow-speed topple) and fall on this hand, on a pile of rocks. I thought I broke my hand it was so sore, but by the next day it was fine. No symptoms until this week, though. How weird is that.

Not very weird at all, you prob just did something that aggrivated it or managed to somehow re-injure it. Had this happen to me last year with a fall...... Not long after starting MTBing April/May) I had a nice fall on wet road and put down the hand and skated for about 20ft which must have done something to the shoulder (didn't hurt, was just a bit sore for maybe 2 days - just like yours). Then I wne on holiday in summer and did something (to this day I haven't a clue) and aggrivated/re-hashed it and had to get physio when I got back.

Oh and BTW I can as of right now sympathise w/ u as I've managed to tear some ligaments/muscles in my right thumb and haven't riden since end of Nov. and finding it just really hard to do things without using my right hand and constantly re-aggrivating it.

 

[Matno]

Yikes, could be a spine thing?? Can't remember any recent crashes, nothing impressive anyway. I'm extra-careful these days w/o health insurance.

Spine injuries are always a possibility, but less likely in this case.

Ahhhhh hang on a sec.....a couple of months ago I *did* crash (dopey slow-speed topple) and fall on this hand, on a pile of rocks. I thought I broke my hand it was so sore, but by the next day it was fine. No symptoms until this week, though. How weird is that.

Where was the pain? You might want to look up "scaphoid fracture and avascular necrosis" and see if that describes the kind of problem/injury you have had. Just something that could explain new pain several weeks/months after the initial injury.

 

[Homer Simpson]

Could also be due to nerve compression on that hand from riding. This could account for the numbness you feel. The hands take a beating while riding, even on a smooth trail there is pressure on the hands. Do you grip the bars tightly? If so, loosen up your grip some. If you don't, then don't start. Analyze your riding position and adjust if necessary. Bike fits you, not the other way.

Go see a doc who understands that you ride and will not quit and you've come to him/her for medical/surgical relief. If you can find a doc that is a rider, you are much better off. They tend to understand riding injuries better.

 

[Christine]

What would I do without mtb message boards?! This is all very helpful, gives me someplace to start.

 

[special k]

You could

post your question on the TMBRA rider forum. Under the "Ask Bike Doc" subforum there is a Dr. Nolan MD who's pretty good at helping out fellow bikers. Maybe he can give you some clues, advise, etc...

 

[dogonfr]

What would I do without mtb message boards?! This is all very helpful, gives me someplace to start.

Always a pleasure to assist a fellow MTB'er in need. You never did answer the age question

 

[Christine]

There was no age question, and doesn't figure into the equation anyway

I'm off to Google "scaphoid fracture and avascular necrosis" now........

 

[dogonfr]

How old are you & how much abuse have you put your body through, thats were your answer lies, maybe i sould say IS instead.

www.googlepain.com TTFN