Handlebar syndrome or ulnar neuropathy

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The ulnar nerve is a nerve that runs along one face of the upper limb from the shoulder to the wrist and the ring and little fingers

 Our collaborator FisioPinar Clinic tells us on this occasion the causes and treatment of this typical injury in cyclists 

The ulnar nerve is a nerve that runs along one face of the upper limb from the shoulder to the wrist and the ring and little fingers. It passes very superficially at the elbow so that any blow in that area causes a lot of symptoms and cramps, popularly called "bone of laughter".

Causes

The causes are diverse: by direct injury to the nerve due to trauma, by specific diseases, by prolonged pressure on the nerve directly, or the pressure can be caused on the nerve by inflammation of nearby tissues. That's why it's a  very typical injury in cycling,  due to the pressure exerted by the handlebar on the hand, by the blows and by the permanent vibration that can irritate the nerve.

The nerve can be affected at two levels: the elbow and the wrist. If it is compressed in the elbow it is known as cubital tunnel syndrome.

Correct and incorrect position of the hands on the handlebar

Symptoms

The most frequent symptoms begin with the numbness and the tingling of the ring finger and little finger and the ulnar part of the forearm, can also cause dSmell and burning and a decrease in sensitivity and in the most severe cases it can cause muscle weakness and even loss of strength.

Transmission

The treatment consists of sports rest until the symptoms disappear, rest splint to rest the affected area, fanti-inflammatory isiotherapy and neuromeningeal mobilizations (physiotherapy technique that consists of the sliding of the nerve, freeing it from many traps), strengthening of the muscles of the arm and forearm, analgesic treatments for pain, corticosteroids to reduce inflammation in the area and if there is true commitment you have to resort to surgery.

Incorrect handlebar position

 

Very important is the height of the seat with respect to the handlebar, since if it is too low, the entire weight of the body falls on the hands, making this syndrome more likely to appear. 

And as a prevention, the use of more padded gloves , you could fill the handlebar to cushion the pressure and it would be convenient to change the position of the hand every so often to avoid a sustained pressure.

 

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to consult your trusted professional. 

More information: http://www.clinicafisiopinar.es/es/ 

Street of Caleruega, 18 28033 Madrid

 

Photos: Humper.com/btwin.com

Handlebar Syndrome or Ulnar Neurology

The ulnar nerve is a nerve that runs along one face of the upper limb from the shoulder to the wrist and the ring and little fingers. It passes very superficially at the elbow so that any blow in that area causes a lot of symptoms and cramps, popularly called "bone of laughter".

The causes are diverse: by direct injury to the nerve due to trauma, by specific diseases, by prolonged pressure on the nerve directly or the pressure can be caused on the nerve by inflammation of nearby tissues. That is why it is a very typical injury in cycling, due to the pressure exerted by the handlebar on the hand, due to shocks and the permanent vibration that can irritate the nerve.

The nerve can be affected at two levels: the elbow and the wrist. If it is compressed in the elbow it is known as ulnar tunnel syndrome.

The most frequent symptoms begin with numbness and tingling of the ring finger and little finger and the ulnar part of the forearm, it can also cause pain and burning and a decrease in sensitivity and in the most severe cases it can cause muscle weakness and even loss of strength.

The treatment consists of sports rest until the symptoms disappear, rest splint to rest the affected area, anti-inflammatory physiotherapy and neuromeningeal mobilizations (physiotherapy technique that consists of sliding the nerve, freeing it from many traps), strengthening of the muscles of the arm and forearm, analgesic treatments for pain, corticosteroids to reduce the inflammation of the area and if there is a true compromise, surgery must be resorted to.

Very important is the height of the saddle with respect to the handlebar, since if it is too low, the entire weight of the body falls on the hands, making this syndrome more likely to appear. 

And as a precaution, the use of more padded gloves would be considerable, the handlebar could be filled to cushion the pressure and it would be convenient to change the position of the hand every so often to avoid sustained pressure.

Before cu6a doubt do not hesitate to consult your trusted professional. 

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