Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Lounge Think I need a Chiropractor

After just a few miles on the bike my thumb,pointer and middle fingers on my right hand go numb.Any body else have this problem.Never has happened before just started yesterday

Happens quite often to me, on both hands. I'm under the impression that it's carpal tunnel syndrome. Happens at random and varying intensity. Surgery is an option, but not for me. I don't think a chiropractor is gonna help it but i've been wrong before... once.

Get a "Throttle Rocker".
Best 10 bucks I ever spent!

Happens to me all the time, I figured maybe I'm holding on too tight. So now on long rides I try to relax my hands a little more than I used to, seems to help. Also I think a throttle rocker is in my future.

I get that problem sporadically. I just tell myself I need to ride more to make it go away...haha

Chriopractors are supposed to be the cure for everything wrong with you. The main theory I agree with...If youre spine is misaligned from your neck and hips then it can cause other problems in your body.

Same thing with the steering on a car being misaligned and wearing the tires abnormally and then affecting everything down the line.

The problem is that the body adapts to having messed up posture so the pain you have today might be gone in a week but the problem will still exist. The best way to live is to have your spine inline, and visting "THE MAN" twice a week at $50 an adjustment...ahah

I broke the top of my tailbone when i was younger and it shifted my lower vertebrae so it pinched a nerve between the top of tailbone and my first vertabrae. I had to go 2-3 times a week to get everything aligned to help heal the facture. I myself think that after going to get adjusted that much, your body pops out of align more often, but im not sure if they tell you that or not.

I get numbness of the hands but I can almost set my watch to when it'll happen for me. From mid-November till early March almost every time I'm on my bike for more than 10-15 min both hands go completely numb. I don't really know what's going on but as soon as I go inside the numbness starts going away and my hands hurt for a while. They always get better so I'm not really worried about it. I wonder what it is, weird huh?

I used to have numbness in my right hand and shoulder. When I read this I realized I haven't had it since I put on floor boards. I think the inability to move around and change my grip must have been the problem. What do ya know!

Time to think about changing the angle your hands are at on the handlebars gents. Think of the carpal tunnel as a drinking straw that the bundle of nerves that control hands goes through. When your wrist bends at certain angles the tunnel collapses and pinches the nerves. I've been using an Evoluent mouse to combat the syndrome with great success over the past 20 months. It's all in the wrist

Relax your shoulders, if I have a bad at work (I should say if others have a bad at work) by the time I ride home - 20 min. ride - I have the same thing.
My Chiropractor who also rides says relax the shoulders!

HTH Skip

What I think I hear being described as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a compressive disorder on the median nerve giving rise to the numbness on the first three digits. There is a bit of a cummulative affect on these nerves as they leave the neck, travel across the elbow and finally emerge from the wrist. Compression at all of these areas can result the the numbness and tingling. Wrist position at the extremes of flexion or extension can make this worse, as can tense shoulders and strained elbows... Throttle boss, careful look at position and level of tension can all help.

Numbness in the forefinger (pointer) and thumb need not be carpal tunnel I have had that condition for many years...they repeatedly told me it was carpal tunnel...thankfully after many heated conversations with my neurologist (whom I fired shortly after he said "Mr Johnson those symptoms are not from carpal tunnel and you have carpal tunnel...frikkin rocket scientist) turns out, after and extensive Electromylogram session...which I would only recommend to my worse enemies...that I had brachial plexus damage (shoulder) and likely would have no sensation in those digits again...so I must echo the "relax your shoulder advice. The major nerve group passes thru your shulder and if you're tensed up you could be putting presure on that nerve...mine runs about 2/3 up my forearm also...Od being a righty and having no true sensation in tha better portion of your right hand...does come in handy when grabbing hot things though

what i find odd is i am fused, front and back, c3 to c7, living with numbness and burning 24-7 due to spinal cord damage, and it is only activities like motorcycling (or boating or sex or anything other than idleness) that make me feel better!!

There ya have it. Idleness=bad.

Get fit. You'll find improvements in all aspects of your life, including riding.
Good muscle tone actually helps muscles relax.

Not to mention the support of a strong core while riding.

i couldn't agree more!!

My hands go numb from time to time, I agree on the throttle rocker. Also if your hands are above your heart it tends to make it worse.

Kury ISO grips helped my numbness go away...that and the heated gloves.

I have a lot of things go numb from time to time.. some of it is due to age, some is from lifting weights - 12 oz. weights...

Is the bike developing a vibration? Maybe the carbs need balanced and the pilots adjusted. Maybe the front tire is cupped and transmitting a vibe into the bars.

Does it happen when you push a lawn mower? Use a weed whacker? Run a jackhammer?

In other words, is it medical or mechanical...?

My thumbs hurt everytime after a ride..But with me I think its an old injury catching up with me.Broke both wrists about 15 yrs ago,at the same time(not motorcycle related).
You find out just how much your woman loves ya when you cant zip up your own fly.

I wonder some times..5000 yrs from now when some archiologist is studying my bones, hes gonna say"Man this guy was a freakin clutz"

Guys,, I have 3 CASES of throtle rockers left over.. I use them as give aways at shows and what have you.. I will see if I can dig them up,, thye are yours for the asking, I just ask to kick in a dollar for shipping..

The vintage grips from new bonneville work great to reduce vibration

Since I started this post I'm asking as well.Where do I send my dollar

Hi folks,

I have the same problem. Accupuncture, chirporatic, surgery, etc...are all things we can do to help out bodies. However, I had met a nuerosurgeon about my issues with numbness and he offered some solutions (he rides a bike also)...the use of a back support (belt type) and drivers seat back rest along with handle bar pull back risers will greatly reduce the stress on various imppinging nerves in the body. Correct posture is critical as he put it. He also suggested the use of larger (thicker) grips and the cramp busters for throttles. I was quite suprised that he also suggested that for those who do riding of more than 30 minute rides that are on highways, to get cruise control devices.

He explained to me that most of the symptoms relate to carpel tunnel and impinged nerves either in the neck, shoulders, or suprisingly, the lower back. Since meeting with him last month (I get severe siatica)I have started wearing the backaline support belts and put on a custom made drivers back rest (I made it myself). My numbness has been reduced significantly. My next purchase is the pull back risers.

Just hope this helps.

Ron

I too am asking. Where do I send a $1.

I get the numbness to, but I thought that had to do with high frequency vibrations over 3500 rpm.

chris.

Go to chiro, go to a PALMER graduate. Chiropractic is about more than the spine, it is about flow, and perhaps that is part/all of the issue. Being/getting fit is a big plus, but chiropractic is a perfect compliment to beign fit. Look for a good chiro, not all are made equal.

Ok let me ;locste the boxes of them.. I have them, just got to put my hands on them..

Here send the money to my home office with a return address so I can ship you one or 2 or how ever many you want out.. figure a dollar per rocker.. Also it would be nice if some money was donated ot the board in the in a fallen ridders name!

Matt Garlock
102 B Shagbark trail
North Charleston, SC 29418

Make sure you put 102 B and not just 102 or it will go to the house and i only chekc the mail there one or twice a month..

+1

I have been to several Chiropractors over the years and the ones who helped me with neck, shoulder, and back problems were sincerely concerned with my well-being. They were old-school - put me in pretzel mode and things went snap, crackle, pop. But I walked out feeling great. They told me to come back if I needed to...
The ones who didn't help were only concerned with me coming in 3 times a week for the rest of my life.

If you do decide to go, ask a lot of questions, listen to the answers, then do a lot of research online and educate yourself. If he gives you exercises - do them.

And if he tells you to drink lots of fluids after a treatment - do that too. Otherwise you'll wake up the next day wondering who kicked the crap out of you....

Thats a very generous offer Ditch_dr...I'll take you up on one...thanks...I'll send you the buck soon.