All Cyclists should always wear protective gloves

"Article by Michael O'Shea"

After motorcycling for several hours, I now experience recurring pain and numbness in my hand. Can this be a sign of arthritis?

If the pain and numbness in your hand are alleviated with rest. it's more likely that you have activity induced tendinitis; nerve irritation (such as carpal tunnel syndrome, in which the median nerve is irritated at the wrist); or joint inflammation (synovitis), resulting from sudden, forceful impact against the handle grip.

   "The hand is the body part most commonly injured in all sports," says Dr. Charles Melone, director of orthopedic hand surgery at New York University Medical Center.

"In motorcyclists, the vibration of the motor going through the handle grips to the hands can cause injuries. And in cyclists in general whether they ride motorcycles or bicycles--- the continuous force of gripping and controlling, the constant pressure and the impact force or uneven roads and bumps also cause injuries.”

Diagnosis. Tendinitis and nerve and .nerve irritation can be diagnosed by a focused physical exam.  A diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome may require electrodiagnostic studies,  commonly called EMGs, Bone and joint injuries of the hand and wrist can be identified with high-quality X-rays. Occasionally, special studies---such as bone scans, tomography or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) ---are required.

Treatment. Depending on the diagnosis, treatment will range from a period of rest or simple splinting to hand rehabilitation, inject able anti-inflammatory medications or (rare in the case of cyclists) surgical correction.

Prevention. All cyclists--bicyclists too--should always increase comfort, decrease the possibility of abrasions and blisters, improve gripping ability and offset potentially harmful forces, such as excessive vibration and direct impact. Similarly, the handle grips should be the correct size for the user and contoured properly for the hands, thereby increasing skills and safety.

Arthritis of the hands. Arthritis is characteristically associated with small jont swelling, tenderness, limited finger motion and pain at rest.

The pain worsens from stress, such as when motorcycling. Also, in arthritis, symptoms generally recur regardless of your activities.

The bottom line: If you suffer persistent or recurrent symptoms--- whatever the cause--- get a medical evaluation, preferably by a physician specializing in hand disorders.

And, for a free brochure, send a self-addressed, stamped, business-sized envelope to: Common Hand Problems, American Academy of Orthopedics Surgeons, P.O. Box 2058, Dept. P. Des Plains, ILL. 60017

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