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Wrist problems are due to ulnar or medial nerve compression, known as “handle bar palsy”. The nerves becomes inflamed, usually either at the elbow or the wrist, if they have to absorb vibration and shock transmitted to the arm or when the hand and arm are maintained in a fixed position for a long time.
The median nerve runs into the wrist under the carpal tunnel formed by a tendon on the palm side and the wrist bones on the other side, and gives sensation to the thumb and next two fingers and power to muscle on that side of the hand .
The ulnar nerve runs down on behind the inner side of the elbow (in the "cubital fossa"). It gets into the hand at the wrist, and supplies sensation to the little finger and ring finger and the muscles of that part of the hand,but lies over the tendon of the wrist, not going through the carpal tunnel like the median nerve. The ulna nerve is liable to irritation in the cubital fossa.Because it does not travel through the carpal tunnel it is not affected by "carpal tunnel" syndrome like the median nerve.However, the angle at which the wrist is held on a bike can still cause deformation of the nerve.
Handlebar bar palsy has got more common as mountain bikes and off-road cycling have become more popular However, bumpy surfaces are not the only causes. Improper adjustment of the bicycle to the size and anatomical characteristics of the rider may make handlebar palsy more likely, if the handlebars are too low relative to the height of the saddle. In addition, if the front of the saddle is tilted downward, thrusting body weight forward on to the hands and arms, or if the bicycle frame is too large for the rider, necessitating a stretch to reach the handlebars, the risk of handlebar palsy increases.
See Also: Cycling;carpal tunnel syndrome
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