Lately when I've been paddling I developed pain in my right wrist. It starts off in my wrist and then my hand will go numb. If I am paddling a OC1 I can slow down and rest it a bit. In the OC6, I don't feel like letting the rest of the crew down, so I keep paddling...eventually it feels like my hand down to my elbow goes numb and tingles? Has anyone else had this problem and or knows if I am doing irrepairable damage? And If so what type of exercises have helped?
Submitted by Sloughcanoe on Sat, 07/29/2006 - 8:32pm
You more than likely have carpal tunnel syndrome, pinched nerve in wrist causes fingers to go numb . I had this too a few years ago , had to have surgery to get it fixed. Not to worry, it
s very common and an easy fix. Sometimes it can go away its self if you quit paddling for a while .My wrist has been fine for several years since Ive had the surgery done and I didnt have to quit paddling . If I were you , Id get a doctors opinion.Fuzerider
#1 Sun, 07/30/2006 - 5:24am
It helped me to wear some type of wrist wrap/support (compression) while paddling and at night. I have also heard of some other non-surgery treatments, but haven't tried any.
#2 Sun, 07/30/2006 - 10:40am
Thanks for the help. I really appreciate it. Typing on the computer probably doesn't help......
#3 Sun, 07/30/2006 - 12:51pm
I have never had a problem with my wrist but I did have pains in my shoulder area that would often move down to my elbow and it would only happen when I was sitting still it never affected my paddling or lifting weights. I went to a medical doctor and he advised me to take asprin or ibuprofen and allot of rest to let it heal, well needless to say it never got better. I then went to accupuncture twice and the pain disappered for about 4 months then started to show itself again so I was going to go again but decided to try a chiropractor that all of my friends go to and after the second visit I saw immediate results. Before getting any surgury I would advise you see a chiropractor because it could be that you are out of alignment which forces you to move a certain way or adjust your paddling in ways that you may not notice. I am in no way a doctor of any sort but trust me it dosn't hurt to try. The person I go to cost $100 the first visit and $40 each additional but you may want to ask your friends about who they go to. If you need my guys number I'll be glad to pass it on if requsted he is located near Ala Moana. Shoots
#4 Sat, 08/05/2006 - 7:57pm
It's possible you just need to stretch more, especially the Scalene muscles in your neck. Tension here can cut the blood flow to your arms and cause numbness in the hands. Here's a link to a site that shows the muscles, how to stretch them and the pressure points to release them. Before you spend $ on chiros or surgery, try this for a few days and see if it helps. Tension in the Serratus Posterior muscle can also cause numbness in the hands. You can find stretching technique/pressure points for this (as well as every other major muscle group in the upper body) on the site as well. Good luck.
http://www.pressurepointer.com/Scalene_trigger_points.htm
#5 Sun, 08/06/2006 - 12:10pm
I had carpal tunnel surgery. One way to check for it is to hold your hand palm up and relaxed. Think "limp wrist"
upside down. Then tap with the first 2 fingers of your other hand on the wrist and if it tingles you've got carpal tunnel syndrome. My surgery eliminated the problem related to that, like stuff falling out of your hand,not being able to make a fist etc. Funny thing is I still get numb hands or fingers when paddling. It is related to a herniated disc in the neck which gets aggravated from getting pumped up muscles when paddling and that pinches whatever nerves that are close by. When the numbness starts I "drum" my fingers in the "air" in the recovery phase of my stroke and that helps. I've made also a habit of icing my neck as soon as I'm done paddling.
Point is to try everything possible before surgery.
Good luck
#6 Thu, 08/17/2006 - 5:45am
I posted a response about the new Bent shaft paddles from Kialoa It is in the "double bend" string. This paddle addresses the problem with sore wrists and numbness during paddling. In short the bent shaft allows the wrist to be in a more natural position when starting the stroke. pictures can be seen at www.oceanohana.com two blade sizes available. Lolo is the man's blade, and Pono is the womens version or OC-1 paddle.
#7 Tue, 08/29/2006 - 7:01pm
There's several things that cause this condion. If your paddling with an all graphite blade like a black bart you will develop pain in your wrists, elbows and shoulders due to the stiffness of the shaft. A blade with a wood shaft has more flex to absorb the shock. If the paddle is too big it will cause extra strain on your joints. I was using a 53 double bend with 11 inch blade this reggata season and developed numbness in my hands and forearms towards the end of the season. If you are using too much arm and forearm motion in your technique this will also cause extra strain on your wrists. Last but not least paddling in cold water will also cause this. Unless this is a chronic condition that has persisted for years surgery is not the answer, this condition can be remedied by changes in equipment and technique. Good Luck!
#8 Fri, 09/15/2006 - 12:28pm
I can relate to using too much forearm and muscle. I learned to paddle about 25 years ago and we were using the reach and pull technique. Now after many years out of the paddling scene, the technique has changed. When I started paddling again, I had to re-learn and my hands would get numb because I was doing too much pulling and not enough digging and twisting and letting the body moved the paddle. After many months ( and stretching the neck muscles to let the blood flow to the hands), my numbness has significantly lessened.Before I couldn't go 10 minutes without my hands felt like they had no feeling. Now I can go at least for a longer period and it's not so intense. Definatly technique is the key.
#9 Wed, 09/20/2006 - 8:26am