# Pain in elbow during and after cycling



## adam2008 (22 May 2014)

Hi Guys,

I was wondering if other get a dull pain in their elbow (for me its the left) when they cycle and afterwards?
I generally ride high on my bars and lock my arms which I find most comfortable. Should I be locking my arms or should I be keeping a very slight bend in them?
Also, I find that my left hand gets pins and needles after about 20/25 miles. I initially put this down to the position of my hand on the bars so I try and swap it a bout a bit from straight wrists to bent wrists etc...

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Adam


----------



## Berties (22 May 2014)

Could be median nerve or ulnar nerve,depending where the pins and needles are in hand,have a google and a read ,IA drop one hand at a time behind back open and close normally clears it,I regularly do chin crunches this also helps ,also good gloves and improved handle bar tape ,slight adjusts to bike set up help,good luck


----------



## ScotiaLass (22 May 2014)

adam2008 said:


> Hi Guys,
> 
> I was wondering if other get a dull pain in their elbow (for me its the left) when they cycle and afterwards?
> I generally ride high on my bars and lock my arms which I find most comfortable. Should I be locking my arms or should I be keeping a very slight bend in them?
> ...


I always ride with a slight bend, as it's the most comfortable for me but everyone's different.
I don't know what you ride but could you fit end bars? They are very useful for changing your hand position (and climbing!).
As also suggested, bike set-up, gloves etc also helps.


----------



## adam2008 (22 May 2014)

ScotiaLass said:


> I always ride with a slight bend, as it's the most comfortable for me but everyone's different.
> I don't know what you ride but could you fit end bars? They are very useful for changing your hand position (and climbing!).
> As also suggested, bike set-up, gloves etc also helps.



Thanks for the advice guys. I ride a boardman road comp.
I try to consciously put a bend in my arm but you know haw it is... they seem to lock without you knowing!!!


----------



## ScotiaLass (22 May 2014)

adam2008 said:


> Thanks for the advice guys. I ride a boardman road comp.
> I try to consciously put a bend in my arm but you know haw it is... they seem to lock without you knowing!!!


I can forgive you that! 
I ride a MTB


----------



## Kies (22 May 2014)

Locking out your arms is the cause .... I get it when riding for more than a couple of hourse. The body tires and i find myself locking out the elbows


----------



## jefmcg (22 May 2014)

About a year ago I had a problem that after a long ride I couldn't even bend my left elbow. It was bad enough that actually had to spend several minutes with my right hand slowly bringing my left arm to fully bent. This only happened on my road bike, not my folder which is more upright.

fix for me was to make sure that I didn't lock the elbow, and to consciously take it off the wheel regularly and bend it and to use it to get water etc.

Oddly, the problem vanished on day 3 of a very long hard ride, and hasn't returned


----------



## vickster (22 May 2014)

Be very wary of elbow issues caused by cycling. I needed surgery for chronic tennis elbow. See a physio. Also look at sizing and fit of bike. If the set up is right, you shouldn't lock elbows

Where on the elbow and arm is the pain?


----------



## adam2008 (22 May 2014)

vickster said:


> Be very wary of elbow issues caused by cycling. I needed surgery for chronic tennis elbow. See a physio. Also look at sizing and fit of bike. If the set up is right, you shouldn't lock elbows
> 
> Where on the elbow and arm is the pain?



Its the whole joint but more so on the back of the elbow. Today for example it hurts (not really painful) when I straighten the arm and not when its bent. I did 60 miles yesterday evening.


----------



## vickster (22 May 2014)

Ok you should get it looked at. Where do you mean by back of elbow? Around knobbly bit? Any soreness in forearm?


----------



## adam2008 (22 May 2014)

Lol, yeah the knobbly bit that point away from my body. I can squeeze it all round and there is no pain. It really is only when I straighten my arm it hurts but the pain doesn't get any worse when I straighten and squeeze so must be internal!


----------



## vickster (22 May 2014)

What happens when you grip something tight or grip and pull? If it is tennis elbow, you really don't want it becoming chronic. I had this for over a year and the surgery was dreadful. Is it a new bike or have you recently upped mileage ?

The tendon attaches elbow to forearm and is sort of in the dip just inside the knobbly bit. If it hurts when pressed, that could be the culprit


----------



## adam2008 (22 May 2014)

Nothing happens, my grip is as strong as ever but it does hurt slightly when I press in the dip.
Yeah its a new bike, I've only done 350 miles so far.

How is yours post surgery? Riding?


----------



## vickster (22 May 2014)

Yes it's much better but I am left with weakness, aching and tightness on that side. The op was 18 months ago. Indeed, I needed a second op after 8 months to remove suture and scar tissue

Could try a tennis elbow strap, check the reach ( it was a too big bike that did for me) and do not lock elbows. If continues, see gp or better a private sports physio with an interest in cycling. I suspect something about the bike is an issue


----------



## Fab Foodie (22 May 2014)

The symptoms suggest that you are sat too far forward on your bike causing the locked elbows and tingling fingers as you are having to support your upper body on the bars. It's all about 'balance', you should be able to ride fingertips only on the bars with no weight from your torso.
Core strength helps a little, but re-positioning the saddle may work wonders. See here:

http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/fitting.htm


----------



## jefmcg (22 May 2014)

adam2008 said:


> Nothing happens, my grip is as strong as ever but it does hurt slightly when I press in the dip.
> Yeah its a new bike, I've only done 350 miles so far.
> 
> How is yours post surgery? Riding?


Don't ask @vickster that. Of course she's riding. I'm not sure how many limbs you would have to amputate to get her off the bike.

eg physio says "rest and elevation"; she says "just 20 miles then"


----------



## vickster (22 May 2014)

I think the blood curdling scream as i grabbed my laden roadbike as it slid down a slope on the way to Brighton was the final straw that led to surgery! @jefmcg was witness

Do not let it get to that!


----------



## vickster (22 May 2014)

jefmcg said:


> Don't ask @vickster that. Of course she's riding. I'm not sure how many limbs you would have to amputate to get her off the bike.
> 
> eg physio says "rest and elevation"; she says "just 20 miles then"



Hey, on the bike my leg is elevated off the ground...although that may not be exactly what she meant


----------



## adam2008 (22 May 2014)

Thanks Vickster for all the advice and glad to hear you are on the mend. I'll go and get fitted properly on my bike... make sure it is all set up prope


Fab Foodie said:


> The symptoms suggest that you are sat too far forward on your bike causing the locked elbows and tingling fingers as you are having to support your upper body on the bars. It's all about 'balance', you should be able to ride fingertips only on the bars with no weight from your torso.
> Core strength helps a little, but re-positioning the saddle may work wonders. See here:
> 
> http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/fitting.htm


Thanks Fab Foodie,
I'll have a read tonight and see how I get on. I have just contacted my local shop and they want £149 to fit me to my bike! I'm not sure if this is good value but sound quite high to me!


----------



## vickster (22 May 2014)

I paid £150 for a full retul fit which took 2 hours. I didnt need to pay for any parts to change though


----------



## adam2008 (22 May 2014)

vickster said:


> I paid £150 for a full retul fit which took 2 hours. I didnt need to pay for any parts to change though



Was it worth it?


----------



## vickster (22 May 2014)

Hope so but i have only ridden 15 miles since. Ask me again after the long weekend, but as i have other injuries, I am sure it will be


----------

