Wrist pain

[Sundowner]

Hey KR,
I got a real interesting Question to ask of our beloved riders:
The Ride home from Last years Rally Did a number on my Left wrist (Feels Like a Large Friggen Nail has been driven through it at the base of the Palm), I never adjusted the hand controls (brake and clutch levers) until I broke up with my GF in december ( I did not do much riding after the rally)
Now the Pain is fairly consistant, and Im thinking i did some permantent damage to the Nerves in the process, throw in the holidays and not being able to really attend to it. I rode to work my first day back from vacation, and re-aggravated the injury (Last friday). I've heard from people that Carpal Tunnel surgery is pretty much useless right now (Plus arthitis runs in the family) and from the symtoms and some research, I beleive it is Carpal tunnel.
Ok, now on to the question, im not riding right now- at all, I dont need to get a sharp shooting pain up my arm and reflex and wreck. I am considering Trading in my 05 Kat for a cruiser ( I had no issues when I rode that harley I reviewed, or on my Mom's GZ -250 ( I took it out to test the theory) Should i trade it in for a cruiser and ride in no pain? Should I trade the Kat in for a Lighter SS Bike?? The issue is the pain, I really need some input here. All ido know is im not riding and i am miserable.
Thanks

[smitty600]

With the seating position of the cruiser you are not putting as much of your weight (if any ) on you wrist...

[KatanaSoldier]

With a smaller ss bike you are going to be putting more weight on the wrist. Rather than not ride at all, I would get the cruiser if the Kat isn't helping any more.

Have you tried grip puppies? Also, if you do not have Pazzo levers, that will also make a world of difference. If only you could get some risers like for the 750, I'm sure that would help as well.

[tzortn]

Would risers for your handle bars help? I am in the process of making some that will raise the handle bars of a 98-2007 Kat 600 about one inch. It should be a direct bolt on. PM me if you are interested.

[Jax]

There are several threads here at KR that deal with hand pain...but I'm not going to ask you to search because if you indeed have carpel tunnel it'll just aggravate it...So things to consider:

Grip of Death...sometimes you are riding and gripping the grips too tightly and can cause pain...this may not be the case this time....

Adjustable Clutch...you can upgrade the clutch to a CRG lever...you may need to upgrade the perch to a GSXR one but shouldn't be that expensive on ebay..

Heavier bar ends or filling the handle bars with BB's...it can reduce the vibrations..

Clean and adjust your clutch cable...they sell a kit that you attach a mechanism and spray can that forces a chemical that not only lubricates but cleans your clutch cable...

See a Doctor...if all else fails (sometimes it should be your first option) go see a doctor and see what they say....

Get some gel grips or touring grips for your bike...could make a difference??

Hopefully some of these tips will help...and maybe others can put in their suggestions...

[katana bob]

first, go see a doctor. find out if you did injure it, and if it can be repaired or therapied back to normal. second, make sure you're not putting weight on your wrists while riding. it takes time but it will become natural after a while. find a comfortable seating position and use your back muscles to keep your weight off your wrists. do you only have pain while riding the kat? does it hurt to type or do anything else with your hands?

[DayKat]

There are several threads here at KR that deal with hand pain...but I'm not going to ask you to search because if you indeed have carpel tunnel it'll just aggravate it...So things to consider:

Grip of Death...sometimes you are riding and gripping the grips too tightly and can cause pain...this may not be the case this time....

Adjustable Clutch...you can upgrade the clutch to a CRG lever...you may need to upgrade the perch to a GSXR one but shouldn't be that expensive on ebay..

Heavier bar ends or filling the handle bars with BB's...it can reduce the vibrations..

Clean and adjust your clutch cable...they sell a kit that you attach a mechanism and spray can that forces a chemical that not only lubricates but cleans your clutch cable...

See a Doctor...if all else fails (sometimes it should be your first option) go see a doctor and see what they say....

Get some gel grips or touring grips for your bike...could make a difference??

Hopefully some of these tips will help...and maybe others can put in their suggestions...

+1
Carpal tunnel is nothing to play with. I can't believe it had to do with riding the bike though. Maybe the bike finally did you in but surely there was prior repetative motion that brough it on. An old job perhaps? Even a sit on your butt using a computer all day will cause CT. Keyboard and mouse are notorious for CT.

Just saying because if you do go to a DR and they recommend surgery, you may be able to be compensated by a previous employer.

[Sundowner]

first, go see a doctor. find out if you did injure it, and if it can be repaired or therapied back to normal. second, make sure you're not putting weight on your wrists while riding. it takes time but it will become natural after a while. find a comfortable seating position and use your back muscles to keep your weight off your wrists. do you only have pain while riding the kat? does it hurt to type or do anything else with your hands?

Yeah, the bloody thing hurts while im at work - i do alot of lifting (16+ years of Retail Grocery Stocking) most of it is medium sized boxes that range from 18- 60 lbs. but unlike most of the kids that call in when they have a friggen head cold, i keep going. I was hoping that the vacation i was just on would do some good for it (yeah right)

To answer Jax: Yeah the ride back to FL was no picnic, the entire trip home was raining mixed with winds, instinct was more of a grip of death while me and the bike fought the entire trip home. I was dead tired after a few hours of riding, threw down a couple cups of coffee, and got back on the road.
Im gonna try the BB mod on my next day off.

Smitty600: I did a "second Opinion" tonight on the GZ- I didn't have an ounce of pain during the ride. I was thinking with with weight of the GZ (under 350lbs) that a lighter bike (cruiser or otherwise) would be an answer.
I will have to look into the Risers, I hit up a Triumph/Victory/Polaris Dealership this evening and sat on a couple bike - Im returning tomorrow to take a couple test rides (a Speed triple, is on the list, so is a 2004 HD Dyna)

This is one of the reasons i put the Kat up for sale. It ****es me off that i look in the garage and see it, and my wrist reminds why it hurts...

[toastershakins]

so. you broke up with your girlfriend and now your wrist hurts. uh huh. i think we've all been there before...

but seriously, i worked at a kill plant in nebraska for awhile when i was younger and got a little carpal tunnel. i only did it for about a year. when the doctors were testing me for it, they would tap their finger on my wrist. they said that if it felt like electricity shooting thru my finger tipes when they did it, it was probably CT.

but i will say that true CT is caused by your finger being clenched around something tightly for extended periods of time, making the tendons that run through the tunnels swell into a little ball on one side of the carpal tunnel. when you move your finger, the swollen part of the tendon has to "pop" through the tunnel, causing irritation, paralysis, and eventual death. just kidding. but it hurts. i used to wake up in the morning and open my hands and two of my fingers just wouldn't open. i'd have to grab them with my other hand and force them open. to this day, i have to sleep with my hands open and flat.

so, long story short... Carpal Tunnel is a term thats thrown around a lot, and while i'm not a doctor, it might be more likely that you have some type of repetitive motion injury, a sprain, or maybe tendenitis. or a cyst.

[DumbLuck]

My wife had carpel tunnel surgery on her left hand a week ago today. note the stylish dishpan hands. the surgery itself took 5 minutes, almost the whole time there was prep and waking up from the fentenyl and versed. wonderfull combination that is. vicodin for the expected pain after, and she's doin great. not much pain at all. stitches come out in another week, and she hopes to be back to work in 2 weeks. get checked out, the surgery isnt as bad as it sounds. Personally, i'd druther have a little surgery than give up my Kat.

[Sundowner]

Well if i do see the doctor (which i really don't want to do) and he says "yeah you need surgery" Its gonna have to wait. I have a more important surgery in the works for march. So i can deal with a little pain for now- aggravating as it is, i can deal with it. I can't deal with Kidney Failure- there is no Take two Aleve and it goes away remedy for that.

Anywho- I rode today, I know im gonna pay for it tonight/tomorrow. I test rode the 2004 Dyna, Nice bike, With my last three days of bankers hours at work, getting test rides in have been a night mare. Tomorrow I go to take a spin on a Triumph Scrambler 900. (I got to the dealership too late for them to dig it out. So i told them i would be back tomorrow.)

I tried different riding positions on the way to the dealership and on the way back, and i still have the same result- pain. (grrr)

[tankman1331]

i got a c 50 suzuki and its only lik 450lbs and its 800cc.. so it will get you around and my wrists are not to good eather and it doesnt bother me any.. i dont really hav the problem with my kat but i dont ride it for a really long period of times eather. maybe a couple hours here and there... my cruser is for the 900 mile trips...

[GytRDunKat]

Im gonna try the BB mod on my next day off.

I don't have much to add, other than see if changing positions helps, and see a doctor. I would skip the bb's and go straight to lead shot. Although, numbness is normally attribuited to vibey bars, not actual pain. I think it may be directed more towards how much weight your putting on your wrists, not vibration.

[DumbLuck]

Well if i do see the doctor (which i really don't want to do) and he says "yeah you need surgery" Its gonna have to wait. I have a more important surgery in the works for march. So i can deal with a little pain for now- aggravating as it is, i can deal with it. I can't deal with Kidney Failure- there is no Take two Aleve and it goes away remedy for that.

I'll be on paratineal dialasys in the near future myself, and i'm worried about being able to ride my Kat with a hose stickin out of my belly. As far as carpal tunnel is concerned, the longer you wait the more damage it does to the rest of your arm and shoulder, not just your wrist. Dollar to a dime if they have you out and under the knife in March they can do the carpal tunnel while they're at it. who knows, maybe they'll give you a 2 fer 1 deal on the surgeries.

[Sundowner]

I did a little test yesterday. Something i don't normally do either. I hate taking medicines of any kind, and i hate doctors even worse. before i went to work, I popped two alieve's ripped the brace off when i got to work, and had one hell of a day, my hand didn't hurt at all, the pills did an amazing job of keeping me sane and pretty much mellow for the afternoon and night last night. popped two more when i got home and i havent really felt any pain most of today either.
looks like i may have found a fix for now- just pray i don't get addicted to aleve now.

On a lighter note, I went back to the triumph Dealership today (they had a Harley i was looking at) and after making a good damn inspection of the bike, i passed on it. Too much work on my end that would need to be done after i took deleivery to make it a viable purchase (even with the 8500 Price tag)
Tomorrow i am gonna repeat the Aleve, and weather permitting cracking the kat out of the garage for a trip to work.
I will keep ya posted