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wonderwoman
Mar 31, 2003, 6:13 PM
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Hey there-
after a hard day of climbing I often wake up several times a night with both of my arms completely asleep and I have to flop around quite a bit in order to get the circulation going again. It drives me nuts! This doesn't happen to any of my climbing buddies.
also, whenever I mantle with my left hand I feel a pop in my wrist and my whole hand goes numb for a second.
What the hell is wrong with me! am I a total freak, or what?
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freezerfrost
Mar 31, 2003, 6:28 PM
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Sounds like a touch of carpal tunnel syndrome. Try lots of water and an NSAID (like ibuprofen) to reduce swelling.
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collegekid
Mar 31, 2003, 6:32 PM
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yes.
actually i don't really know. Maybe you should sleep in a different position...
i've noticed that my arms "fall asleep" easier at night since i've been climbing as well. I don't know why, besides the fact that i tend to sleep in positions where my arms are stretched out or under my head, and that causes them to lose circulation.
The mantling thing just sounds like maybe you are mantling with bad form or something, and a nerve is getting pinched when you do it. Strengthening your mantling muscles would probably help you to have better form....ie strengthen your triceps/chest.
of course i am not a physician or specialist.
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dekenstructor1
Mar 31, 2003, 7:06 PM
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i feel the pain of everyone
then i feel nothing
i know from where you come
it is hard to sleep at night sometimes
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grandwall
Mar 31, 2003, 7:17 PM
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I wake up with pins and needles after climbing hard as well but I don't think mine originated from climbing. My pinky and ring fingers go completely numb and I think it's cause my cervical vertebrae are not aligned properly (snowboarding concussion).
Carpal tunnel is possible if your thumb to middle fingers are going numb but I wouldn't suspect it if your whole arms are going numb. Have you ever dislocated your shoulder or something like that?
I wouldn't be too concerned with the whole wrist thing but you could do some dumbbell exercises to strengthen them up.
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dekenstructor1
Mar 31, 2003, 8:25 PM
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grandwall writesIn reply to: I wouldn't be too concerned with the whole wrist thing....
i cannot figure why one shouldn't be concerned at least until one has had a licensed medical doctor asses the issue
the little things that we ignore often become big things later on
if you are concerned enough to question, be concerned enough to ask someone who can answer your concern (i.e., a doctor)
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dsafanda
Mar 31, 2003, 8:41 PM
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It certainly sounds like a nerve has become slightly aggravated or entrapped. However, there are a number of places that a nerve can become entrapped. The carpel tunnel in your wrist is just one possibility. There is also more than one nerve in your arm that can become entrapped. For example, I had ulnar nerve transposition surgery on my elbow four years ago to release and permanently move the ulnar nerve running through my elbow. I'm not suggesting this is what you have. I'm suggesting you ask a doctor. They'll probably want to do a nerve conduction test. This will detect and pin point any neuropathy that might be present.
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dirtineye
Mar 31, 2003, 9:48 PM
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I had some of this stuff, and the doc said is was a nerve in the brachial plexus. Like the others with good sense, I'd say go see the doctor. Sad part is, if it is the brachial plexus, you'll just have to wait it out. Takes a while too.
If I remember right, it can be caused by some muscles growing a lot and pinching a nerve a bit when you use em. Pins n needles, little elctric shocks, feels just plain weird right?
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coldclimb
Mar 31, 2003, 10:08 PM
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hmm, that would explain why my arms kept falling asleep while I was sleeping the other night. I thought it was just wierd positions, but maybe the fact that I had just been climbing did something too. 8)
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glencoe
Apr 1, 2003, 2:18 PM
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I had the same symptoms. After seeing many bad doctors I went to a wonderful Stanford-trained neurologist. She did nerve conductivity tests and found nerve damage and carpal tunnel. The first treatment is to take $32 to Walgreens and buy the rigid wrist braces. You wear these only at night. (Some say wear them during the day...but this is wierd and may cause more damage---my occupational MD said only at night....see what your's says.) I got intant relief. After months, the symptoms went away. If I climb or type a lot, the symptoms come back. Of course see your doctor for a for sure....but not all docs are knowledgeable. Occupational physicians or neurologists are most likely to know. If it is carpal tunnel, it is very important to stem the nerve damage. Those who ignore it can loose the use of their hands.....forever. One of my partners is a hand surgeon...and he said to get a nerve "release." After seeing a bunch of docs..... I decided that I am not at that stage.....and the $32 braces fill my needs.---------------Good Luck :)
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neadamthal
Apr 1, 2003, 2:51 PM
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:shock:
i've had the same symptoms - both the dead arms and the popping wrist. the arms - for me at least - i'm sure are a result of sleeping on them and there's not much you can do besides strapping yourself down to sleep in the proper position (or, if you're lucky, get your partner to strap you down and make the best of the situation!).
as far as the wrists go, i am on a computer all day and am VERY aware of wrist pain. any sort of pressure/pain/tingles in the hands should be an eye opener. get it checked out. more strength in your chest and tris will probably help some, but besides that, i think just being conscious of it is all you can do (unless the doctor tells you to stop climbing, but you can't do that!). if you feel pain or whatever, stop for the day, or at least stop doing that motion that's causing the pain.
but what do i know!?...
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dekenstructor1
Apr 1, 2003, 3:19 PM
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damn :!:
i had taken about a month off of hard climbing
(just focused on VERY light bouldering)
because of my elbow
started in fairly moderately last week
felt good
but after going pretty hard this weekend, my elbow is back to killing me
very sad
i hate the time off
:cry: :cry:
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overlord
Apr 11, 2003, 12:46 PM
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consider NOT sleeping wth your arms under your body. it helped me :wink:
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wonderwoman
Apr 11, 2003, 1:18 PM
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hmm... I could be sleeping on my right side and my left arm would still go numb, but only after intense bouldering or climbing. it's calmed down a bit, but I also notice that it's mostly my left arm that gets pins and needles. And then I noticed that sometimes there is a fluttering feeling on the inside of my left elbow, like I'm having muscle spasms or something. I've had a low key climbing week so it's hasn't done it in a couple days.
Maybe I will go see my doc again. She seems to look at me like I'm a freak with most of my complaints.
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bluebeard
Apr 22, 2003, 8:47 AM
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About thirty years ago when I started heavy construction I started having the same symptoms. Pins and needles and numb lower arms and hands.Painful. Went to the doctor and was given a prescription for niacin (a B vitamin).It seemed to work.
These days I try to eat better but when the symptoms occur, usually after several days of hard climbing or a few days of lousy diet (big walls)or both, I take a niacin suppliment and it works .
A few years ago was shown a pressure point on the upper arm about the midpoint on the outside of the arm that you could press on for a few minutes and the symptoms would go away. I believe it is where the nerves to the forearm and hand cross over the bone. This works pretty well although it can be difficult to find the pressure point upon being awakened and in pain.
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v_nick
Apr 22, 2003, 1:19 PM
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When I finished my undergrad I got a job labouring and I would get both of these problems. The pins and needles really freaked me when I first started getting it, mostly when I was sleeping or when I sat down without moving much, like at the movies or whatever. I'm not a doctor so take my advice with a grain of salt, but if you take things sensibly and maybe a little easy, it should go away. It did for me. I was doing 50 hour weeks of shovel and pick work and climbing in the evenings and on weekends and my body was on a steep curve to catch up with what I was asking from it. When I saw the doc he reckoned it was because the muscles had grown faster than the rest of the junk in my arms had been able to keep up with and accommodate, so they were pushing on nerve endings and squashing their own blood flow and silly things like that. I don't know if you've just upped your training or whatever, but it could be the same sort of thing. Just give your body the time to grow, heal and get its equilibrium back.
On the cautious side however, don't expect too much from your body too quickly. No one is a teenager anymore. If your body is not right, it's because there is something wrong. It is doing a perfect job of highlighting an aspect of your climbing or training that needs to be adjusted, even if only for a couple of months. See a doctor or a physio or something and get some professional advice about it. Better than that, they aren't attached to your forearms anyway and they don't know exactly how it feels, use your brain, listen to your body and do for it what you think needs to be done.
Nick
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aimeerose
Apr 23, 2003, 2:05 AM
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Okay, before you freak out because you think you have a nerve problem, let's get some clarification. Do you get tingling or do your hands just fall asleep? My hands fall asleep often just because I sleep so deep I don't notice it happening. I just shake them out and they're okay. You might just sleep deeper after you climb hard and therefore not notice until they are asleep. You might consider sleeping with a small pillow under your left arm when you are on your right side. This will open up the shoulder area and help increase blood flow.
If it was carpal tunnel you would get tingling in your thumb and first two fingers.
As for doing mantles, you probably have hypermobile joints because you are female. When your wrists pop, a bone might shift out of place and impinge a blood vessel or nerve temporarily. If this is the case, you should stregthen your wrist extensors.
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wonderwoman
Apr 23, 2003, 12:53 PM
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Its pins and needles, not like general 'falling asleep numbness' that happens to my left arm at night. Mostly in my fingers.
Another strange thing happened to me the other night. I was reaching for a hold way over my head and when I reached for it and hung on it a tingling 'pins and needles' sensation shot up from my left shoulder and traveled all the way up my arm.
All I know is my left arm is weird. I seem to be having muscle spasms on the inside of my left elbow too. I think I will bring all this up to my doc. She thinks I'm nuts for climbing int the first place.
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ptone
Apr 23, 2003, 3:12 PM
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I noticed the same thing at night.
I assumed a combination of things, none of which was actual nerve damage. Tho if you fear it, check it out.
Climbing pumps me up good, making the muscles larger and harder than at rest, this cuts a little of the circulation through the tighter areas, esp your shoulder joint.
After climbing i am usually a bit sore, so i lie with my arms stretched out, go to sleep with one up over my head.
When they are stretched over my head, it tends to pinch the vessels in my shoulder areas.
If i wake up, often the arm stretched up is dead. It is a nasty feeling, gives me an idea of what dead bodyweight is about, cant even move it sometimes, just this cold dead thing attached to my body (uuggghh!)
A bit of slapping and shaking, and the pins and needles start to return, and in no time its back to normal.
Unpleasantly interesting, but not vapour harmful.
peace,
-p
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timpanogos
Apr 23, 2003, 3:41 PM
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This can also be caused by Rotator Cuff (shoulder) I have two bad ones - one has been ground out - helped a bunch - other not bad enough yet. A hard days climbing definately causes me the same problems at night.
Chad
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aimeerose
Apr 23, 2003, 6:20 PM
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The pins and needles from reaching for a hold above your head could be due to impingement of a nerve in your shoulder area.
Are all your fingers getting pins and needles or just certain ones? This is a very important aspect to figure out what might be wrong.
If your doc thinks your nuts, you might try seeing someone who's used to seeing active people like a physical therapist or sports medicince doctor.
Are your elbow problems at the inside or outside, back or front of your elbow?
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wonderwoman
Apr 23, 2003, 8:16 PM
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Yeah, I don't think they are used to seeing climbing injuries in East Boston. I have to see who else my insurance will cover.
The musclue spasms are on the inside of my elbow, closer to my forearm, and on the inner side that is closer to my body.
The next time it happens I will take notice as to which fingers are tingly. When it wakes me up, I am only alert enough to know that something strange is happening and flop around until I regain normal feeling!
Thanks for getting me thinking. I thought I was the only one with this problem because none of my climbing buddies get this.
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aimeerose
Apr 24, 2003, 4:24 PM
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It sounds like you are overstraining your wrist flexors (very common in climbers, that's what happens when you get "pumped out"). You may need to take more rest days between climbing days. Also be sure to warm up before pulling down and stretch your forearms. Don't do this by pulling on your fingers, but pull on the base of your fingers and your palm. This will help prevent finger strain.
Take care of it now, or you could develop medial epicondylitis (tendonitis of the wrist flexor tendons).
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astedman
Apr 19, 2013, 11:51 AM
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yep... It is definately the rock climbing..... I am 58 and have never experianced my hands or arms falling asleep at night while sleeping. But it started happening 2 weeks ago nightly.... I started climbing for the first time 3 weeks ago. just figured out today the corelation between the two. So, I did a search on the web and found this..... at least now I know the cause and can look for remedies.... thanks for the post guys....
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Kartessa
Apr 19, 2013, 1:47 PM
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astedman wrote: yep... It is definately the rock climbing..... I am 58 and have never experianced my hands or arms falling asleep at night while sleeping. But it started happening 2 weeks ago nightly.... I started climbing for the first time 3 weeks ago. just figured out today the corelation between the two. So, I did a search on the web and found this..... at least now I know the cause and can look for remedies.... thanks for the post guys....
Only took 10 years, but now everyone can rest easy because you finally found an answer.
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