Numb hands

[Will]

I know this is for tree health but: My hands have started to go numb at random times. Its like pins and needles but it wont go away. I was thinking chainsaw/motorcycle vibration. Anyone got a miracle cure?:?

[No_Bivy]

you climbing on a blakes hitch? ICE your elbows and wrists.......vitamen I:D

[Will]

Im on a VT mostly and its almost frozen here as it is!

[No_Bivy]

When I rode my mtn bike almost daily iwas having that problem.....rest fo' awhile

[MasterBlaster]

Tape your wrist, sometimes your forearm.

[Blinky]

It could well be a pinched nerve about mid-spine. First thing to try is a serious massage therapist... not the mamby pamby swedish massage types... deep massage by someone who knows backs.

[Che]

Carpel Tunnel Syndrome? Vibration from chainsaw will make it worse. Do you ever wake up with your hands numb and/or painful?

[Burnham]

Might give a pair of anti-vibe gloves a try when you're running the saws.

[NeTree]

Check your saws' anti-vibe mounts. They can and do get less effective as time goes on.

[Al Smith]

It could be caused by a lot of things.Swinging a hammer,climbing ,running a jack hammer,chainsaw .

On the old rigid mounted saws I used to lay on about 4 layers of rubber tape then 4 of Scotch #33 over that on the handles .It helped .

Actually the worst I ever got was extended trips on the old "widow maker " Harley chopper .Lucky it had a 2 gallon tank and you had to gas up about every 80 or so miles . Hands tingled so much I had to grip a cup of coffee with both hands .

[Frans]

Actually the worst I ever got was extended trips on the old "widow maker " Harley chopper .Lucky it had a 2 gallon tank and you had to gas up about every 80 or so miles . Hands tingled so much I had to grip a cup of coffee with both hands .

HA! Nice to hear that happened to someone else as well. I used to ride this old Ducati, the thing would vibrate me all to hell.
Got pulled over by this cop, and he accused me of being high because my hands were shaking.

[RIVERRAT]

I used to have the same symptoms. You need to go to Walmart get a cheep brace that keeps your wrist straight while you sleep.

Doing wrist curls while resting the forearms on a bench or table helped me greatly. 3 sets of 15.

Go easy at first or you could do more harm than good.
Yes, it sounds like Carpel Tunnel Syndrom.

[stehansen]

Carpel Tunnel Syndrome? Vibration from chainsaw will make it worse. Do you ever wake up with your hands numb and/or painful?

That's what I was thinking. Ibuprofen or stuff like that will help temporarily, the hot water and then cold water will help also. Gloves too. The first time I got it I built a new fence in my back yard and I aggrevated things by tamping the posts in.

[squisher]

I suffer in the hands department. No way around it that I know of, lots of good advice so far. Hot and cold treatments, vitamin I. I never had much luck with braces, but maybe cause I couldn't stand wearing them either.

I have also had some success with deep massage to loosen my shoulders and forearms. I have found in order for the massage to be effective it must be extemely painful, like bad enough you really start to wonder why you put yourself through it. You need a good strong masseuse who knows what their doing otherwise I think you're just wasting time though.

When in doubt have another ibuprofen. :D

[Al Smith]

A lot of it has to do with the way we grip things .We do it in such a way we feel we must but not always in a good way ergonomically speaking,we just don't know any better .

[Cobleskill]

Anybody have trouble with their thumbs? I think it is tendonitis in mine. If I use them to hard or give them a dose of impact, like using a slide hammer, I pay the price in pain. Learning my limits is about all have found that works. Anybody else?

[squisher]

Yes on the thumbs. Bad and they're weak or atleast I have to watch not to overexert them. I suspect it's a early arthritis setting in or some type of damage due to the years of numbness/lack of blood flow. But......I dunno fo sure.

Vitamin I is the wonder drug for me. A couple over coffee in the morning and I'm good to go.

[No_Bivy]

I used to have the same symptoms. You need to go to Walmart get a cheep brace that keeps your wrist straight while you sleep.Doing wrist curls while resting the forearms on a bench or table helped me greatly. 3 sets of 15.Go easy at first or you could do more harm than good.Yes, it sounds like Carpel Tunnel Syndrom.good point....nighttime numbness

[gf beranek]

When I was in my 20's I had numbness and white finger for years. It really affected my fly fishing on the rivers in the early mornings.

Found out years later that it was the way I slept. For some reason I tucked my hands under me. When I broke that habit the circulation came back and the numbness and white finger went away. Nearly 60 now and it's never been a problem since.

I hope it's as simple of a fix for you.

[No_Bivy]

When I was in my 20's I had numbness and white finger for years. It really affected my fly fishing on the rivers in the early mornings.

Found out years later that it was the way I slept. For some reason I tucked my hands under me. When I broke that habit the circulation came back and the numbness and white finger went away. Nearly 60 now and it's never been a problem since.

I hope it's as simple of a fix for you.

mee too.

[brendonv]

When I was in my 20's I had numbness and white finger for years. It really affected my fly fishing on the rivers in the early mornings.

Found out years later that it was the way I slept. For some reason I tucked my hands under me. When I broke that habit the circulation came back and the numbness and white finger went away. Nearly 60 now and it's never been a problem since.

I hope it's as simple of a fix for you.

I was going to mention this, but I thought it was silly. For a few months recently, my elbows have been killing me during the day. I couldn't figure out why. One night before I fell asleep I noticed my arm underneath my head under the pillow....BINGO!

Had to rethink my sleeping process. :)

[gf beranek]

Exactly.

[squisher]

Interesting, I may have to look into that a little myself.

[Skwerl]

My old man always told me it was from whacking off too much. :what:

[MasterBlaster]

And we all know how much his advice meant to you!

[stehansen]

My old man always told me it was from whacking off too much. :what:

Well, was it?:)

[Blinky]

My old man always told me it was from whacking off too much. :what:

Whacking off and your hand goes to sleep... the ultimate rejection. :cry:

[Will]

Many thanks for the advice (except the wanking bits, i have a very helpful girlfriend so its not that.) ill try them all!:D

[squisher]

Whacking off and your hand goes to sleep... the ultimate rejection. :cry:

Lmao!!!:lol:

[Mike Maas]

I don't buy into the whack theory, when I was running a saw hard daily, I had trouble with numb hands, they would wake me up at night, but since I haven't been running saws much, I haven't had any trouble at all.

[NeTree]

I don't buy into the whack theory, when I was running a saw hard daily, I had trouble with numb hands, they would wake me up at night, but since I haven't been running saws much, I haven't had any trouble at all.

All the more reason to take care of your anti-vibe mounts. :)

[MasterBlaster]

All the more reason to take care of your anti-vibe mounts. :)

How do you do that? You use them until they break, then replace them. Are you talking about unnecessary yanking ang pulling on the handle? :?

[Frans]

How do you do that? You use them until they break, then replace them. Are you talking about unnecessary yanking ang pulling on the handle? :?

What I have always done. Sure cannot see swapping mounts when they are not broken. Anyhow, seems like the looser they are, the more vibrations they would absorb. Stiffer mount would mean more vibrations transferred.
:?:?

[squisher]

Nope. Mounts can wear out(become much less effective)long before they break. Espescially on the old rattle your teeth out Husky's. That said I'd never change 'em until they broke either.

[Mike Maas]

Some saws are a lot worse than others when it comes to vibration, that is for sure.
That is the single biggest improvement with the new line of Stihls. Some of those old saws are horrible when it comes to vibration.
Spring suspension is better than rubber, and the new hybrid rubber over springs are even better.

[NeTree]

Change them every couple of years, and yes... don't yank and wrench on them unnecessarily.

Most anti-vibe mounts work not just by being "cushy" material. They're also designed to dampen certain "frequencies"; when they get old and worn, they don't respond to those frequencies the same way.

On the other end of it, try to notice how hard you grip your saw. Most people (me included) have a tendency to grip tighter and tighter as the cut goes on. Don't grip the saw with all your might if you don't need to; use enough force to keep the saw safely in control, little more.

[MasterBlaster]

Good to know, Erik. KInda like how a brand new tire can be no good after 6 years.

[NeTree]

Meant to add also that worn mounts tend to require you to push them to their limit of travel to get any pressure in the cut... at the limit, they're not working at all anyways. Kinda like a shock absorber in your car when it bottoms out.

:)

[Mike Maas]

Change them every couple of years, and yes... don't yank and wrench on them unnecessarily.

Most anti-vibe mounts work not just by being "cushy" material. They're also designed to dampen certain "frequencies"; when they get old and worn, they don't respond to those frequencies the same way.



Think that's true for spring mounts too?

[NeTree]

Absolutely. Steel springs can wear out, too. As time goes on, spring steel becomes more crystalline in grain structure- less "elastic", in other words- as a result of punishing vibration, heat, and pressure you apply. You usually can't see it, but you can measure that the spring takes less force to compress/expand than it did when new. And again, worn out components don't filter out the vibrations as well. After time, you're limiting out the springs, and getting the full force of the motor.

Which, is where using less pressure in your cut, and keeping a sharp chain can come in. Less pressure, less likelihood of bottoming out the mounts... better vibration damping.

[Frans]

I used to run saws half sharp alot. Now when it loses that edge I stop and fix it right away. Makes a big difference with my body.

[Al Smith]

The rubber mounts used on saws have a tendency to become hard as a rock after a period of soaking up bar oil much like the engine mounts on a auto engine . I have no clue how a person could avoid getting bar oil on them to prevent this from happening .

I do know that the top rear mount on most Stihls controls to a great extent the movements associated with the intake boot .If this mount fails in a real short time the boot will be become damaged leading to engine problems and quite possibley a lean run condition . That's a case where replacing a 12 dollar mount could save 300 bucks or more in a top engine rebuild .

[wiley_p]

I used to run saws half sharp alot. Now when it loses that edge I stop and fix it right away. Makes a big difference with my body.

And production, safety, and longevity of the saw.:)

[treelooker]

Speaking of shock absorbers not absorbing shock, contorted backs and necks twist vertebrae, bulge discs, and pinch nerves. The brachial nerves emanate from mid-upper back, around the 6th cervical vertebra. Posture while sleeping and working makes a big difference.

[NeTree]

Must be why those guys on Axe Men use 30" bars to bump nubs. :roll:

[sotc]

why bend over all day, that and one saw does it all, limbing, bucking and felling.

[MasterBlaster]

Word. Erik is only 5 feet tall. ;)

[NeTree]

Word. Erik is only 5 feet tall. ;)


:lol:

[No_Bivy]

this ones' good for hand to hand combat......light:D

[MasterBlaster]

I love it! :rockon:

[Al Smith]

Must be why those guys on Axe Men use 30" bars to bump nubs. :roll: Yes but those tough old buzzards in the 70's used a 125 Mac with a 48" to do it. Of course they are all cripled up now and on disabilty but so are the old hardtail Harley riders .

[NeTree]

Yes but those tough old buzzards in the 70's used a 125 Mac with a 48" to do it. Of course they are all cripled up now and on disabilty but so are the old hardtail Harley riders .


From the hardtail, or from being hunched over working on 'em all the time? :D

[Will]

this ones' good for hand to hand combat......light:D

This ones better!

[RIVERRAT]

this ones' good for hand to hand combat......light:D

I may give the rear handled 200 a try. It would hang from my saddle better while using my preferred ladder hook attachment.

[Bounce]

I had problems with my left hand going numb on me for about 6 months, although it just stopped last month. I went to the doc and he said I was growing a tumor on my nerve in the elbow, most likely the result of running chainsaws a lot. He recommended surgery to remove the tumor, but said there was a 20% chance they might cut the nerve and cause permanent loss of feeling. He said if it worked it would just feel like my hand was immersed in icewater for the rest of my life. I said hell no and started figuring out other things I could do. I now use the anti-vibration gloves while running my saw. I also got a better handsaw that cuts with less effort. And most importantly I stopped sleeping with my hands on my chest (try to keep arms straight and blood flow improves). I never thought about the motor mounts for the saw - that might help even more.

[Burnham]

I had problems with my left hand going numb on me for about 6 months, although it just stopped last month. I went to the doc and he said I was growing a tumor on my nerve in the elbow, most likely the result of running chainsaws a lot. He recommended surgery to remove the tumor, but said there was a 20% chance they might cut the nerve and cause permanent loss of feeling. He said if it worked it would just feel like my hand was immersed in icewater for the rest of my life. I said hell no and started figuring out other things I could do. I now use the anti-vibration gloves while running my saw. I also got a better handsaw that cuts with less effort. And most importantly I stopped sleeping with my hands on my chest (try to keep arms straight and blood flow improves). I never thought about the motor mounts for the saw - that might help even more.

Sean, you also might consider one of the newer Stihl designs with improved anti-vibe...361 or 441. I find my 361 very comfortable to run for even long periods. No help there for a climbing saw though :).

[Al Smith]

This carpal tunnel thing can affect a lot of people ,not just saw operaters .Carpenters,meat cutters ,assembly line workers even barbers .

In my sound odd but it affected typists and keybord operators before they came out with more ergonomic type keyboards . It appears though that it affects different people in different ways and some not at all .

[Frans]

Al, many people jumped on the 'carpel' bandwagon. As time went on, and more legit studies were done, It was proven that the actual percentage of people who were claiming workplace caused carpel tunnel claims were far lower than first reported.

Bad sentence, hope you get the jist of it...

[biggun]

I have had problems with wrists, hands going numb and shoulder pain in the past. As someone else said in an earlier post as soon as the saw goes dull i sharpen. changing sleeping position helped. i used to sleep on my hands and arms a lot which contributed, an osteopath suggested a thicker pillow. (suppose for alignment of the spine and nerves tec) I also take glucosamine supplements for the joints in general. not sure what the solution was but one of the changes seems to have done the trick. :lol:

[MasterBlaster]

Welcome to the TreeHouse, Biggun! :beer:

[biggun]

cheers MB... been reading for a while. now finally got round to being an active member.:beerchug:

[Jamin Mayer]

It could well be a pinched nerve about mid-spine. First thing to try is a serious massage therapist... not the mamby pamby swedish massage types... deep massage by someone who knows backs.

I agree with Blinky.


Back in high school I had a wrestling injury. I had pinched nerves in my back which I loss feeling in my hands too. The x-ray found the problem and chiropractic work fixed me right up.

[Al Smith]

Al, many people jumped on the 'carpel' bandwagon. As time went on, and more legit studies were done, It was proven that the actual percentage of people who were claiming workplace caused carpel tunnel claims were far lower than first reported.

Bad sentence, hope you get the jist of it... Carpal tunnel is a problem that absoluetly no body will give a straight answer to .If it were proven in a court of law that it is associated with non safe ergonomics practices it would bankrupt American busineses .In the mean time the wheels of commerce roll steadily on .

In other words it's a snow job on the workers .Typical of many I might add .

The American dream is to raise a family,live comfortable and retire with enough money to live a good life untill the roll is called up yonder .Being crippled for life is not in that dream .