The twistgrip. It is both a giving and cruel genie, launching us into flight and, sometimes, into peril. But there is more to clutching the handlebars than enabling our beloved rides. Years of exposure to vibration and suspension shock, combined with wrist extension from turning the throttle, can cause numbness and chronic pain in the wrists and hands.
“Pressure, vibration, and repetitive work inflames tendons in the palm side of the wrist, pinching the mediannerve as it passes through the carpal tunnel and causing tingling or numbness in the fingers,” says Dr. Michael Behrman, a board-certified hand surgeon. “On the backside of the wrist, vibration can also cause pain by aggravating tendonitis and arthritis.”
Motorcyclists aren’t alone in vulnerability, as carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) afflicts other repetitive-use occupations, from computer…
