Drivers, Arm gets numb while driving, any cures

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Dodge Freak
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Drivers, Arm gets numb while driving, any cures

Post by Dodge Freak »

So I have been noticing lately after just 10 mins driving my semi-street car, my left arm goes numb from the elbow to my hand. Does not happen driving my wimpy Buick car, lol just driving the hot rod around town.

I tried wearing gloves but no help. Seems worst when its cold and damp outside. Yeah car has a heater but still takes 5 to 10 mins and by then my left arm is useless :(

Surgery is out cause of $$$$ or lack of.

Any home brew cures, I'm open to ideas. Steering wheel is leather covered. Not sure if changing my bench seat would be of help :?:
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Re: Drivers, Arm gets numb while driving, any cures

Post by miniv8 »

Roll up the window!!!








:mrgreen:
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Re: Drivers, Arm gets numb while driving, any cures

Post by quickd100 »

I had the same problem, my shoulder was full of bone spurs. Had about 15% of the joint ground out and smoothed up, end of numbness. Dave
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Re: Drivers, Arm gets numb while driving, any cures

Post by Dodge Freak »

Ah that means surgery.

It might be that. Had a few bad wrecks when younger, both in cars and bikes. Never broke my shoulder or arms..think I broke my hand once, darn thing swelled up like a balloon but can not recall which hand.

This getting old bit stinks!
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Re: Drivers, Arm gets numb while driving, any cures

Post by dwilliams »

If you rest your elbow on the armrest of window, sometimes it can press on a nerve.

Letting your wrist drape across the spoke or rim of the wheel can do this, too.

Neither one bothered me when I was 20...
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Re: Drivers, Arm gets numb while driving, any cures

Post by johnretired »

Possible Carpal tunnel or a neck injury.
For me it was the neck.

I have a dremel if you can hold still!!

In all seriousness, it is the position of your body, especially the neck, i bet. Move the seat and try it.
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Re: Drivers, Arm gets numb while driving, any cures

Post by Warpspeed »

Dodge Freak wrote:So I have been noticing lately after just 10 mins driving my semi-street car, my left arm goes numb from the elbow to my hand.
Sounds like poor blood circulation to that arm.
As others have said, first keep it very warm, fix any cold air drafts in the car that may be chilling that arm.
And might I suggest a few regular visits to the gym.
Some regular heavy exercise, particularly of your upper body and arms will dilate your blood vessels and vastly improve both your muscle tone and blood flow to your extremities.
Cheers, Tony.
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Re: Drivers, Arm gets numb while driving, any cures

Post by ijames »

Does it tingle and feel like a pincushion as it wakes up? If so, it's a blood flow problem and you are putting pressure on a blood vessel as you sit. If not, if the feeling just slowly and smoothly returns with no tingling you are putting pressure on a nerve somehow.
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Re: Drivers, Arm gets numb while driving, any cures

Post by Dodge Freak »

It does tingle both during and as it "wakes up"

Yesterday driving the car it wasn't as bad but all last night and part of today it was like 50% numb. Today is Saturday and I don't drive the hot rod on weekends--long story, lol--it just works out like that. So now Sat night my arm is like 90% back. Its the finger tips that seem to tingle the most.

Its the vibration I believe but my arm is bent while holding the wheel. It really doesn't lean on anything, its a 78 Dodge Magnum with lots of room. (oh the motor looks and thinks its a 1969, ha ha.) It has 4.10 gears and I buzz the motor quite a bit.

I grip the wheel kind of hard too.

Worst comes to worst heck I guess I have to get rid of the manual valve body in the trans and start using my right hand to steer but then I have to hook up that dumb throttle trans linkage--well there is a cable now that could work better. Still it won't shift right when I like or don't want.

I will try the arm weights.

Back 10 years ago working in a metal fabrication shop I was having problems but then got a different job and the problem went away. (heck I had health insurance back then and the guys told me I might need surgery and don't let the shop owner know I have a problem)
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Re: Drivers, Arm gets numb while driving, any cures

Post by Warpspeed »

Dodge Freak wrote:It does tingle both during and as it "wakes up"
Definitely sounds like a circulation problem. I had something similar to this myself, and some exercise fixed it.
I will try the arm weights.
Relatively light weights, but do lots of repetitions.
You really need to get that heart going, and raise a good sweat if you can.
Cheers, Tony.
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Re: Drivers, Arm gets numb while driving, any cures

Post by Dodge Freak »

I think I tell the gf I need to do some more push ups :lol:
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Re: Drivers, Arm gets numb while driving, any cures

Post by WDCreech »

Dodge Freak wrote:So I have been noticing lately after just 10 mins driving my semi-street car, my left arm goes numb from the elbow to my hand.

Any home brew cures, I'm open to ideas. Steering wheel is leather covered. Not sure if changing my bench seat would be of help :?:

I don't use it, but I'm told that smoking weed will cure that, because, if you get ripped, you won't care.
Bill

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best 1/4 et. so far; 8.2550 @ 164.17 all motor
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Re: Drivers, Arm gets numb while driving, any cures

Post by Dodge Freak »

Ah not really.

It seems some potheads believe weed cures all but in my experience it doesn't.

Now that Demerol I got when I wiped out my car long ago or during my hernia surgery a few years back would work but you hate to see how "well" I would drive on that drug :mrgreen:
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Re: Drivers, Arm gets numb while driving, any cures

Post by pdq67 »

This might sound way stupid, but maybe a banana a day and PLENTY of WATER might just help a bunch.

I've noticed the older I get that I need potassium from bananas and such to relieve "charlie-horses" in my legs in the early mornings. And extra water help's me to drain my TERRIBLE sinus back of throat constant drainage as well as it lube's my joints and back discs!

I had a charlie-horse right below my lower lip right side a couple of time's today and just worked w/ it?

Much less, my right thumb and index finger locked up some coming home from work tonight???

Hell to get old is all I can say.

I need to go out and drive a 200 pound keg of railroad spikes using a 10 pound spike maul to straighten this old body out like I did as a kid on the old Gandy-Gang!!

You drive them for weeks on end in the summer heat and winter cold and it make's you TOUGH!!

pdq67
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Re: Drivers, Arm gets numb while driving, any cures

Post by roadrunner »

If your still having probs try a lower steering wheel tilt if your car has this adjustment, I have the same problem from time to time, usually when my upper back needs to be cracked, I'm told that my neck/upper back is the problem. A "B" group vitamin helps blood circulation a lot, by expanding your veins/blood vessels, while caffiene and nicotine shrink them!
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