Tag: EMG

Updates on the Pedal Off, Phantom Bike Problems, and Nerve Pain

Pedals

I put the MKS lambda pedals on my CrossCheck. After some fiddling with my saddle position, I rode them for a week and liked them a lot. I especially like not having to deal with toe clips while wearing my winter footwear. The only downside is that my feet can slide off of them on bumpy surfaces.

My Pedaling Innovation Catalyst pedals went on my Specialized Sequoia. To start, I did saddle adjustments similar to the ones I did on the CrossCheck. I liked the pedals but they seemed to be underwhelming relative to the rave reviews I’d been seeing online. I re-read the instructions from the manufacturer and started over. I returned my saddle to the pre-Catalyst position and lowered it about one centimeter. On my first test ride, after 15 miles the magic started to happen. After 30 I was very, very pleased but thought that maybe the improvement was all in my head. My second ride was in cold (34 degree) weather. I normally ride slower to conserve body heat but I was riding noticeably faster. I kept checking the wind, thinking I had a tailwind. No. There was no pressure on the undersides of my feet and my feet felt like they were locked to the pedals. I had only intended to ride 20 miles but I ended up riding 33 and could have gone much farther. They performed exactly as advertised.

Conclusion: I am in like with the Lambdas but in love with the Catalysts. I think sometime this spring I’ll move the Lambdas to my Bike Friday. Then I’ll decide whether to buy Lambdas with pins (called Gammas or Kings or Monarchs depending on who is selling them) or another pair of Catalysts.

Phantom Bike Problems

About a month ago I had a flat on my CrossCheck. I couldn’t find anything wrong with the tube or tire so I assumed it was a valve issue. I changed the tube and all is well.

A week ago I had a flat on my Sequoia. (I’m not loving this trend!) Once again I meticulously searched for a cause and found nothing. I put the tube back in the tire and all is well. Go figure.

A few days ago the bike computer on the Sequoia started to fail. The computer itself was sound but it was not receiving a signal from the sensor on the fork. I fiddled with the sensor and it started working again. The next day the same thing happened. No signal. It being a discontinued model, I decided to buy a new computer. Like the old computer this one allows me to input my mileage and will record up to 99,999 miles. Of course, between the time I ordered the new computer and the time it arrived my old computer started working fine again.

Nerve Pain

Last month I went to a hand surgeon for relief of trigger finger on the middle finger of my right hand. He gave me a cortisone shot that, after about three weeks, seems to have solved the problem. A further examination led him to conclude that I have carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and likely a pinched nerve in my neck. He sent me to a neurologist for an electromyography (EMG) test. I had the test today.

I had an EMG once before for leg and back pain. It was extremely painful and its results were inconclusive. As you might imagine I was dreading today’s test but it turned out to be about as painful as a series of static electricity shocks. No big deal. The results were that I have mild CTS in my left hand and moderate CTS in my right. The neurologist said she didn’t have any findings about my neck. (Since it is obvious to me that I have a nerve impingement in my cervical spine, I find this conclusion to be dubious.) In any case, I go back to the hand surgeon in three weeks to discuss next steps. Since I can (obviously) type and do just about anything else without pain, I am not opting for surgery. Moreover, I found that the saddle adjustments to my CrossCheck and Sequoia, along with the deep tissue massage I had last month, have coincided with reduced neck pain. I have come to the profound medical conclusion that I am old.

A Slow Start

This month started as a downer. For the first two weeks I fought off the blues, a carryover from November and December. Everything just seemed to drag me down. My days seemed to lack light, both figuratively and literally. When the month started I was hell bent on getting my head squared away. Given the amount of days off the bike due to ice I was facing an uphill fight.

At least I wasn’t in the hospital like Little Nellie, my Bike Friday. Little Nellie was custom made to my specifications. Because the handlebars sit atop a very long stem, I upgraded to a Chris King headset. After 7 years, it died. So I shipped it back to the manufacturer and they agreed to repair it under warranty. I should have it back on Monday. I can’t wait to ride it again.

As for the rest of my stable, Big Nellie was used only once for commuting and only twice for weekend jaunts. Big Nellie is a long wheel base recumbent with about 70 percent of its weight on the rear wheel. This uneven weight distribution makes the front tire prone to slipping. I don’t ride it much during icy conditions.

The Mule did eight commutes and two weekend rides. All told I rode only 372.5 miles, about 90 miles less than last January. 275 miles were just getting to and from work. I rode on 13 of 31 days. I can’t remember when I rode fewer than half the days in a month.

On the plus side:

  • I didn’t crash once.
  • I managed to get in two hikes and one long walk around my neck of the woods without back, knee, or foot discomfort. This is a huge step forward (no pun intended) for me physically. I can’t wait to take on some day hikes in the mountains nearby once the weather improves.
  • Toward the end of the month I moved my saddle up about a centimeter and the constant aching and spasms in my lower back went away overnight. 
  • My right foot started going numb in November. After three visits to an acupunturist, I decided to get an EMG test by a neurologist. She confirmed that my back isn’t causing the numbness and has sent me for physical therapy. (Yesterday, my right foot felt almost normal for the first time in weeks. I don’t care why. I hope it stays that way.)
  • On doctor’s orders, I did yoga at least once a week. Alone. You will never see me in a yoga class. Been there, done that. Just ain’t gonna happen. Alone or in a class I am confident that yoga is not and never will be my jam, jelly, or other sandwich spread. I suppose if I were stretchier I’d like it more, but 35+ years of running and cycling has turned my hamstrings into steel cables. And my quadriceps are boulders.
  • To get my head screwed back on straight, I started taking big doses of vitamin D-3 (a blood test confirmed that I was severely deficient) at breakfast and started practicing meditation daily. It’s possible that my mental state would have cleared up anyway. It’s also possible that either the vitamins or the meditation are having a strong placebo effect. Whatever the case, something is working really, really well. I even managed to go through one of my most stressful workweeks in years with a smile on my face. 

So I finish the month with low mileage and a much improved body and mind. Not a bad start to the new year.

The Continuing Saga of My Right Foot – EMG and Other Delights

I went back to my neurologist today. Her level of enthusiasm about my case makes each visit fun. She spent the first five minutes re-familiarizing herself with my symptoms. When I corrected one of her notes (my numbness is more intermittent than constant) she made the correction.  She seems very detailed oriented. Then she began the EMG test.

Electromyography or EMG is a test of the sensory and motor function in a specific area of the body. For me, this was my foot, my lower leg, and my right buttock. The test involves putting sensors on specific nerves and muscles and then using a separate device sending electical shocks into the muscles. When she did this to specific nerves I would feel a jolt down the nerve. When muscles were involved my foot or leg would react. Later in the test she poked a needle into a muscle and zapped the muscle. OW! Suffice it to say, I have very sensitive nerves.

There were many OW moments but they are very brief in duration.

She also did a tuning fork test on both feet. My left
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