Some hikers report switching shoes, investing in cushioning shoe inserts, and regularly wiggling and massaging their toes to alleviate numbness and tingling sensations. Bunions, neuromas, and underlying nervous system issues also sometimes produce tingling sensations. Wearing shoes that are too small or too tightly laced can cut off circulation to the extremities, resulting in numbness. Other Causes of Numbnessĭigitalgia paresthetica isn’t the only cause of toe numbness among thru-hikers. “Even now, nearly a year after I finished I am only just getting back to normal, and not quite there yet,” commented one PCT thru-hiker on a Reddit thread about toe numbness. Some Christmas toe sufferers report needing a year or longer to fully regain sensation. In fact, a three-to-six-month recovery period may not be so bad in the scheme of things. “I was concerned,” he said, “but I’m relieved to hear that it’s a common phenomenon.” Lotus, an AT thru-hiker who finished hiking in early September 2018, said it was late December or January before his toes came back. for the first three weeks (after the hike)… there was no improvement at all.” “It’s not better yet, but it’s getting better. He is only now starting to see signs of recovery. It sort of feels like you’re wearing shoes too small.” Tucci, a 2021 AT thru-hiker who summited Katahdin in mid-August, said his toes started feeling numb and unusually sensitive in June, roughly halfway through his hike.”I knew the feeling wasn’t right in my toes, but when I got home I started getting pins and needles. However, while my numbness lasted much longer than it did for most of the study participants, I’ve heard of many thru-hikers through the grapevine who took also took months to heal-hence the “Christmas toes” moniker. Too-small shoes can also lead to tingly toes. Backpack weight, footwear choice, and multivitamin usage did not significantly affect numbness. The study found that women, younger hikers, and 2,000-milers were more likely to experience paresthesias. Twenty-one of the 96 hikers surveyed reported suffering from numb toes specifically. (A paresthesia is a numb/tingly sensation somewhere on the skin with no apparent physical cause). They found that 34% of respondents suffered from some sort of paresthesia. Researchers surveyed 96 hikers who had walked a minimum of seven days on the AT. Backpacking-Induced ParasthesiasĪ 2003 study in Wilderness and Environmental Medicine took a closer look at incidences of digitalgia paresthetica in Appalachian Trail hikers. “Although no studies have demonstrated effective prevention measures for digitalgia paresthetica, reducing loads and march distances may help by decreasing the forces and repetitive stress on the foot and lower leg,” the authors suggested. The phenomenon is also common among military personnel, foresters, skiers, and mountaineers.Īccording to a 2016 study in the Journal of Special Operations Medicine, digitalgia paresthetica is “likely caused by compression of the sensory digital nerves in the foot during load carriage.” In other words, after carrying 20-25 pounds 2200 miles through the mountains, I’d more or less smooshed some of the nerve endings in my feet. Many hikers know it simply as “Christmas toes,” because most don’t regain feeling until Christmastime. The phenomenon is called digitalgia paresthetica, and it’s simply the result of walking a very long way with a heavy backpack. Photo via.Īfter turning to the hiking community for answers, I eventually realized that tingly toes are common among thru-hikers. Many cases of toe numbness are simply the result of walking a long way with a heavy pack. READ NEXT – How to Prevent and Treat 7 Common Thru-Hiking Foot Problems. Always seek the advice of a qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. This advice is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Even better news: most hikers suffering from toe numbness say it gets better after a few months.Įd. Naturally, I came away from my research session half-convinced I had a rare, crippling, and poorly understood immune system disorder.īut further research revealed a much more likely-and less distressing-cause: simple overuse. Had I done something to permanently damage my toes?Īfter seeing no improvement in my condition upon completing my hike, I decided to do what any sensible person would: ask WebMD. I’d experienced numerous episodes of Raynaud’s syndrome and struggled through a nasty bout of trench foot, and my calluses were like the Antarctic ice sheet.īut when October rolled around and I still couldn’t feel a thing, I started to worry. This was far from the first weird foot thing I’d suffered. I was in the middle of an Appalachian Trail thru-hike, after all. In July of 2018, I lost most of the sensitivity in my toes on both feet.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |