Backpacking-induced paresthesias.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the presence of numbness and paresthesias among long-distance backpackers on the Appalachian Trail.


METHODS
Backpackers who hiked a minimum of 7 days were interviewed while hiking. Following their hike, a written questionnaire was mailed to the participants that explored the incidence of injuries and illnesses among hikers. Paresthesias were defined as either numbness or "phantom, burning, or shooting pains." A case-control analysis of risk factors for paresthesias was performed.


RESULTS
Paresthesias were reported by 34% (96 of 280) of the backpackers completing the study. They included ulnar paresthesias (n = 4), meralgia paresthetica (n = 10), tarsal tunnel syndrome (n = 6), digitalgia paresthetica (n = 21), and nonspecific paresthesias (n = 61). The most common symptom was numbness: 81% (78 of 96). Significant risk factors included a distance of >2000 miles (relative risk [RR] = 1.3; 95% CI, 1.1-1.6; P = .01) and the duration of hiking (RR = 2.0; 95% CI, 1.2-3.2; P = .004) for the longest quartile. Nonsignificant factors included backpack weight, initial body weight, percentage of weight loss, running shoe usage, and multivitamin usage. Ninety-eight percent of the paresthesias (94 of 96) had resolved by the time of follow-up (median = 30 days).


CONCLUSIONS
Paresthesias were a surprisingly common complaint among long-distance backpackers. Although they were distressing during backpacking, these neuropathies were self-limited and resolved after completion of hiking.
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001061:Appalachian Region / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D009051:Mountaineering; D010292:Paresthesia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013641:Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology