Re: [at-l] trekking poles

["Mara Factor" <m_factor@hotmail.com>]

Hmm, good points...

Could be good to mention that if your fingers (wrists, etc.) go numb while 
hiking, you should probably adjust those pack straps (shoulder and load 
lifters).  If you start getting shooting pains down your legs (a la 
sciatica), you should probably adjust your hip belt (and pressure points).

With hiking pole straps used properly, the straps lay flat on the back of 
your hands (not your wrists) rather than "under" your wrists.  They then 
wrap around your hands while staying flat, cross your palm and come out 
between thumb and forefinger.  That way, pressing down with your arms 
presses the pole into your hand without requiring you to grip the pole.

Anyway, thankfully, my hands weren't really that bad - no pain, no numbness 
or tingling.  I just hadn't had to use my fingers to do much more than open 
my stove in six months.  Things like packing my sleeping bag and pad didn't 
require strength in my fingers as much as the hands.  One of those rubber 
gadget thingies was enough to help me open jars.  I probably still had more 
strength in my hands than my mother ever had (she was always asking us to 
open jars for her, etc.)

Mara
Stitches, GAME99

P.S.  At the start of the hike, a lot of people tried to solve foot problems 
by tightening their boots.  As it turned out, loosening boots ended up 
relieving a lot of pain, too.

P.P.S.  If you do not use poles, your hands/fingers are likely to swell up 
from dangling at your sides while walking.  This doesn't seem to be a 
problem for hiking pole users.


>From: W F Thorneloe <thornel@attglobal.net>
>To: "Mara Factor" <m_factor@hotmail.com>
>CC: KarenS62@aol.com, at-l@backcountry.net
>Subject: Re: [at-l] trekking poles
>Date: Wed, 09 Aug 2000 11:07:48 -0400
>
>It could be more of a problem that you realize. If your pack puts much
>pressure on your shoulders or areas of your upper arm, you might damage
>your brachial plexus of other nerves. I suspect it is possible for similar
>injury as in carpal tunnel syndrome if you have excessive pressure from the
>straps on your wrists. This would be a good reason to replace straps or
>modify them to spread over at least 1-2 inches wide.
>
>If this was the real world, I'd at least like to check reflexes, sensation,
>and strength - maybe even a Nerve Conduction test (you would hate me) to
>assess nerve injury. The treatment would be to stop whatever you were doing
>to get injured, and see if it got better.
>
>OrangeBug
>
>At 09:26 AM 8/9/2000, Mara Factor wrote:
>>I realized that I had lost a lot of strength in my hands.  Opening jars,
>>for example, was very difficult, if not impossible.  Seemed strange in
>>that I carried hiking poles the whole way.

________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com

* From the AT-L |  Need help? http://www.backcountry.net/faq.html  *

==============================================================================