Toe Numbness

[SURVEYOR]

This is crazy I thought I was alone in this. I just got back from a AK Moose hunt and both of my big toes were numb for 2 weeks after packing meat. Also my thumb and finger tips were numb. Probably from the pack weight on my shoulders.

 

[Marble]

I've had issues like this for several years, but mine can be more attributed to neuropathy from chemo.

I can say that when carrying a heavy load, say 70+ pounds, I can get numbness all the way down one leg or another. Adjusting my pack/belt helps.

The first thing I definitely do not do is weighted hiking throughout the year. Cardio, weights, and core exercises take care of that issue.

I wish I had a solution for the OP. Could be swelling/inflammation, which could be a nerve being moved out of its channel, which would cause this issue.

Maybe ice, massage, or both may help?

Sent from my SM-S918U using Tapatalk

 

[Marbles]

I have had similar, I don't worry about it. When I started running again I had it for several months and it resolved on its own. I had it this year after my goat hunt. I've had it with heavy training in the military. For me I figured a nerve was getting compressed and irritated, I would tell someone to pound sand if the wanted to inject steroids or do surgery, so I saw no point in talking to anyone.

Mine has always just been annoying, not something that interfered with my life. I have had bilateral carpal tunnel release and that was a very good decision as ot was limiting my ability to do things.

 

[waspocrew]

My crispi boots will do this to my big toes - usually left more so than right. Tends to happen if I’m hunting for more than a few days.

I probably should look into a different pair of boots haha.

 

[doc holiday13]

My crispi boots will do this to my big toes - usually left more so than right. Tends to happen if I’m hunting for more than a few days.

I probably should look into a different pair of boots haha.

Yeah this is kinda my thought too. I'm currently dealing with numb toe. I'm gonna buy a pair of Vivo boots to see if that fixes the problem for next time. I've never hunted 9 back country days in a row so i never had this problem with my boots. I'll still wear my boots for my day hunts as I do think they are comfortable but I think the uphill/downhill boot shifts caused this issue.

 

[doc holiday13]

So man Here is a wild follow up on this topic. My issue started with my hunting trip in ID in Sept '24.. While there I hyperextended my knee while trudging through a slash and burn cut while it was raining. Knee hurt a little bit so i was super gentle with it over the rest of the hunt. At the end of the hunt is when I fully comprehended and noticed my numb toe.

Forward to the first week of November '24. I was lifting in the gym and one of my extercises was having weight on my shoulders and getting up from the seated position. While doing that my knee popped and gave out on me.. It was a loud pop. Like as loud as the pop was when I busted my bicep tendon 2 years earlier. I got the cold sweats and everything. Knee started swellign and hurting.. Went ot the ortho Dr. he said its sounds like a meniscus tear but he'd need an MRI to verify. MRI didn't reveal any tears but lots of residual fluid from a Bakers Cyst that had burst.. Hyper extension caused the cyst. Dr. just said to take it easy on weights and rehab till it felt good but my knee was otherwise in great condition.

Forward to Christmas. I got a theragun. Well I started going to town on my calf muscle because the one on the leg with the burst cyst just felt overly tight and I couldn't get it to loosen up. Man that was painful, but I beat it up for like 20 minutes. But I could literally feel the blood getting circulated in my calf, ankle and foot. Next morning I woke up and put my feet on the ground. I could feel the ground with my toe. Not 100% but like 50ish %. So i started to connect the dots and did the theragun again on the calf muscle some more. Less painful and the muscle wasn't a hard knotted mass like it was the day before. Next morning i woke up, 90% feeling. returned

So lesson learned. Sometimes you just need to massage the stiffness out of your calf muscles to get them to stop pinching the nerves.