[pct-l] Pct-L Digest, Vol 82, Issue 6

[River Malcolm]

Really appreciate your question, John, and all the diverse responses. What I love about this list serve—a diversity of voices and viewpoints and we get to hike our own hike through the info and opinions shared.

Toward end of my September section hike,  I developed numbness with swelling and discomfort in left foot pad-- below toes 3 and 4, and some in toe pads themselves. I have found that a half-circle patch of moleskin (secured with a long narrow strip of leukotape wrapped around the foot and overlapping) gives a long-lasting cushion that relieves discomfort. So far each time I remove the pad, the numbness and discomfort return (though this morning I’ve walked a short way without pad and am doing well). 

Perhaps if your condition (and mine!) IS  minor nerve damage that can heal on its own (without medical intervention—and I personally see medical intervention as a port of last resort) a pad like mine could help protect the nerves from more damage and allow them to heal. I also noticed anti-inflammatory (in my case tylenol) did help, but I don’t like to keep that in my system. Pain cream (I get the triple with camphor, menthol, and salicylic acid) as well as arnica pain cream (I like bionatura brand) help a lot especially at night. Best of luck!

For me the condition is complicated because I have some kind of skin sensitivity (I think mostly to synthetic fibers) that makes my foot soles and pads swell up and get hot and red — and I think this condition interacts with the other one (similar to yours) and they trigger one another. This has not bothered me on the trail — I’ve done well with silk liner socks and merino hiking socks. unfortunately nobody makes an affordable silk liner sock anymore (REI’s proportion of synthetic in their silk liner sock now exceeds my tolerance) so I am searching for a thin durable really effective merino liner sock. Anybody have good experiences (or bad) with any of the brands (I am looking at icebreaker, REI, goodhew).I would love to hear your experience.

Thanks and happy trails,
River

On Thu, Oct 9, at Oct 9  10:00, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:

> Message: 2
> Date: Wed, 8 Oct 2014 16:15:25 -0500
> From: John Herrin <johndavidherrin at gmail.com>
> Subject: [pct-l] Foot back to normal
> To: "pct-l at backcountry.net" <pct-l at backcountry.net>
> Message-ID:
> 	<CAOiwy0GTy6bwitDgPhfMBDG5ryN_2Nph-in0Stf1GcYBKFKjQQ at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
> 
> I finished a SOBO section hike of the PCT, Ashland OR to Mt Whitney last
> week. It was an awesome experience and I met lots of NOBO thrus. My feet
> held up pretty well but the ball of my left foot along with two toes began
> to feel sort of a numbing pain. I walked through it each day but now that
> I'm home, the ball of my foot is still tender and the toes are sort of
> numb. Not completely, just sort of half way between awake and asleep :)
> 
> I'm beginning to wonder how long this might last and if any others
> experienced a similar pain.
> 
> Thoughts? I am hoping it will resolve itself and I won't need to see a
> doctor. I kinda hate going to the doctor and even though I'm 60, I've
> enjoyed good health.
> 
> Thanks,
> John Herrin