[pct-l] hand cramps

["Joanne Lennox" <goforth@cio.net>]

I went through periods on the trail, where one or the other hands would
cramp, usually the first and/or second fingers, and once it started, I
seemed to be able to do nothing about it. I usually had to hold the cramped
figures back to try to loosen the cramping, and as soon as I tried to grab
something the cramping would start again.  When this would happen, I would
just have to hold the cramping hand in a flexed back position with the
other hand -sometimes for 30 minutes.  Got to be down right inconvenient.

It seemed to happen more often when I was not walking, like when I was
fixing dinner at night, but sometimes it was in the morning or while I was
walking.  

I have gotten the same thing on long climbing outings and always assumed it
was from carrying an ice ax all the time, and wondered if it was not
related to the use of trekking poles on this hike.

Are there any folks out this with this problem, and swhat did they do to
remedy the situation?  Cause?

Goforth
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