As runners we all know how important it is to keep our legs strong and conditioned, so should we be taking this new revelation seriously?
Meralgia paresthetica, as it is known to the US National Library of Medicine, is the compression of a nerve through the wearing of tight trousers.
This news in particular has come to light after one woman suffered such bad swelling in her legs, doctors had to physically cut her out of her skinny jeans.
The Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry reported the 35-year-old was helping her family move house, and that she had spent many hours squatting emptying cupboards. Her jeans began to feel increasing tight and uncomfortable throughout the day, and on her walk home she became numb in her feet, causing her to trip and fall. There she spent several hours on the ground before she was found.
The journal reports that her legs were incredibly swollen and very weak at the ankles and feet, as well as sensation in both legs being impaired. Giving doctors no other choice but to cut her out of her jeans.
This hasn’t been the only case however, and the Journal stated: “The wearing of ‘skinny’ jeans had likely potentiated the tibial neuropathies by causing a compartment syndrome as the lower legs swelled.
“Previous reports of neuropathy from wearing tight jeans have been limited to lesions of the lateral cutaneous nerve of the thigh, likely caused by compression of the nerve at the inguinal ligament. The present case represents a new neurological complication of wearing tight jeans.”
Well runners, how far will you go to ensure your legs are kept safe?
