Tight Pants Syndrome

Did you hear about the woman who, after a day of wearing skinny jeans, suffered severe nerve damage and had to be hospitalized?
It was cited in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.

The woman had been helping one of her relatives move, so she spent hours crouching and bending while packing boxes. Then, while she was walking home, her legs went numb and she fell over!
She wasn’t able to stand up and spent HOURS on the ground before she was found and taken to the hospital. That’s when doctors discovered that the nerves that send signals to the lower legs and feet were blocked.
Now, although her case is extreme, it can happen to anyone. Because anything that tightly compresses your legs can affect the tibial or the peroneal nerves. They provide movement and sensation to the calf and foot. And damaging those nerves can lead to numbness, weakness, pain and blood clots. Medical professionals are starting to see this so much that they’re calling it: “Tight Pants Syndrome.” But it can also be triggered by pressure from simply squatting for long periods of time, crossing your legs, or even wearing high boots.

If you experience tight pants syndrome, don’t be surprised if your symptoms continue even after you change into to sweatpants. Neurologists say it can take up to a couple of months for the nerves to return to normal.

As for the woman who fell over – she was hospitalized for four days before she was able to walk again.