BACKPACK PALSY = RUCKSACK PARALYSIS = BRACHIAL PLEXOPATHY
March/April 2010 ISSN-1059-6518 Volume 23 Number 2
Backpack Palsy = Rucksack Paralysis = Brachial Plexopathy:
By Frank Hubbell, DO
Illustrations by T.B.R. Walsh
At the end of a long day of hiking with a heavy pack, you may find yourself with sore shoulders and pins and needles sensations in your hands. This condition is a curious phenomenon that can occur while carrying a backpack anchored to your shoulders. The weight of the pack can compress the nerves, known as the brachial plexus, which run beneath the clavicle of your shoulders and can cause the symptoms of “backpack palsy.”
