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  1. #1
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    Default Question for those hikers in early stages of arthritus

    Hello, I am 53 and beginning to feel some arthritis in my hip, doc said my hip sockets are shallow. For anybody out there with achy joints, does long distance hiking help you feel better by strengthening the muscles, ligaments, etc, or make things worse?

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    Your doctor should be able to recommend some exercises to do to strengthen the muscles, ligaments and tendons around joints before you hike. That's what I did.

  3. #3
    Registered User NJdreamer's Avatar
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    I find doing weighted squats and lunges helped me to build up muscle strength for hiking. Before I did them frequently I would get knee pain when doing climbs. I don't know about hip sockets being shallow, but always thought exercise in general helps arthritis.

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    Registered User Damn Yankee's Avatar
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    I have it in my spine and shoulder and haven't found anything that works. You will get used to it after a while. I also use Ibruprophen

    "You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace;the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands."
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  5. #5
    Registered User No Directions's Avatar
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    Mine is in my left ankle. I have found that it is getting stronger in the last few years since I have started hiking more but I take a lot of ibuprofen for various other joint aches.

  6. #6
    Registered User HeartFire's Avatar
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    My hip will ache and hurt for the first couple of days when long distance hiking - after that the pain goes away.

  7. #7
    Registered User moytoy's Avatar
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    Everybody is different but by definition long distance hiking is going to overuse your joints. That's going to aggravate the arthritis. Your muscles and ligaments can't overcome the arthritis ache. I'm talking long distance here not a 3 miles walk around the park. I use hiking poles now that I'm older and that relieves some of the stress on my knees and hips. You can learn to manage the stress by taking rest stops more often and taking zero's if your doing more than a week hike. I'll be 68 next month and I still plan on doing a thru when I retire.
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  8. #8

    Default You have to live your life

    That's what my doctor said to me five thru-hikes ago when he first diagnosed arthritis.

  9. #9
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    I have arthritis is the knees (inevitably)and in my hands from physical work wear and tear. Exercise and keeping the blood flowing is key. I find that doing leg step ups onto a weight bench or similar object with dumbells (weight that you can handle), and by the way, an excellent mimic exercise for hiking. Exercise rubber bands placed around the ankles or just above the knees are great too.for resistance training for your legs and build up all those support muscles, tendons and ligaments.

  10. #10
    Garlic
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    There are different types of arthritis. My wife has rheumatoid arthritis and hiking is very good in her case. Osteo arthritis is way different, we hear.

  11. #11
    Registered User colorado_rob's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by moytoy View Post
    Everybody is different but by definition long distance hiking is going to overuse your joints. That's going to aggravate the arthritis. Your muscles and ligaments can't overcome the arthritis ache. I'm talking long distance here not a 3 miles walk around the park. I use hiking poles now that I'm older and that relieves some of the stress on my knees and hips. You can learn to manage the stress by taking rest stops more often and taking zero's if your doing more than a week hike. I'll be 68 next month and I still plan on doing a thru when I retire.
    I think this is a pretty good summary; According to my ortho-doc, I'm in those early stages and not hiking or doing other similar things would help, but I refuse to give up on long distance hiking until the pain becomes much more significant. My arthritis is noticeable in my ankles mostly. I personally don't think any extra exercises help. Modest amounts of ibuprofen works wonders for me. My wife and I, when not hiking, have tended to partake in other forms of physical recreation lately, backing off slightly on hiking/climbing (which we used to do nearly exclusively). We now bike and Kayak a lot, both of are painless for my joints.

    So bottom line for me, hiking does aggravate it, but so what. Part of aging.

  12. #12
    Registered User dangerdave's Avatar
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    My lower back aches me sometimes, usually during times of inactivity. Luckily for me, hiking alleviates the pain.
    AKA "DANGER" AT Thru-Hiker Class of 2015

  13. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by Tabriz View Post
    Hello, I am 53 and beginning to feel some arthritis in my hip, doc said my hip sockets are shallow. For anybody out there with achy joints, does long distance hiking help you feel better by strengthening the muscles, ligaments, etc, or make things worse?
    "Long distance hiking" doesn't help, but I couldn't do the longer hikes if I didn't exercise daily. I walk a minimum of 10,000 steps a day. Recently, I have been averaging 16,000 steps. When I walk every day, my joints don't have achy joints.
    Shutterbug

  14. #14

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    I have a bit of arthritis in my hands, feet and knees. Exercise helps. I run five days a week and walk every day. The pain is much worse on the days I exercise less. I also take glucosamine, which has not been shown effective in tests but works for dogs and horses, and possibly me.

  15. #15
    Registered User Walkintom's Avatar
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    I hike. I hurt.

    I take ibuprofen and acetaminophen together (1 each) and it seems to help better than one or the other.

  16. #16

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    Spirit Walker and Madpaddy mentioned arthritis in the hands.

    My main arthritis is in my left hand, and it is surprising how much it affects backpacking. I can use only one pole because I can't work my hands all day, pumping a water filter just plain hurts, and lack of a true pillow means my hands naturally end up hurting from being under my head in the night.

    Obviously, none of those things are going to take me off the trail. But they add a whole new dimension to the inevitable aches and pains of backpacking.

  17. #17

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    Quote Originally Posted by Shutterbug View Post

    "Long distance hiking" doesn't help, but I couldn't do the longer hikes if I didn't exercise daily. I walk a minimum of 10,000 steps a day. Recently, I have been averaging 16,000 steps. When I walk every day, my joints don't have achy joints.
    I'm with you. Doing a regular walking program has improved my hiking ability greatly since I got serious about it in 2010. I've been doing a 2.4 mile walk most days, and average 2+ miles a day over the year. At least that is what my spreadsheet tells me.

  18. #18
    Registered User Donde's Avatar
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    Garlic's point is an a key one, types and causes vary so talk to your physician to get properly customized info. I have no experience with hip issues, but have substantial arthritis in my knees, wrists, elbows, one shoulder, and is by definition not arth but plenty of itis in my back. That being said: in joints not engaged by the hike your condition will likely be the same, but you might "feel" better. In joints that will be engaged by the hike some exacerbation is likely; however the exercise will build strength and range of motion; a framed pack can help with posture for back stuff, and if you have trouble sleeping due to pain LDH will help with that a lot. Talk to your physician about medications and what can be used together sometimes having multiple tools to mix and match provides better relief and flexibility. For example I use a mix Etodolac, Tramadol, and Tylenol, though that is a all the time thing for me and my osteo-arthitis s/p having a lot of my upper body rearranged and screwed back together and leaving most of my knee cartelidge on a DZ in North Carolina, YMMV.

    Have a good hike!

  19. #19
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    for osteoarthritis in joints, it's highly recommended to do some basic strengthening exercises for those joints. Internet search will easily give you some exercises to do. I've dealt with advanced arthritis in one shoulder, and very early arthritis in one knee. My orthopedic Dr. gave me a printout with some exercises. If you can strengthen your quad muscles it will give you more support of the knee joint while hiking. If you can strengthen your rotator cuff, it helps with shoulder arthritis. When these muscle groups are stronger, they help support the joint and that puts less stress on the cartilage in the joints.

    I've also gotten several Orthovisc injections in my shoulder and a Synvisc One injection in the knee. Well worth it, as we get older out bodies supply of the natural joint lubricants decrease, and these injections are kind of like getting a "lube job" for the joint, which helps prevent bone on bone wear and tear.

    good luck

  20. #20
    Registered User moytoy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Walkintom View Post
    I hike. I hurt.

    I take ibuprofen and acetaminophen together (1 each) and it seems to help better than one or the other.
    It's aspirin and acetaminophen for me but the combination does seem to work better than each alone.
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