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dylan
08-05-2004, 08:14
i have lumbo-sacral herniation(slipped discs, to put it in a gruesome fashion)
i was wondering if any of you have a comparable disability. how did it affect your thru-hike? i plan on taking my hennessey, wearing chacos, and keeping up on yoga(all great for the back). any advice?

The Eleven
08-05-2004, 12:16
I have back problems of about the same nature. L5 disc is slipped and siadica problems. The leg gets tight, but doesn't really bother me. Use special stretches cobra and cat for the area. Hiking poles are a big help as is no arch light weight hiking boots. Have not been on the trail this year....following therapists advice of no activity for 6 weeks. This time has been the worst for the back, since it is taking way too long to heal. What kind of yoga do you do? What are chocos? I am open to ideas, since I will have to live with this. I do take an occassional anti-iflammatory and momemtum (860 mg each pill)....they help, but not a fix. I am dying to get out there, and for now all I can do is maybe day hikes in the Catskills on Labor Day Weekend. Cross fingers. I think I keep living with the siadica, but the flair ups and spider-webbing in the glutes area is another story. I am working on keeping my pack even lighter than my 23lbs I do regularly....minus water/food. So thats about it. Happy Trails! Steve Keri (Little Bear 2)

sgtjinx
08-05-2004, 12:38
I broke my back in the Army in 1989. I found that if I use inti-inflammatory called DAYPRO helps me allot. Heat and rest if it gets to bad. The right pack helps too.

Good Luck on the trail.:cool:

Sgt Jinx
US Army ret

sgtjinx
08-05-2004, 12:40
Does yoga work? I have been thinking about Ti-Chi.

dylan
08-05-2004, 18:05
steve, chacos are self adjusting, do all,backpacking sandals with a vibram sole. very lower back friendly, check em out. i just do some stretches my phys. ther. showed me. sgt., yoga certainly works, it is very different from tai chi, but they are both very good for you.

Tim Rich
08-06-2004, 06:56
Dylan,

About six years ago, I had a ruptured L4-L5 disc, with the accompanying phantom hip and leg pain, toe and foot numbness and loss of strength in lifting my foot. I had successful surgery, eliminating those symptoms. Regarding hiking, my neurosurgeon just told me to carry less weight. The only thing he ruled out for me was playing basketball. I've hiked 100 mile sections of the AT each year since then with no problems. I move a little slower in the morning and usually take three ibuprofen morning and night when I'm hiking, but that's as much for other aches and pains as it is for my back. Proper hydration helps joint health as well. I can tell a difference in how my back, hips and knees feel when I'm properly hydrated.

Take Care,

Tim

dylan
08-06-2004, 07:28
well, i guess im not the only one. good to know. thanks

The Eleven
08-06-2004, 11:26
Well, thanks Dylan for letting me know about the special sandals....will take a look at them. Oh, I forgot about the being hydrated well solution....definitely notice a difference. I too use heat pad when not on the trail. Just saw the doctor yesterday about the back thingy to get other stuff checked out that might be contributing to it....will know results Monday. I have had a few good days in a row, so cross fingers. I do use an external pack (3.5 lbs.) from Campmore. Forgot the name. I wonder what kind (s) of packs are "injured back" friendly? Anybody have suggestions? 15-16 inch torso. What is Daypro? Have backpacked in the past with the leg on the tight side, but doesn't really bother me....guess I got used to it. Doctor says that my bulging disc is just a slight thingy and no where near having to do surgery, though I sometimes wonder. Anycase, I was considering carrying those 8 hr heat pads with me on the trips, but they are on the heavy side....just when I am trying to keep weight low. Maybe I can cut weight elsewhere. Little Bear 2

sgtjinx
08-06-2004, 12:30
Daypro has been out for about 6 to 7 years. I was using it for my back and knees. Helped me a lot, you have to see a Doctor to get it. It's better than acetaminophen or naproxen that I take now.

For a back injury you need to try different packs on. I have been using a external Dana Design K2, but I'm going to start using a internal pack. When I do the AT in March of next year.

dylan
08-07-2004, 08:52
steve, what footwear are you using?as for packs the osprey aether 45 is one that is inexpensive, very light and comfortable. i have found it to be very back friendly. it will help you keep your back straight without forcing it like an external or internal frame pack will. it uses high density foam as a frame which feels almost like an internal frame.it also will force you to cut back on weight, you can carry 30lbs max. also, any fellow cripple here who hasnt tried the hennessey hamock, i implore you to do so, i am a devout HH user. there is nothing better for a bad back.

Pooja Blue
08-12-2004, 00:29
Find a certified personal trainer or physical therapist to show you how to stretch properly - not only your back but all of your major muscle groups. I was always amazed that almost NO hikers stretched at the end of the day.

orangebug
08-12-2004, 08:42
I am recovering from surgery for L5-S1 disk "extrusion" performed last March. I have done quite well according to my neurosurgeon, but he has concerns about how I pick up my pack, not regarding whether I hike or carry a back pack. The key is to avoid bending over, twisting and picking up something heavy.

I've lost nearly 25 pounds since 3/23/04. I have exercised much more routinely. I've made a few day hikes and hanging out in my Hennessee.

Any NSAID (Daypro, Naprosyn, Aspirin, Ibuprofen and the like) work for pain, but a good narcotic is necessary if nerve compression results in pain. See a real world doctor for advice, and listen to the pain as further advice about how to proceed with your sport and your self-care. Stretching is always a good idea, as a component of exercise and improving flexibility and balance.

Bill...

The Eleven
08-12-2004, 11:36
Thanks everybody for info. Will keep in mind for future. Dylan, currently, boots I am wearing are lightweight waterproofs with almost no arch and gel insoles called NorthPoints (just switched from a heavt gortex mad by Velasque) and a below ankle cut regular walking shoe (use only with good weather on day hikes). Thought of the GoLite pack and maybe a -15 bag that is lighter than my -15/2lb bag. I really like tenting for many reasons, so I don't think a hammock is up my alley. Current pack is a Campmore external 3800 cu at 3.5 lbs. Not bad. Would need something at that CU's but weighing less than 3.5 lbs./15-16 in torso. Anything out there? EMS and other toy happy stores never really carry what I am looking for. I think time is going to be a factor in healing my back. It has been improving, just need to remember to lift properly. Happy Trails! Steve (Little Bear 2) CT

weary
08-12-2004, 14:28
i have lumbo-sacral herniation(slipped discs, to put it in a gruesome fashion)
i was wondering if any of you have a comparable disability. how did it affect your thru-hike? i plan on taking my hennessey, wearing chacos, and keeping up on yoga(all great for the back). any advice?

Like most people I've had off and on back problems. The first occurred when for a couple of years I left an active reporting job and switched to a 10-hour-a-day sitting job (8 hours at a desk, 2 hours commuting.)

I saw a lot of doctors, but it didn't go away until I returned to reporting -- especially reporting the outdoors that required a mixture of desk work and climbing, hiking and other physical stuff.

Over the years the advice has changed from "rest for six weeks" to stay active as much as possible. And, whatever you do, don't let the movement lock up.

On the trail in '93, I experienced no back problems, but about northern Pennsylvania I began to have severe pains from just touching my legs. Scratching a mosquito bite would put me in agony. I could walk fairly well. I couldn't sit or sleep.

An emergency room doctor claimed it was sciatica and said it must have started in my back and moved into my legs. It hadn't, but I couldn't convince the doctor that this was so.

DelDoc, a couple of years after my hike, thought from my description more likely it was a different set of nerves that were probably irritated by my pack waist belt. I forget what he called the nerve system. Perhaps OB knows.

REgardless. At the time everyone urged 10 days off the trail, which I did, though it meant missing southern New England. I started again in late August and arrived on Katahdin on Oct. 16. The problem has never come back -- nor has my periodic back pain.

I have never consciously exercised on a daily regimen, but I have always tried to stay active. I mow two acres of grass with a walk behind mower, ignore elevators and walk several times a week.

It's always been my impression that backpacking helps by keeping my back fairly rigid. I am careful about putting on a heavy pack.

But I can only speculate. I have no special expertise in such things.

Weary