What was your worst injury on the trail?

[tpike2]

Just trying to see what kind of chronic injuries people hike with.

Sprains, broken bones, torn ligaments?

[bamboo bob]

plantar fasciitis - nasty pain on the bottom of my feet. I finally gave up on rt 7 in Massachusetts. 1500 miles according to the book.

(I finished the next year) (and other times too)

[w00dchuck]

Knees are my most common ailment. They usually get better in a day or two. An Achilles tendon injury was the worst so far had to limp on it 16 miles or so. It took six weeks to stop limping.

[Osiris]

The demolition of my sense of invincibility?

I did a lot of planning prior to my trip but the one thing I failed to really think about was injury from over use. I pushed myself too hard because I thought I was some sort of iron man. I didn't listen to the signals that my body was sending telling me to slow down. Ended my trip after 166 miles due to what I thought was tendinitis but according to my Dr could just be my need for a few deep massages. I didn't get far but I learned a lot. I won't be making the same mistake twice.

[Drybones]

When the torn meniscus in the knees acts up, knee sweels and leg locks straight, but the most painful would be a pulled groin.

[Pedaling Fool]

Too many to list, but nothing really super bad, except if you include disease...hiking with Lyme Disease sucks really bad and a 2-week long bout with some kind of chest cold really sucked.

[Jeff]

In 2011 Rusty Bumper broke his tibia in the 100 mile Wilderness after hiking more than 2000 miles. He did go back the next year to finish:

http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=360467

[Slo-go'en]

Achilles tendon and shin splints are pretty common early on for those who push too hard or far. Blisters are also a big problem, especially if they become infected. There is the occasional sprained or twisted ankle or knee.

I think broken bones or torn ligaments are fairly rare, as you really have to screw up to do that. Although a good friend of mine slipped on some wet ledge and landed on his shoulder, which broke his collar bone. Come to think of it, I'm suprised I haven't broken an arm or elbow or wrist on some of the tumbles I've taken over the years.

[wcgornto]

I had a mildly sprained ankle through much of Maine. Then I tumbled and bruised my hip in New Hampshire. Then I fell and sliced open the palm of my hand on a jagged rock in Vermont. I took a vitamin I most mornings in New England to dampen the aches. Then I didn't have anymore injuries after that.

[Teacher & Snacktime]

My pride has been destroyed from time to time.....

[Meriadoc]

Knee tendon. I was SOBO, jumping down Wildcat when I hurt one knee. (You might say that jumping down Wildcat with a full pack was the issue. You would be correct.) I kept walking on it but favored the other leg. By Osgood camp site my good leg developed knee tendon pain.

I dosed with ibuprofen (12 of the 200 mg tablets per day at one point) and kept hiking on it using homemade braces. There were days when it was painful enough that I worried about doing more damage to it. But by Lonesome Lake I learned how to walk to place less stress on my knees. When I topped out on Mt. Moosilauke, I was back in form and knocked out 28 miles for the sheer joy of it.

That was one of the few times I used ibuprofen; I try to avoid taking the drug.

I have also strained my achilles tendon - I think it was because my practice hikes did not have steep sections and I didn't give it enough time to build up. But that is just my educated guess.

[Malto]

Two dislocated shoulders.

[George]

had my feelings hurt - even had to fill out a report:

http://bitsandpieces.us/wp-content/u...ngs-Report.pdf

[Dogwood]

Debilitating shin splints to the pt I couldn't walk. I started my AT NOBO thru-hike almost 1 yr to the day after having open heart surgery and almost 3 months to the day after being struck by a 75+mph speeding car as a I was walking my bicycle across the road shattering my left ankle in a compound break. Doctors said they never saw anyone in all their yrs heal from those types of injuries as fast as I did. Of course, all the doctors told me I couldn't thru-hike the AT so soon after sustaining these injuries. In one perspective that was a bad yr for me physically with the heart surgery and car accident but in another perspective it was a VERY GOOD YR FOR ME - that I was still here!

[Dogwood]

Sorry, that was 4 months to the day after the car accident and ankle break.

[Another Kevin]

Partial ACL tear, on a section in the Whites in 1973. That knee has never been quite right since. Hobbled around town with a cane for weeks.

[ChinMusic]

With all my falls I have no idea why I was so lucky. I sprained ankle and a few deep bruises is all I suffered on my thru.

[HikerMom58]

had my feelings hurt - even had to fill out a report:

http://bitsandpieces.us/wp-content/u...ngs-Report.pdf

This is funny!

I tripped on a section hike and gave myself a black eye!

[dmax]

A jammed hip

[Teacher & Snacktime]

I've never actually been hurt on the trail (knock on wood), but have sustained 2 injuries in near-trail circumstances. The first was a banana flip (?) on wet leaves coming down the white trail at Sleeping Giant in CT (training for AT) where I landed flat on a rock and badly bruised my coccyx. Yes, I fell on my ass and broke it....and could hardly move for weeks. The second was after a day on the AT in MD when I was walking to the showers at Greenbriar SP and slid downhill on a muddy slope (about 4 ft high)...sliding forward with one leg while the other stayed behind and wrapped around the back of my head (or something very graceful like that). We had to call the trip quits and go home. I was fine w/in 48 hrs.

I may have damaged my MCL on the Harriman trip, but I'm waiting for my appt. with the orthopedist to check that out.