Hiking with Degenerative Disc Disease

[PR Man]

Backpacking is important to me - as it is to you.

Recently I was diagnosed with degenerative disc disease.

Right now - it hurts to even walk more than half a mile - much less backpacking as we know it.

I'm going to a Neuro Surgeon this week.

I desperately want to keep hiking.

Anybody out there had this experience and any recommendations?

Any information you can share would be helpful.

[MuddyWaters]

I have back issues.
Less serious than yours.

Hiking does not bother me because insignificant weight is carried on my back.

You can carry all the weight on your hips if you like. Most time can pass a pencil under my straps.

So if you can walk...you CAN carry a backpack IMO.

[PR Man]

Good Point - one of my older packs has a great hip belt and suspension system. It's heavier than the pack I've been using - but I will definitely go back to it. Right now - my problem is simply walking reasonable distances. Thanks for your support !

[johnnybgood]

I have back issues.
Less serious than yours.

Hiking does not bother me because insignificant weight is carried on my back.

You can carry all the weight on your hips if you like. Most time can pass a pencil under my straps.

So if you can walk...you CAN carry a backpack IMO.

He did state that it was painful to walk even a short distance so packing UL would only add to that discomfort.

Seeking advice from a spine specialist is the right decision . There are options that include : pain management using steroids , interventional procedures , physical rehabilitation and spinal surgery to give you relief from DDD. Hope you can get this resolved soon sans surgery.

[MuddyWaters]

Good Point - one of my older packs has a great hip belt and suspension system. It's heavier than the pack I've been using - but I will definitely go back to it. Right now - my problem is simply walking reasonable distances. Thanks for your support !

Well, I carry light baseweight. My total pack wt usually is under 20 lbs, thats where I like it. At these weights, I can keep weight completely off of shoulders.
My problem is osteoarthritis primarily. Although I have had tweaks that have laid me down for a few days just from standing wrong before. just walking generally doesnt give any issues. Occassionaly something will happen while running, .

A good friend of mine thats a PT basically told me....."lifes not supposed to be pain free", and "never let anyone cut on your back if you have any other choice."

[4eyedbuzzard]

I have been dealing with "degenerative disk disease" for some 15 years now. Herniated disks at L3-L4, L4-L5, L5-S1, as well as spinal stenosis at C7, and arthritis thrown in. DDD is not a disease in the traditional sense. It's wear and tear and injuries of the spinal column due to age, genetics, lifestyle, etc. Everybody has it to some degree. It's more a matter of degree of the wear and tear and the severity of the symptoms. I never had surgery for any of the herniated disks, but certainly would have if conservative treatment hadn't worked. It was a pluses vs minuses decision. I can still hike, play golf, tennis, etc., just not as well or to the degree as I once could. But the downside surgical risks weren't worth it - for me. Either way, there's likely not a quick fix. Back injuries generally take time to heal, and you have to learn what to do if you have a flare up of symptoms, etc.

Things that helped:

Physical Therapy
Anti-inflammatories
Pain meds
Lightening loads carried
Body pack (Aarnpack)

[Uncle Joe]

I deal with back pain too. Last time a thru my back out my doc said, pointing to a chair, "That's the problem. Humans were meant to up and moving." I do find being out of my chair and active makes my back feel better. I'd say spend time strengthening your back muscles to mitigate the stress on your discs. I eased back into hiking by doing packless walks then light loads until I was ready for a weighted pack.

[Firesong]

I really dislike when a professional (PT, RMT,etc) says don't let anyone cut you. For the most part they have no idea. Just what they have read or been taught. I was an RMT and blew a disc. Went through a year of hell. Steroids have consequences. You think dealing with DDD is a reason for steroids? It leaches your bones of calcium (in a roundabout way) hip breakage and more with long term use. I finally convinced my doctor to refer me, fought through a specialist and had surgery. And yes it's better. A lot better. I'm hiking and working. (And more). The people who tell you not to have never walked a mile in your shoes. It took a while but I'm carrying a 25lb pack , loving my hammock and doing multi day hikes easy. Hike on!

[MuddyWaters]

I really dislike when a professional (PT, RMT,etc) says don't let anyone cut you. For the most part they have no idea. Just what they have read or been taught.

Actually PTs see.....every single patient today.
Its the first thing prescribed by conscientious dr.s.
And the last.

They see the complete treatment path for people, from the initial consultation to permanent outcome years later.

They truly do have the big picture.

[Five Tango]

FWIW,I am managing my spinal osteoarthritis with Tumeric and Baby aspirin twice daily.All this after having the local leading back surgeon refuse to operate because I had no numbness in the lower extremities.Tried PT,Chiropractic,every back gimmick on the market to no avail.Doing leg lifts on a Total Gymn strengthens my core and makes my back more limber more than anything.You will eventually find a solution.

[MuddyWaters]

Hyperextensions make my back feel good, more than anything else.
Seems to help align things.

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...act=mrc&uact=8

[ScareBear]

FWIW,I am managing my spinal osteoarthritis with Tumeric and Baby aspirin twice daily.All this after having the local leading back surgeon refuse to operate because I had no numbness in the lower extremities.Tried PT,Chiropractic,every back gimmick on the market to no avail.Doing leg lifts on a Total Gymn strengthens my core and makes my back more limber more than anything.You will eventually find a solution.

Try a T.E.N.S. unit. It is the only thing short of narcotics that has any real effect upon my arthritis and spinal stenosis. It really does give me enough relief to fall asleep, many times...YMMV...

[Firesong]

Actually PTs see.....every single patient today.
Its the first thing prescribed by conscientious dr.s.
And the last.

They see the complete treatment path for people, from the initial consultation to permanent outcome years later.

They truly do have the big picture.

That's the easy answer. Plus one that doesn't stress the system for surgery. Expensive long term solution for the patient who suffers more for the duration.

[MuddyWaters]

That's the easy answer. Plus one that doesn't stress the system for surgery. Expensive long term solution for the patient who suffers more for the duration.

Patients see a physical therapist post-surgery as well normally. They observe the efficacy of procedures on patients.

Buddy of mine was in bad pain, had some disks fused. At first he said he felt great, should have done it long ago.
A year later, he was in pain again. Worse than ever.

PT said..Duh. You made the rest of the disks flex more to compensate for the ones you locked. It would be a great solution if you never had to bend over again

Sometimes theres no choice, sometimes there is.

My sister was crippled virtually by trusting Dr.s to operate on her knees to improve things. She has had to take various drugs and steroids for 30 yrs. All because she didnt want a little discomfort when she was in 20s. With each procedure nothing was solved, other problems were made. She needs medicine to sleep without pain

[The Cleaner]

I've been dealing with very similar issues.I get more pain from laying around doing nothing.Hiking actually helps.I do take a low dose of morphine daily but getting it is now a problem due to abuse by sorry drug addicts.The monthly visits to a pain clinic and being treated like a criminal are starting to cause problems.Recent law changes make getting any narcotics from your primary care Doc nearly impossible.

[Leo L.]

...Hiking actually helps...

Same here.
The only time I am usually pain-free is the months after a long and strenous desert hike with a heavy pack.
Sitting in the office for weeks and months, the pain comes back.

It is common knowledge here, that only when in screaming pain where no pain killer, even the strongest ones, would help any more, you will get a surgery.
Most people develope the very same pain later again, due to the fact that you can hardly change your whole attitude in life, which is the real cause for the problem.

[gravityfalls]

A good friend of mine thats a PT basically told me....."lifes not supposed to be pain free", and "never let anyone cut on your back if you have any other choice."

My PT told me the same thing. Told me not to get epideral shots if I could help it. I have degenerative and 2 herniated disks in lower back.

Though I'm relatively pain free most days and still playing soccer and backpacking at 45, sleeping on the ground kills me. Transitioning to a hammock now. PT told me that was a great idea.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

[mweinstone]

Eating up to 25 undercooked or lightly poached eggs a day replaces disk material and is the only way to do this. Go to critical health news dot com and read what dr whallic has written.
Note: high blood syrum colestoral levels may mean low clorestotal. Clorestoral is what builds connective tissues. When we have high blood syrum colestoral levels it may be beacuse the body is despratly low onit a d takes it from the bones and puts it into the blood as a last dich effort. In this case takeing colestoral lowering drugs worsens it. The answer is to eat massive amounts of the stem cell rich eggs barely cooked , replace the bone colestoral and that reduces blood syrum colestoral. These are facts my hikers. The medical system is broken, its hipocratic oath discarded and you need a crapload of eggs to replace the material between the discs.
Period.

[The Cleaner]

Same here.
The only time I am usually pain-free is the months after a long and strenous desert hike with a heavy pack.
Sitting in the office for weeks and months, the pain comes back.

It is common knowledge here, that only when in screaming pain where no pain killer, even the strongest ones, would help any more, you will get a surgery.
Most people develope the very same pain later again, due to the fact that you can hardly change your whole attitude in life, which is the real cause for the problem.

That's what opiates are for.Many people have surgery only to find the pain return months or years later.Doctors don't make much when they prescribe opiates and now find themselves under investigation for their prescribing of these drugs.Only in America.

[ScareBear]

Eating up to 25 undercooked or lightly poached eggs a day replaces disk material and is the only way to do this. Go to critical health news dot com and read what dr whallic has written.
Note: high blood syrum colestoral levels may mean low clorestotal. Clorestoral is what builds connective tissues. When we have high blood syrum colestoral levels it may be beacuse the body is despratly low onit a d takes it from the bones and puts it into the blood as a last dich effort. In this case takeing colestoral lowering drugs worsens it. The answer is to eat massive amounts of the stem cell rich eggs barely cooked , replace the bone colestoral and that reduces blood syrum colestoral. These are facts my hikers. The medical system is broken, its hipocratic oath discarded and you need a crapload of eggs to replace the material between the discs.
Period.

While your statement is so scientifically incorrect and medically dangerous as to be laughable, you may want to keep in mind that unless you learn how to spell, nobody will take you seriously. Nobody.

How in the world are eggs going to rebuild discs in your spine? Biochemically, how does that work, exactly? Have you confused the old myth of chicken cartilage regenerating meniscus in knees with eggs regenerating spinal discs? Which are essentially fluid-filled sacks that act as shock absorbers/isolaters?

Twenty five soft-boiled eggs per day is...15 dozen eggs per week. At that rate, you won't live long enough to see any effect other than your liver dying and your arteries clogging. 25 eggs per day....I can't imagine how long your gall bladder would last!