Dealing with back problems

[Beccah]

I'm looking for any advice, comments, tips, or experience on dealing with back pain as a backpacker. I'm planning a 2015 NOBO, but last week began experiencing severe lower back pain. It's a toss up whether it's sciatica or herniated discs (the doc is waiting a week before ordering an expensive MRI to eliminate the discs). As far as I see it, this means I have a year to alleviate the pain and strengthen my body so it doesn't come back.

Obviously, the first thing is to reduce my overall pack weight. I'm shooting for a base pack weight of ~20lbs (right now my base weight is 26lbs). Does anyone know of any good exercises to strengthen the correct muscles? Can anyone share their experiences and what has worked for them? All of the research I've done on chronic pain and backpacking seems to be about knees and ankles.

Thanks!

[garlic08]

I was diagnosed with sciatica years ago. My doc said the best exercise is walking. I might have taken that advice to a bit of an extreme, but it sure worked. No sciatica pain since I started thru hiking. The first month I had to deal with getting the load down to a good level (coincidentally 20 pounds for me, too), and had to find the balance between weight on shoulders and weight on hips. It took a while to find the right pack and waist belt and packing method and many other things.

The lower pack weight also caused knee and ankle tendon problems to go away.

The doc I trust most for my back issues is a DC, not an MD. Others really trust their DO. What I'm saying is, keep an open mind and get others' opinions for this very important issue, and good luck.

[shelterbuilder]

I also have (intermittent) back pain, so I think that a lower pack weight may be helpful for you, too. But FWIW, I was reading through the latest copy of BACKWOODS HOME magazine and the editor (Dave Duffy) was describing a "new" treatment based on the work of an Australian doctor. I won't try to paraphrase too much for fear of getting it wrong, but the basic idea seems to center around restoring and then maintaining the lower back's natural forward curvature. This is NOT chiropractic, nor is it a drug-dependent therapy...wish that I could remember the name of the doctor who pioneered it (McKennsie??)

[WMR]

I have compressed disks and sciatica that is intermittently debilitating. I know what triggers spasms and am always careful, esp. when looking forward to a section hike. No way to predict a spasm or spell of lower back/butt pain that comes with sciatica, but no question that exercise helps. Consider a "practice hike" or shakedown before going live on the trail to see how the pack feels, how your boots hold up, what triggers the twinge in the back. Biggest problem for the back is not hiking, however, but in camp. Once I drop the pack my problems are sitting and sleeping. I carry "personal plastic" (a heavy duty lawn bag) so I can recline against tree or log in camp when sitting down. Thermarest or equivalent is absolute must for sleeping. I also wear knee bands for unrelated downhill knee issues. OK, I'm 50, not as young as we used to be. Bottom line, I've done many section hikes with teenage son (and more recently wife) over the last 5 years, have to baby the back leading up to a hike, have to be able to sit comfortably in camp, and need a pad for sleeping.

[ChuckT]

I'm looking for any advice, comments, tips, or experience on dealing with back pain as a backpacker. I'm planning a 2015 NOBO, but last week began experiencing severe lower back pain. It's a toss up whether it's sciatica or herniated discs (the doc is waiting a week before ordering an expensive MRI to eliminate the discs). As far as I see it, this means I have a year to alleviate the pain and strengthen my body so it doesn't come back.

Obviously, the first thing is to reduce my overall pack weight. I'm shooting for a base pack weight of ~20lbs (right now my base weight is 26lbs). Does anyone know of any good exercises to strengthen the correct muscles? Can anyone share their experiences and what has worked for them? All of the research I've done on chronic pain and backpacking seems to be about knees and ankles.

Thanks!

I feel your pain! 67 and coming back to Backpacking after 20+ year hiatus. Just got past a 6/8 week therapy program for back problems. The exercises were ordinary and certainly not demanding I suspect an internet search would turn up the same or similar suite that they had me going thru - stretches and flexing the abdomen and waist muscles.

For gear I'm going the hammock route and as UL as practical with one exception - carrying one of those Helinox chairs. More #s I know but I' gonna baby those discs! No spares.

Cvt

[Cookerhiker]

Over the years, there have been several WB discussions on herniated discs including this one that I started. The treatment that I underwent as described in the thread was, as Shelterbuilder described, totally non-invasive, no drugs, no needles. But it was administered by a chiropractor and entailed me drinking copious amounts of water and getting stretched in this machine, the DRX 9000.

But my symptoms leading to the diagnosis was not pain in the lower back (where the discs are) but the pinched nerve from the herniated disc that ran down my hip and leg all the way to my toes. To this day, my toe is still occasionally numb.

Less than one month after my treatment was completed, I hiked 150 miles on the John Muir Trail.

[MuddyWaters]

Its not a bad idea to reduce pack weight, every little bit makes it easier on you.

But your pack weight rides mostly on your hips with a hipbelt.

I have some back issues from years of heavy weightlifting. I quit lifting heavy weights because of it. It has never affected carrying a pack.
I can get some nerve impingement "twinge" that will take a few days to go away occassionally, its even happened from standing wrong. But that has never happened while backpacking. I was once afraid it would limit me, but never has yet.

[GooseMan]

I had a painful/sore/tight back for about 30 years. It would come and go but was almost always tight. It was very hard going from sitting to standing. Once standing, I was fine. About a year ago I started doing some very simple yoga stretches for your back. It helped but did not get me over the hump. I was ready to see a back surgeon to get some options. A Dr. came to my work and talked about back pain and a non-invasive way to help it. It was more of a sales pitch but was interesting. Non-invasive sounded good so I cancelled the surgeon appointment and went to see this other Dr. She does a form of chiropractic called upper cervical chiropractic. No twisting or manipulating. It uses ultrasound to move the top 2 bones in your spine where all the nerves run through. The idea is that the nerves are getting touched in your neck and the 'heal' signal is not getting where it is supposed to go. Since getting this treatment I have had zero tightness or pain. I am extremely skeptical about these kind of things, and I still think it was a bit 'hokey' but I can not argue with the end result. For the relatively low cost and simplicity of the procedure, it would certainly be worth looking into for anyone with chronic lower back pain.

[A.T.Lt]

I had a herniated disc/sciatica about 4 years ago..the pain shot down my leg. MRI was done, and Doc prescribed PT. Honestly the PT was a bit of a joke and a waste of time. The stretching and exercises helped minimally. I then went a year with my back feeling a little better, although some times a bit tight. I would take some Aleve to help with the pain. Then went to a Chiro...although was reluctant to, but it helped tremendously. My back has been fine ever since. I personally believe some of the back pain was due to a bad mattress and the chair at work I would sit in. All things that have been changed since. Plus walking, hiking and exercising has helped as well

[Wise Old Owl]

I also have (intermittent) back pain, so I think that a lower pack weight may be helpful for you, too. But FWIW, I was reading through the latest copy of BACKWOODS HOME magazine and the editor (Dave Duffy) was describing a "new" treatment based on the work of an Australian doctor. I won't try to paraphrase too much for fear of getting it wrong, but the basic idea seems to center around restoring and then maintaining the lower back's natural forward curvature. This is NOT chiropractic, nor is it a drug-dependent therapy...wish that I could remember the name of the doctor who pioneered it (McKennsie??)

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/duffy144.html

Use this set up that Dave has and post like this...

duffy144-4.jpg


Backwoods Home is an excellent source of homestead and old family values

[Beccah]

Thanks, everyone for the advice and links! I'll be reading through that stuff for sure.

[googlywoogly]

I had a bout of sciatica that was so bad I could barely walk, and basic bodily functions were even very painful (to go into further details would be TMI). I found a chiropractor who specialized in helping sciatica suffers. I was VERY skeptical, but desperate. He appears to be for real because after being under his care I have been more or less sciatica/back pain free for close to a year. Also, check into anti inflammatory foods versus foods known to cause inflammation in the body, I have no scientific proof, but I think my diet may have played a roll in my recovery.

Sciatica is no fun and no joke. I hope you find some relief, and good luck on your hike.

[shelterbuilder]

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/duffy144.html

Use this set up that Dave has and post like this...

duffy144-4.jpg


Backwoods Home is an excellent source of homestead and old family values

Thanks, WOO - that's the article. I was always told (even most doctors will agree with this one) that surgery is always the last option that you try...try everything else first! (That being said, sometimes surgery is the ONLY thing that works.)

[Beccah]

I was seeing a chiropractor and she made it progressively worse. It got to a point last week where I couldn't actually stand to walk, so I was crawling back and forth from my resting place to the bathroom. Needless to say, it was miserable. I went to a doctor on Friday and he put me on a ton of meds; muscle relaxers, anti-inflammatories, and pain killers. I'm walking now, but the muscles from my waist to my knees cramp every time I try to straighten my legs. I'm going to take the "walk it out" advice and also I'm going to google some stretches and try to stretch the muscles out.

[T-Dubs]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBlM5in2IQA TED talk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOgxW...41AEA34CE2B3E2 Several YouTube videos

[Ktaadn]

I'm looking for any advice, comments, tips, or experience on dealing with back pain as a backpacker. I'm planning a 2015 NOBO, but last week began experiencing severe lower back pain. It's a toss up whether it's sciatica or herniated discs (the doc is waiting a week before ordering an expensive MRI to eliminate the discs). As far as I see it, this means I have a year to alleviate the pain and strengthen my body so it doesn't come back.

Obviously, the first thing is to reduce my overall pack weight. I'm shooting for a base pack weight of ~20lbs (right now my base weight is 26lbs). Does anyone know of any good exercises to strengthen the correct muscles? Can anyone share their experiences and what has worked for them? All of the research I've done on chronic pain and backpacking seems to be about knees and ankles.

Thanks!

Your back hurts because your core is weak. You will have to do some core strengthening exercises nearly every day in order to alleviate the pain. The rest of the day, you should be conscious of your posture at all times. This includes sitting, walking, and sleeping.

I would recommend skipping the MRI. It is expensive and it isn't likely to tell you anything that you don't already know. You probably have a bulging/inflamed/herniated/whatever disk that is pushing on the nerve. Unless you want to have surgery, which I wouldn't, you are just going to have to do what I mentioned above. I wouldn’t recommend an injection either.

As others have mentioned, I have also found that walking is a great exercise. It forces you to use your core to support your body and it is pretty difficult to walk with bad posture.

Good Luck!

[Hops53]

Whatever modality you use for treatment - strengthen your core - get to the gym or a trainer and tone up the core - a sizable portion of the pain associated with low back disorders is related to muscle spasm that occurs as your body tries to splint the affected area - toned muscles are much less likely to go into sustained spasm - unfortunately core training is often neglected or minimized in training.
This is also my stock answer to people who ask "How should I train for backpacking" - strengthen and tone your core.

Just my opinion - but it has made a huge difference for me - been dealing with "back issues" for about 30 years - having less problems now than 10 years ago.

[Del Q]

I had a car wreck in 1977, 37 years of almost daily back pain. 500,000+ golf balls hit as well - different story

#1 learning - most of us DO NOT stretch near enough. Tight hamstrings, periformis, etc is more the cause of "back pain" than disk issues. Its all interconnected.

#2 Periformis Syndrome - I learned about this on Whiteblaze, google it, do some research, do the stretches like 10x per day, absolutely every time before you get up from a sitting position, try that for 3-4 days and report back

Decompression - I am just now out of pain as of 2 days ago from Vax D decompression, Rolfing and Pilates. Sitting is awful for us, we were not built to sit as much as we do, getting the spine back in shape takes outside intervention.

YES ON THE CORE, zero risk, read the book by Skywalker, PCT, said that speed comes from the core.............I agree.

No risk play.......................I dodged the knife again, was ready to go in July............took the homeotopathic route and it won out once more, fortunately.

[Meriadoc]

Your back hurts because your core is weak. You will have to do some core strengthening exercises nearly every day in order to alleviate the pain. The rest of the day, you should be conscious of your posture at all times. This includes sitting, walking, and sleeping.

Possibly this. My experience was having occasional lower back pain for a couple years. Then, I herniated a disc in the upper spine, I forget the exact vertebra, from poor running posture. Cue the physical therapy. I completed physical therapy and worked diligently at strengthening my core. For me, it was a case of bad posture and weak core.

When I left to hike the AT I still had a herniated disc, I had to watch how I slept, and could not run. But I could walk just fine. My doc was upfront that surgery generally fails and noninvasive procedures are much better. And because of my age (27 at the time) it was expected to heal on its own. I told her I was planning on hiking the AT. She thought it was a great plan - walking tends to strengthen the back and help herniated discs heal. [The flip side of this was that the disc may not heal - if it was simply weak from genetics. But then backpacking wouldn't harm it any more than it already was harmed. She advised to simply avoid activities that hurt to give the disc a chance to heal.]

Around Damascus, I felt a slight numbing in one arm. I reduced my pack weight and was good to go from then forward.

By the end of the trail my back felt very healthy. A year later, I feel completely healthy - no restrictions. I even sleep with pillows sometimes and curled up on my side. Backpacking gave my core a chance to fully strengthen and the herniated disc to heal. I was very conscientious about using my core and maintaining good posture throughout my hike. I still am conscientious about good posture in my daily life.

P.S. This herniated disc disqualified me from any insurance plans. I love the irony of being young and healthy enough to hike the entire AT but being denied health insurance .

P.P.S. A good back doctor (not one who just wants to cut - I can't say enough good things about my back doc) and good physical therapist will be able to identify exactly what needs to be strengthened and how to do it. For me, there were a lot of shoulder and upper back exercises. But I worked with a personal trainer too to strengthen the rest of my core.

P.P.P.S. The best core strength I ever got was from walking upright while backpacking. It's something to build up to.

[Blissful]

My husband had three cortisone shots before his herniated disc calmed down.