The pain, it continues

June 24, 2004 9:57 AM

Backpacking with a bad back.

I've been planning this trip in Yosemite for about a month now that I'm pretty excited about. There are a couple of ascents, but for the most part it's all downhill. (old classic - John Muir Trail from Tuolumne to the Valley - 21.6 miles, 2800' up, then 7300' down down down to Happy Isles.)

Last week I moved into a new apartment, and while I strained my back here and there, by the day after I finished everything (Saturday), my back felt fine. Now all off the sudden, I'm starting to feel soreness in my lower back, starting yesterday. I'm supposed to be on the trail tomorrow morning. Should I still go? Is there any special care I should take?

posted by badstone to Health & Fitness (15 answers total)

I'd say that it is a bad idea to carry a heavy backpack with an injured back. Put your backpack on and if it hurts, think twice about carrying it 20+ miles. Your friends will thank you for it (since you'll end up making them carry all your stuff ;).

As an aside, I know a couple of people with chronic back problems who make their goats carry everything. No, really. They're splendid pack animals. You don't have enough time to acquire and train a goat, of course, since goats are very loyal animals with which you must bond when they're as young as possible.
posted by maniactown at 10:49 AM on June 24, 2004

Downhill is actually worse for your back, the constant hammering of each footfall can cause you serious problems.
If you must go, get a really good, well-fitting backpack, and make sure you know how to adjust all the straps to minimize the strain on your back. Make sure your boots have very good soles, and take a walking stick of some kind, preferably 2 ski poles or the shorter "walking" kind.
posted by signal at 10:55 AM on June 24, 2004

Walking sticks are a must for bad backs (or knees for that matter).
posted by crazy finger at 11:07 AM on June 24, 2004

Llamas, although this link has not been updated in several years and you probably could not get one for tomorrow. I agree that going downhill will be hard on your back. However, most of the weight should be on your hips, not your back. I would try a test run tonight up and down a local hill or steps even and then play it by ear tomorrow morning. It might not be so bad. On the other hand if it is really tender you probably should stay home. Even walking without the pack might aggravate it.

Bring plenty of Motrin and start them now! Also, do plenty of press-ups - lie face down and press up with your arms (keeping your hips on the ground) arching your back backwards. Do a few reps every few hours and it can sometimes help get your disk properly aligned to alleviate the pain. A physical therapist taught me this and it seems to work for me at least.
posted by caddis at 11:57 AM on June 24, 2004

I second caddis's statement that most of the weight should be on your hips and lower legs versus your back. Be sure your backpack has the straps across your chest and lower torso area and strap then on nice and snug. I also highly reccomend it for any lengthy camping trip.
posted by jmd82 at 12:03 PM on June 24, 2004

Get a pair of treking poles. I scoffed at them for a long time. But, when I got a pair I realized I was a fool for waiting so long. Not only does it allow your arms to help you out on uphills, but you are also more stable and help take a lot of shock off your knees and back. Seriously, can't reccommend them highly enough.
posted by trbrts at 12:54 PM on June 24, 2004

Response by poster: So yeah, my pack is a modern one, and definitely puts all the weight on my hips, or I wouldn't be considering the trip at all. I went for a walk around my very hilly San Francisco neighborhood with an overloaded pack, and so long as I maintained good posture, it honestly felt like it was stretching by lower back muscles in a good way. It was kind of like a lever stretching my back - fulcrum on my hips, and pressure pulling backwards on my chest and shoulders. So, the pack feels good, but I want to make sure I wouldn't be secretly damaging myself in a way I wouldn't feel until after.

I think I will make a stop at REI on my way out of town and pick up some poles. I too have scoffed at them, but I will take you all at your word. Should I definitely get two, or is one sufficient?
posted by badstone at 1:20 PM on June 24, 2004

Be ruthless about pruning your load. Ruthless. Ditch everything you don't absolutely need. Forget the ten essentials. Leave the tent at home and sleep under the stars. Take two garbage bags if you're worried about rain. Leave the heavy raincoat and take a garbage bag with three holes ripped in it. Your friends will have a knife; leave yours at home. Get a mini-LED flashlight. Leave the stove at home and bring no-cook food, and be a little hungry. You can brush your teeth with just water for a few days, or bring a few sticks of sugarfree gum. Leave the big first aid kit home; bring just ibuprofen and some duct tape. Get a 3/4 length pad and put your pack under your feet when you sleep at night. Don't bring a change of clothes. The water in the Sierras is actually very clean. If you're not downstream of lots of people, you can drink it safely and reduce the amount of water you carry at once and leave the filter at home. Or, get a bottle with a built-in filter if that worries you.

For as 20 mile overnighter in temperate weather you should be able to easily get your pack under 20lbs.
posted by bradhill at 2:52 PM on June 24, 2004

I will second, third, and fourth the trekking poles. They don't have to be fancy or lightweight, they just have to be used. Two is more than twice as good as one. You will find them in the top three items that have made a radical difference to your enjoyment of backpacking (self-inflating mattresses and platypus waterbottles with hose being the other two.)

Rather than abandoning water purification, I recommend Pristine or Aquamire, both the same product. Tastes better and more effective than iodine or bleach, and 1/10th the weight of a filter.

Ibuprofen is, at least in my experience, best for sprains and strains. Reduces swelling nicely. Start taking it now; it takes a day or two to ramp up to full prophylactic effect.
posted by five fresh fish at 3:43 PM on June 24, 2004

For a 2-day 20-mile trip you should be able to carry everything in a small day-pack that weighs less than 10 pounds, including food so by trip end it might weigh 2 pounds, barely noticable. If your carring a lot more than that your taking away from the enjoyment of the trip. IMO. I've done it, a lot more fun not to be hauling stuff around.
posted by stbalbach at 5:36 PM on June 24, 2004

For water, you can always just get some iodide to purify any water. I've used it on past camping trips and it works like a charm.
posted by jmd82 at 5:58 PM on June 24, 2004

Iodide works, but tastes nasty. The Pristine/Aquamira is infinitely better.
posted by five fresh fish at 7:45 PM on June 24, 2004

Well, I don't know anything about hiking with a sore back, and other people have already offered any useful tips I could share (poles, carry the weight on your hips, etc), so let me just say: it's a beautiful trail and a lovely time of year to walk it. Go have fun.
posted by Mars Saxman at 8:18 PM on June 24, 2004

In addition to bradhill's recommendation of treking poles, check out an ultralight back, and rethink your relationship to the stuff you think you absoltely need to schlep.
posted by Izzy at 11:40 PM on June 24, 2004

And maybe visit a sports physiotherapist before the trip.

I blew out a knee during a hike. An emergency visit to physiotherapy fixed the problem after an hour or so. I was able to continue my vacation relatively painfree after that.
posted by five fresh fish at 9:20 AM on June 25, 2004