[pct-l] Trail Injuries

[Greg Kesselring]

Well said, L-Rod. 

I have often wondered about the regular use by some hikers of Ibuprofen, 
a.k.a vitamin I.  To me that seems the perfect set up for doing some 
serious damage to your body.  As you said, pain is the way your body 
lets you know there's a problem. 

If you mask pain with drugs, you may be able to continue hiking for a 
while, but you risk doing more serious damage.  If I'm in too much pain 
to hike, that's when I want to take some time off.  If the pain 
continues, it's time to see a professional. 

If the pain is slight, I may be able to continue hiking, but I want to 
keep listening to my body and respond accordingly.  Maybe I just need to 
modify my gait slightly or take more breaks or slow down or take a 
couple of low mileage days.  If I'm not masking the pain with drugs, I 
can do all these things which I believe will help my body heal, and heal 
more quickly than if I make myself oblivious to what my body is trying 
to tell me.



Donna Saufley wrote:
> Well, I hope I can give you an opposite view that is intended to help you
> balance your "push on" perspective.  Mind over matter is important, but
> there are limits and realities to deal with.  Years ago when I was a fitness
> trainer, we always said pain -- real pain, not the "wah, wah, I don't want
> to do this" sort of thing -- is the way your body tells you something is
> wrong.  In my experience it is always best to listen to what your body is
> telling you, even if it's not what you want to hear.  
>
> Here at Hiker Heaven I've seen a fair number of hikers who had to quit
> hiking because they didn't listen to what they bodies were telling them,
> which is often slow down and/or stop and rest until injuries heal.  Because
> they pressed too hard for too long and didn't take care of themselves, their
> hikes ended. Stress fractures are the usual culprit, but shin splints and
> plantars also take their toll. It's very sad to see this happen.  It's even
> more ironic to see young healthy people who are so full of energy and
> strength but haven't learned how (or why) to pace themselves get sidelined
> with injuries while wizened old timers pass them up, slow but consistent.
> It's the classic case of the tortoise and the hare.
>
> It takes time for the body to adjust to carrying 30 (or more) pounds of
> extra weight, and for all the tendons and ligaments to adjust to walking
> many miles a day. Large muscle groups adapt quickly, but training for
> tendons and ligaments is a much slower process.  You can blow yourself up on
> the first day if you don't take it easy and hike within your limits. The
> first days and weeks should be a gradual process of allowing your body to
> adjust.  There's a price to pay for most when they're too fast out the gate.
>
> So, I hope this helps you. 
>
> L-Rod
>
>
>