toejam
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Hiking to raise awareness
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Post by toejam on Dec 1, 2015 5:37:38 GMT -8
This summer my hips started hurting when I slept - I sleep on my side so as not to swallow my tongue. I noticed this first backpacking and was really careful to get the right inflation on my Neoair, but it continued when I got to my cushy bed at home. It's been getting worse - my hips are stiff when I first stand up (never was a very good dancer) and sometimes I can't lay on my left side without pain.
I run & hike a lot. My knees are in great shape. I'm 55 yrs old & 185#.
Anybody have any ideas, experience, tips?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 1, 2015 8:09:20 GMT -8
I am a side sleeper and require good hip padding so I do not 'bruise' my hips. On backpacking trips, I tend to rotate from hip to hip to get some relief to my hips. I have also taught myself to sleep on my back, when I am at home, propped up on pillows to allow any hip issues to heal. I also, on backpacking trips, will take a pain relief pill.
I have also found that the hand of the ground is important to hip comfort. My first choice is to pitch the tent on a good bed of pine needles or sand.
An option I have used in the past has been to carry a RidgeRest and then put my inflatable on top.
The current sleeping pad I am using has worked well for me with out need for additional padding.
I also learned that I have less of a hip burning feeling and stiffness issue by using a flatter pillow. My understanding that with a thicker pillow my head was lifted, putting more weight onto my hips.
I wish I could be more help.
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Post by rwtb123 on Dec 1, 2015 8:58:29 GMT -8
Is this really the same person that was claiming we were all geezers wasting our time weight training and that he could hike us into the ground?Perhaps,you just overdid it...
Seriously,my advice would be to lose any excess weight around the mid-section,strengthen the core,use a firmer mattress and watch the weight supported by your hips while backpacking by reducing pack load and/or wearing more supportive shoes. I am also a side sleeper and prefer a firmer mattress and actually still use a ridgerest while backpacking.I did tweak/strain my right hip a number of years ago hiking barefoot on the 110 mile Lake Okeechobee levee with an external frame backpack loaded down with water(everglades area water is often undrinkable).For awhile, it would start acting up when I did high milage but now it is completely rehabbed/healed using just the above suggestions...
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walkswithblackflies
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Post by walkswithblackflies on Dec 1, 2015 14:04:29 GMT -8
Is it all the time or just when you lay down to sleep? Just on the outside (sciatic), or is it internal (tendons/ligaments)?
I'm close to finally overcoming some sacrum/hip joint issues. It's been a couple of years. Equal amounts of rest and training have helped. Recently, I've noticed a marked improvement due to yoga.
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toejam
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Hiking to raise awareness
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Post by toejam on Dec 1, 2015 17:39:53 GMT -8
Is this really the same person that was claiming we were all geezers wasting our time weight training and that he could hike us into the ground? That's probably me. As of this moment I can still hike circles around anybody who thinks they can become a hiker in a gym, and probably all the rest of you too (Did I mention trekking poles are for the elderly & infirm on this forum? Always starts a good fight ). But I'm becoming more geezerly at a frightening rate (I use trekking poles for any hike with a full backpack). It's the outside of my hips - as if they were sore from sleeping all night on the hard ground, which I never have, the Neoair is pretty cushy. I'm afraid it's arthritis and I'm hoping there's a pain-free future that doesn't involve hip replacement. Thanks for the thoughts, and the dig - especially the part about excess weight around the mid-section. :D
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Post by rwtb123 on Dec 1, 2015 18:39:01 GMT -8
If it fits wear it.It is apparent reading comprehension is not your strong suit ,in either this thread or the prior one in question ...
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toejam
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Hiking to raise awareness
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Post by toejam on Dec 2, 2015 5:30:34 GMT -8
Your post gave me a laugh. Certainly good advice (except the part about hiking 110 miles barefoot). I added smilies to my response to keep it lighthearted.
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Post by rwtb123 on Dec 2, 2015 9:34:33 GMT -8
Sorry,I got overly bent out of shape on this whole thing but on that old thread no one was suggesting he not hike with a backpack as an integral part of his training ,in fact, he said himself he planned to do that but wanted to know about additional strength and endurance components for his overall fitness and ability to do his planned hike.On the old board before inviting him over here I had addressed building a base and extending distance with a backpack and his running for an endurance component as well as weight training for a strength component so on this board just welcomed him and make one additional comment on strength training.I know as well as anyone that weight training and even cycling do not transfer directly over to hiking and that to become a strong hiker you have to hike but that for overall fitness all three help build a strong fitness base with different strengths and weaknesses (my running is limited these days to occasional sprinting to avoid long term stress to my knees).
As far as hiking barefoot that is certainly no recommendation less anyone should get the wrong idea but rather an explanation of how I tweaked my hip.I do hike barefoot often in Fl and usually in flipflops otherwise but you would have to understand the unique ecosystems of Fl where conditions change from wet to dry to back wet with every few feet of elevation change.Plus, on the levee was extremely flat terrain where I was doing 25-30 mile days and just don't like to deal with foot swelling issues(but learned my lesson on that much weight).
Have a happy holidays and here's hoping you have a full recovery so you can continue to hike circles around me as even the older fitness ladies around here seem able to do anyway(I can just get in an all day pace and go farther is the difference).Funny,that on the Lake O hike I would do it in 4 days every Thanksgiving (until too many levee shutdowns for neverending repairs).Around the same time a local hiking club sponsored(and still do) an annual 10 day hike around the levee(around 10 miles a day and staying in campgrounds).So I gave them a considerable head start so I would not actually encounter them but was motivated by the idea to keep going to lap them on the circular route around the lake.
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toejam
Trail Wise!
Hiking to raise awareness
Posts: 1,795
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Post by toejam on Dec 3, 2015 5:23:26 GMT -8
Happy holidays to you too. It's great to have familiar local trails where you can hike a long way and clear your head. I appologize for my bad manners and I appreciate the advice.
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speacock
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I'm here for the food...
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Post by speacock on Dec 3, 2015 9:20:28 GMT -8
At *ahem* our advanced age, it might be worth a trip to an MD that enjoys diagnosing things. Get some use out of that medical insurance. Sciatica comes to mind. If you also have pain in groin it could be a hip starting to throw a rod or the bearings squeaking. The problem with big joints is that you get pain transference from where it really 'hurts'.
My rule is that if it keeps me awake at night (other than the anchovies on that late night pizza), and doesn't go away after a few days to a week or is reoccurring, it is clear I haven't fixed anything on my own. Time to call in the cavalry and help some poor soul make payments on his yacht.
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Dec 3, 2015 9:29:59 GMT -8
Sadly, this pain sounds familiar (and different from sciatica). Though I would characterize my problem more often as an ache inside the hip. I do get the "bruised" feeling now and then, but only when (aha!) the cushioning under the hip is inadequate and I bottom out.
For the ache: see the MD (or better, PT), and get some exercises to strengthen the area and to loosen tight tendons and muscles. I also find that sleeping with a pillow between my knees helps--it keeps the hips better aligned, I think, or something like that. To the best of my knowledge, the underlying cause is arthritis, but hip replacements are probably still far in the future. I try to focus on strength and flexibility. And ibuprofen is my drug of choice.
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Post by hikerchick395 on Dec 14, 2015 11:08:29 GMT -8
Hip exercises and stretching are important. My husband had knee and hip pain. The knee pain was caused by the hip and he went through physical therapy, but later xrays showed that he needed a hip replacement. The prior stretching/exercise really helped before surgery, then afterward too. Pain was immediately relieved after the surgery. He was 55 at the time of his replacement.
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Post by wondermonkey on Dec 14, 2015 12:27:42 GMT -8
I am a hammock camper but to use that approach you must have somewhere to hang the hammock. It also means switching some of the gear you may have already purchased. If you have interest in hammock camping we can chat about that as it is incredibly comfy.
Have you tried putting something between your knees to reduce pressure on hips?
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