A wrench was thrown into my plans to hike the John Muir Trail. It was a painful back injury, with an unknown recovery time, that could potentially hold me back from achieving one of my most adventurous dreams to date. In the months leading up to the hike, a million worrisome thoughts ran through my mind… I write this because I desperately wanted to find this type of specific information while planning my thru hike.
the Backstory
Rewind to March 2019. Our Northbound John Muir Trail hike was planned to begin in August 2019. I decided to amp up my training and got a little overzealous and strained my hip flexor. I went to my chiropractor for help. I had gone to him before and we determined I needed to work on my core to support my back and prevent the overuse of my hip flexors. Long story short, he made an adjustment and later that night I had the worst pain in my back that I’ve ever felt. My lower back and hamstrings were insanely stiff, no position was comfortable, and there was a numb sensation down my leg. That numbness would progress to my toes, including twitching in the muscles on my calf and in a few toes.
I was scared.
I had never experienced back pain like this before. NOW I knew what having back pain really meant. When you can’t ever find a comfortable position to sit, so you either have to stand or lie down. Turns out, I have degenerative disc disease, which is a common thing in us aging humans where the vertebral discs begin thinning and breaking down. At the moment I had the adjustment I didn’t know this, and probably would have opted out (btw I’ll NEVER have another chiropractic adjustment again).
The next steps…
So now that I am plagued by this terrible condition, I am desperate to get better. Being the stubborn, self-reliant woman that I am, I wait a few weeks for it to get better on its own. It really doesn’t. I decide to get an MRI and discover that I have a bulged disc that is pressing on a nerve. FUN. I begin the next steps of my recovery process and dive into physical therapy only a few months prior to our trip.
Physical therapy was slow going.
My back after cupping.
It takes what seems like weeks to make a budge in progress. I really wasn’t sure what moves, exercises or even daily activities would help me or hurt me. It was frustrating and I had a few breakdowns along the way.
We initially worked on stretching out the back with different yoga style moves. We tried taping with KT tape to support the muscles, and cupping to release the tension and speed up the recovery.
Then we moved to core, glute and hip strengthening exercises. I did these exercises religiously and began noticing a change. The severely tight muscles in my body began to relax and stop overcompensating for the injured ones.
The Hike
If you know me, you know that I am incredibly stubborn. The month leading up to our start date, I monitored my healing progress and constantly reassessed my injury to make sure I would feel comfortable with my decision to go through with this hike. I set a goal for exactly one month before our start date- if a majority of the muscle tightness, pain and spasms diminished by this time, I would continue with the plan.
It wasn’t 100% healed by the time I started the hike. In fact, I still had some residual numbness and tingling down my leg and the occasional twitching in my toes. This was a vast improvement from the constant numbness and muscle knots. I decided that I had healed enough to fully commit to the hike. As long as I could deal with the pain, I could hike.
Finding a Backpack
The backpack I had purchased months before, I found, no longer felt as comfortable as it once had. It was only a few weeks before the trip when I came to this realization. I ordered 2 different backpacks and ended up going with a ULA Catalyst with a small hipbelt and small torso.
This pack was pretty comfortable and I appreciated all of the adjustments for when my back was feeling off. I would have been better off, even with my torso measuring 16.5”, ordering a medium length torso pack. I often wanted to adjust the pack to a longer length but it was maxed out.
Keep in mind that everyone likes to wear their pack differently, so your torso measurements are just a guideline.
ULA Catalyst
Trail Tools
Below you will find a few tools that helped me greatly on trail with pain management and muscle overuse. I want to include the disclaimer that I am not a medical professional, my advice is strictly based on my experiences and are not meant to treat or cure any injuries.
KT Tape
Kinesiology tape was a great tool that I used every week leading up to the hike and during the hike. My favorite brand was Rock Tape, the water resistant version. It was a multipurpose tool in that I used it to tape tight back muscles in my back to treating blisters to taping up ankles and sore feet. It stays on for a few days through all the sweat and potential water crossings and doesn’t irritate my skin. I will always take this on trail with me!
About to roll my feet out inside the tent one morning on trail.
For me, a massage ball is necessary to aid in recovery. I brought a tennis ball on the trail and it was very useful. The second day in, I got a muscle cramp in my hip while hiking. I found a flat, low rock and rolled on the tennis ball until the muscle released and I never had a problem with that hip again. I used it for my tired feet, sore hamstrings and my back. I’ve been interested in investing in more durable massage balls, such as the Rawlogy Cork Massage Ball, since tennis balls lose their flexibility and become less effective over time. To be honest, I really should have used the massage ball more than I did!
“Yoga Mat”
After hiking miles and miles, it is SO nice to be able to throw out a mat to sit on instead of the rocky, prickly, dusty ground. That is number one function of having a mat. Number two is for use as either a sleeping pad or sleeping pad backup (in case your inflatable sleeping pad is compromised). The third is for use as a yoga/stretching mat. My recommendations vary on your willingness to carry the extra weight. For the JMT, I brought a Gossamer Gear Thinlite Foam Pad 1/8” weighing 2.5 oz. I really enjoyed having it accessible in the side pocket of my pack so that I could easily access it for breaks. After about a week in, Darren became jealous of my pad and bought a NEMO Switchback Foam Pad for an extra seat and sleeping pad backup. About three days before finishing the trail, his inflatable sleeping pad sprung a leak and he luckily had the Nemo foam pad as backup. I preferred using the his cushier foam pad for both a seat and as a yoga mat over the Gossamer Gear thin pad. On my next thru hike, I would likely bring my Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol Short, cut into a smaller size.
Chillin’ on Darren’s Nemo Switchback foam pad.
Stretching
Once you’ve got the yoga mat, you can go to town with downward dog. I recommend stretching every day; I really should have used my mat to stretch every day… I had good intentions! To prevent injury and keep muscles healthy, gentle stretching before you even get out of the tent can be beneficial. Once your muscles are warmed up with a bit of hiking, stretch again. At the end of the day, stretch one last time. I’ve found stretching many times throughout the day really helps with recovery and muscle tightness.
About to go in for that deeeep stretch at the top of Muir Pass.
Pain Relieving/Anti-Inflammatory Medication
Whatever may work for you, this is high up on the list and should be a no-brainer. You never know how many days from town you might be and the ability to walk vs hobble could be dependent on your stash of pain meds. Some people use natural anti-inflammatories, such as turmeric, but I haven’t yet found a natural medication that works for me. On the trail, I used Advil and Aleve. A few times we packed out liquor in lightweight flasks, definitely worth it.
Sometimes a nip of some scotch will do the job.
16oz Nalgene bottle, perfect for those pre-summit electrolytes.
This is where a Nalgene bottle comes in handy. I brought a small 16oz Nalgene bottle to mix drinks, to hold boiled water and use as a heating pad for pain or to put in my sleeping bag to warm me up. Thankfully I only ever needed to use it to mix drinks and cold soak food a few times, but was happy to have it for pain relief if needed. I brought a 16oz bottle because I liked the small size and light weight for mixing drinks. I just found a 12oz Nalgene bottle, which I would consider for my next hike!
Hiking
Believe it or not, walking is one of the best things you can do for your back. Even while carrying a 30 pound backpack, my back felt better than it had in the few months leading up to the trip. It actually felt good! Walking helps to build muscles in the core, glutes and hips, which all aid in back support. I think that wearing a pack properly can actually improve your posture and strengthen the back.
Where I am now, 3.5 months later
Ever since the hike, my back has been decently healthy. If I feel a twinge, I will immediately turn to my core, glute and hip exercises. They are truly a magical cure and take the pain away almost instantly, as long as I keep up with it! Walking and exercising have also been constant healers. For a few months after the hike, I had awful plantar fasciitis pain. I am currently working with a physical therapist to strengthen the muscles so I don’t have a set back on my next long hike!
Finishing the John Muir Trail!