Do you take painkillers, ibuprofen, etc. when hiking?

[Neil]

From time to time I take some Ibu but only because I like the placebo effect.

I would never bother with pain killers for run of the mill hiking aches and pains but small amounts on occasion of anti-inflammatories makes sense. Hiking for 12 hours plus is unnatural and harmful so what the heck you may as well combat the negative effects with something equally unnatural and harmful.

 

[MichaelJ]

I don't take any pain relievers when I hike and generally don't need to take them after a hike either. As others have said, pain is the body's way of saying something's going wrong and I want to be able to hear it so that I can be hiking well into my years.

I totally agree; however, it's good to take an anti-inflammatory to prevent joint damage and prevent (as opposed to suppressing) pain from swelling.

 

[jfb]

I am curious. Do you hike drug-free or do you dose up on Advil, Motrin, etc at some point (before, during, after)? Can you get through the day without it?

I hike drug free and don't get sore enough to need drugs afterwards. I guess it's possible even at 55 years old because I stay in shape and know my limits.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

I totally agree; however, it's good to take an anti-inflammatory to prevent joint damage and prevent (as opposed to suppressing) pain from swelling.

Are you suggesting that taking an anti-inflammatory prevents joint damage? If so, I'm highly skeptical of whatever "research" produced those findings.

There seems to be an underlying assumption in this thread that joint swelling is somehow to be avoided, and that in and of itself, swelling is "bad". If so, I think it would be useful to step back and realize why a joint swells in the first place - overuse/misuse - and that the fluid creating the swelling does at least two things: it brings lots of nutrients to the site to aid in repair; and it helps to immobilize the joint so that further damage is minimized.

To the extent we use drugs to suppress those restorative and preventative processes we may do so at our peril.

 

[TEO]

I would never bother with pain killers for run of the mill hiking aches and pains but small amounts on occasion of anti-inflammatories makes sense.

No, it doesn't. What you have to understand about NSAIDs such as ibuprofen is they do two different things:

1) They act as a painkiller. When you're taking small doses on occasion, you are only utilizing this function.

2) They reduce inflammation. In the case of Ibuprofen, prolonged and relatively high to high dosage is required for this to take effect.

So, let me rephrase my response, if you're just looking to diminish the pain after a mind-boggling hike, sure pop a couple Vitamin I. However, if you're looking to quickly reduce inflammation, ice (frozen peas, etc.) is the only answer.

 

[MichaelJ]

There seems to be an underlying assumption in this thread that joint swelling is somehow to be avoided, and that in and of itself, swelling is "bad"

My understanding is that swelling is a caused by cartilage that has been overworked. It is certainly a sign of having overdone it, or at least pushed your joint's limits. Reducing that swelling allows the joint to be moved. The goal is not to use that in order to further use the joint (hike more) which will damage it more. The goal is to be able to keep that joint mobile. You don't want it immobilized, that will cause it to stiffen up.

How many people do a big, long stretch at the end of a hike before getting in the car for the drive home? My bet is not many, and yet it's something we should all be doing, especially those who are going to sit in the car unmoving for several hours.

 

[Puck]

How many people do a big, long stretch at the end of a hike before getting in the car for the drive home? My bet is not many, and yet it's something we should all be doing, especially those who are going to sit in the car unmoving for several hours.

Are you suggesting yoga then beer?

 

[DougPaul]

My understanding is that swelling is a caused by cartilage that has been overworked. It is certainly a sign of having overdone it, or at least pushed your joint's limits. Reducing that swelling allows the joint to be moved. The goal is not to use that in order to further use the joint (hike more) which will damage it more. The goal is to be able to keep that joint mobile. You don't want it immobilized, that will cause it to stiffen up.

Inflammation is part of the healing process. Unless it is excessive (which can be damaging in itself), I just let nature take its course.

NSAIDs can impair the healing in soft isuues:
http://www.caringmedical.com/sports_injury/nsaids.asp

NSAIDs have been shown to delay and hamper the healing in all the soft tissues, including muscles, ligaments, tendons, and cartilage. Anti-inflammatories can delay healing and delay it significantly, even in muscles with their tremendous blood supply.

See also:
http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/nov01/sprain111601.htm
http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=55745
http://www.chicagosportsmedicine.com/nsaids_healing.html

NSAIDs also prevent proper fracture healing: http://www.arthritis.org/nsaids-fracture-healing.php (I was advised not to take any following my leg fracture and operations.)


My joints never become immobile from a normal hike. The muscles may stiffen up, but they are ready to go after a short stretching and warmup.

Doug

 

[DiamondRidge]

I totally agree; however, it's good to take an anti-inflammatory to prevent joint damage and prevent (as opposed to suppressing) pain from swelling.

True - but I'm also fortunate in that I very rarely experience much, if any, swelling before, during, or after a hike

 

[Little Rickie]

Pain is a warning I listen to.

I take 2 extra strength or 3 regular asprins for the hike down. I hate hiking down, besides being anticlimatic, the joints take quite a pounding and start to ache, especially knees. Poles help a lot with that.

Sometimes if I'm real sore and it affects my sleep I take 2 8 hour Tyenol before I hit the hay. In the days following a hike I deal with the pain mostly by mild walking and rest. Swimming is nice too. No asprin unless I'm feeling real bad at work on Monday.

There is something weirdly satisfying about my thighs and calves feeling like the've been chewed off by a wild animal, as I walk down the stairs from the bedroom to the kitchen, for my god please save me cup of coffee, the next morning. I then thank god again for the bathroom on the first floor.

 

[TEO]

How many people do a big, long stretch at the end of a hike before getting in the car for the drive home? My bet is not many, and yet it's something we should all be doing, especially those who are going to sit in the car unmoving for several hours.

I concur. In addition to stretching before getting into the car for the drive home, I'll also stretch a bit when I stop for gas or food. Onetime, while doing a simple and standard ITB stretch (cross legs and bend to one side) in the men's room at the gas station/Subway in Lincoln, NH, another fellow walked in. Seeing me he said, "Oh, sorry!" and turned around to quickly leave. I reassured him that I was merely stretching.

 

[Neil]

Actually, thinking this through a little more....after a mind boggling hike (Hey shake and bake!) the pain I feel is assuredly related to tissue damage (micro-tears in the muscles - you know, where the actin and myosin filaments attache to the z-bands ).

Once the damage is done you have to wait for it to heal. There might be some pain due to inflammation but what I feel going down the stairs first thing the next morning is the result of damage.

In consideration of Teo and DougPauls' posts, which I am assuming are the result of looking in to the subject more thoroughly, then taking anti-inflammatories is a waste of money and liver function.

Furthermore, the amount of inflammation that ensues is not likely to be sufficient to create tissue damage of its own.

Re: stretching: I would keep it gentle in consideration that you are applying tensile stresses to those weakened actin and myosin-Z band junctions.

Don't want to tear them off their moorings, now do we?

 

[WhiteMTHike]

I'm 48 years old and have a bad knee. I wear a knee brace whenever I hike, which helps a great deal. As far as pain killers, I'll sometimes take them after my hike. But I find that Advil, Tylenol etc. just put a mask on the pain. Usually some rest and a hot tub along with Dr. Wu's IPA treatment do the trick for me.

 

[Stash]

I'm 48 years old and have a bad knee. I wear a knee brace whenever I hike, which helps a great deal. As far as pain killers, I'll sometimes take them after my hike. But I find that Advil, Tylenol etc. just put a mask on the pain. Usually some rest and a hot tub along with Dr. Wu's IPA treatment do the trick for me.

In talking about braces with a trainer at my gym a few years ago she gave me the following thought... If you always use a brace when working a weak area (ankle, knee, back) it will never get stronger because it doesn't need too. The brace is doing the work. If you use it only when doing the most strenuous of activities you'll eventually not need it for any. It makes sense to me... But I'm no expert.

 

[Neil]

In talking about braces with a trainer at my gym a few years ago she gave me the following thought... If you always use a brace when working a weak area (ankle, knee, back) it will never get stronger because it doesn't need too. The brace is doing the work. If you use it only when doing the most strenuous of activities you'll eventually not need it for any. It makes sense to me... But I'm no expert.

I believe in the concept of train hard - hike easy so I would train without the brace but wear it hiking. Training is usually highly controlled whereas hiking is much less so (especially if you hike with Dr. Wu) A brace does not do work. It transfers load - away from damaged tissues such as ligaments. (Ligaments, incidentally, don't do any work either - they absorb stress.)

 

[Mike P.]

The pain keeps me awake on the four hour ride home! Okay that & several sodas makes it so i can't sit in the car too long.....

Pain killers? On occasion when I reach home or the next AM especially since hiking 10, 15 or 20 miles the day before doesn't get me out of doing things with the kids at home.

For the training with brace part of this thread, for several years I was a must wear heavy boots person due ankles/feet that had been sprained or broken multiple times playing VB, BB & Soccer. For the past couple of summers I've been in trail shoes & doing fine.

Still drag the left foot the first few steps in the AM after a hike or VB match. (& likely will as hiking after the last break many years ago would have been frowned upon by my MD so I forgot to tell him I was going 11 days after the incident)

 

[Stan]

I take tequila therapy after every hike. No need for anything else ... 'cept maybe prilosec.

 

[Mohamed Ellozy]

I take tequila therapy after every hike.

I am 72 years old, hike as hard as my aging body allows, drug-free.

In light of Stan's quote I fear I have to change my statement.

Unlike Stan I like variety. So I vary my post-hike therapy ... usually red wine, occasionally white wine, quite often a beer, either as a preliminary or as sole therapy

After major successes (major by my geriatric definition), such as today, I will occasionally indulge in champagne. You would be amazed what it does to the aches and pains needed to earn it

 

[una_dogger]

~0F in my freezer.

Why am I *not* surprised that you have an ultra-low freezer for home use??

I like frozen veggie bags for the very reason Daniel points out, they contour very well to your body part. Hope all is well with your recent surgery, D.E.

Furthermore, the amount of inflammation that ensues is not likely to be sufficient to create tissue damage of its own.

Is that true?? Seriously, given your profession you are probably more "up" on this stuff than many here, so would you expand?? -- I had PT for ITB band injuries about 3 years ago -- deep tissue massage to break up all the scar tissue that my PT said was caused by inflammation -- his analogy was that inflammed tissue is sticky and scar tissue anneals to it, causing the ITB to lose its normal shape and flexibilty and even pull knee caps out of alignment ; conversely, reducing that inflammation prevents the "stickiness" and makes scar tissue build up less likely. I took this to mean that not reducing inflammation over time had damaged my tissue. Has this concept been shown to be wrong?? I've been fairly diligent about icing/stretching/pilates to avoid going through this again in the future...

 

[The Unstrung Harp]

Wow. So many replies...

I too use Glucosamine, and also have cared for many horses and a few dogs who were on it. I have seen the condition of several animals plummet when their owners let them run out of the supplement. And I've seen them bounce back when the begin getting it again.

My uncle, an orthopedist and sports medicine specialist, whose opinion I generally respect, says the stuff is a scam. The horses and dogs has shown that it definitely works, at least for some! Pretty interesting...

Other than a half or maybe full dose of Glucosamine on most days, I don't usually take anything for joint pain before, during, or after hiking. Sometimes an Ibuprofen it something feels really funky, but not as a matter of course.

I hope for many more replies; each is interesting to me. I have little to add but am enjoying the discussion. Thanks guys! Now I REALLY need to go get packing...

-Unstrung