Living on the edge of the Wasatch Front, you have access to some of the greatest hiking trails in North America. However, it can be difficult to truly enjoy these trails if you aren’t taking adequate care of your body. Due to the extreme elevation gains and uneven trails, it can be easy to accidentally injure yourself while hiking.
However, with adequate precautions, you can avoid these injuries, including preventing knee and back pain. Whether you’ve just moved to the area and need some advice or have dealt with injuries in the past, there are a few easy ways to stay safe. If you want to learn more about preventing knee and back pain while hiking, keep reading.
1. Make Sure You’re Warming Up
Before you take to the trail, it is incredibly important that you take a few minutes to adequately warm up your body. Even the most gentle stretches before your hike can make a major difference in preventing knee and back pain. Make sure to perform dynamic stretches that engage the muscles in your calves, hips, and thighs. Without these stretches, you may otherwise hurt or seriously injure these muscles during your hike. By stretching ahead of your hike, you also improve your overall flexibility and enhance performance throughout.
2. Pack Light Whenever Possible
Although this isn’t always possible depending on the intensity of your hike, it is essential that you pack light whenever possible. While it might be tempting to pack your backpack full of lots of equipment, you should leave anything you don’t absolutely need at home. Once on your back, make sure to adjust the straps to ensure a proper fit and even weight distribution. Adjusting the weight distribution of your pack and removing unnecessary items is essential in preventing knee and back pain at the end of the day.
3. Wear Appropriate Footwear
While you might want to run out for a quick hike, regardless of the shoes you are currently wearing, it is important to wear appropriate footwear if you’re preventing knee and back pain. Improper shoes during a hike don’t provide enough support to your feet, legs, or hips, which can make you more susceptible to injury. Additionally, wearing improper shoes may mean you have less stability and traction in more extreme hiking situations. Before going out for a hike, it is best to wear well-fitting hiking boots that offer ample arch support and traction while on the trail.
4. Use Assistive Equipment
Even the most seasoned hikers need to consider using assistive equipment if preventing knee and back pain is their priority. For most hikers, this means investing in high-quality, reliable trekking poles. These poles ensure stability when navigating uneven terrain, which is incredibly common across the Wasatch Front. Some hikers, including those who have dealt with more significant injuries or muscle atrophy in the past, can benefit from assistive technology like exoskeletons. This technology offers support to the lower back and behind the knees, making it easier to navigate up steep terrains.
5. Maintain Proper Posture
As you begin moving from gentle slopes to more steep climbs, it can be difficult to maintain proper posture. However, keeping a close eye on your posture during your hike is essential in preventing knee and back pain. Keep your head up, eyes forward, and shoulders back as you hike. Improper posture can put strain on the muscles in your shoulders and back, leading to an increased risk of pain. In addition to keeping an eye on your posture, make sure to engage your core throughout the hike to support your back, especially when wearing a heavy pack.
6. Don’t Hesitate to Take a Break
If preventing knee and back pain is your highest priority, one of the best things you can do is take breaks whenever you need them. In many cases, you may feel the need to fight to keep up with friends, family, and other hikers. However, their abilities and yours may not be quite the same. Pushing through discomfort, especially when on uneven terrain, can put excessive strain on your muscles, leading to an increased risk of injury. If you feel like you need it, don’t hesitate to take a break. Even if the break is only a few minutes long, it gives your body a chance to recover before continuing on the path.
7. Listen to Your Body
In addition to taking breaks whenever necessary, it is also important to listen to the other signals your body is sending you. If you feel too tired to continue the hike, are experiencing difficult to remedy pain, or are generally too uncomfortable, it is best to take a break, stretch, or turn around. Choosing to continue only puts you at risk of developing more severe injuries. If you’ve found that stretching and resting isn’t enough to remedy the problem, you may need to reach out to your primary care provider for support and additional care.
8. Schedule Regular Chiropractic Checkups
The last step in preventing knee and back pain as a hiker is scheduling regular appointments with your chiropractor. They can identify problems within your back, hips, and knees well before they begin presenting themselves to you. With regular chiropractic adjustments and monitoring of your physical health, your chiropractor can provide you with expert advice, supplementary exercises, and treatment adjustments to help you maintain your current healthy state or make major changes that improve your overall comfort throughout your hikes and everyday activities.
Preventing Knee and Back Pain at Muscle & Joint Chiropractic
If preventing knee and back pain on your own has been difficult, trust that our team at Muscle & Joint Chiropractic in Tooele County is here to help. We understand that no two hikers are exactly the same. When you turn to us for support, you can trust that we’ll perform a thorough consultation and craft a specialized treatment plan that is unique to your body’s needs. With our team on your side, there are no cookie-cutter treatment plans, and instead unique treatment designed with you in mind.
If you would like to schedule an appointment with our team to discuss preventing knee and back pain, don’t hesitate to contact us today.