- Joined
- Aug 4, 2009
- Messages
- 6,234
If you plot out my posts as I've been active on here, it's pretty safe to say you'd have a good idea of my condition as I've battled arthritis-specifically Spondiloarthropathy. As most of you know, I live for outdoor stuff-it's my motivation in every aspect of my life, and this condition has done a great job of taking much of it away from me.
Last March I was officially diagnosed and participated in a treatment study with my dad, who has the same condition, and was a professional cyclist and biathlete for the better part of 20 years. Since then, I've seemed to find a pinprick of perfect balance between physical therapy/activity, drug treatment and diet to gain considerable functionality back. While I'll never do my cool Air Force job again, be as fast on a road bike or allaround capable as I used to be, I've managed to regain alot of what I lost, which is really motivating. It doesn't take 2 hours to get out of bed (usually), I can grip stuff with my hands and they tend to be more reliable, my right hip hasn't blown out once, and less pain means less cranky and more capable of getting daily tasks done, including the ability to focus in class.
I just got back from a week-ish long trip to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, after a checkup with my rheumatologist. We did full blood work, bone scan and mobility tests. Compared to last March, my inflammatory factors are almost identical, which is good-the immune system doesn't appear to be escalating in damaging activity and my kidney and liver function are healthy, considering my med stack. My back is almost one and a half times less distended and more flexible, and I've managed to keep it veeery straight. My pain level has drastically decreased, and general joint strength and range of motion have increased.
My hip joints are pretty messed up. There's noticeable bone spurring and deformation, which means double replacement in the future, but the doc is impressed at my range of motion and functionality there, considering. If we get some snow this winter I'll wind up getting Cortisone injections again, so that I can stay active in the snow and fluctuating pressure systems in the mountains.
So, how does this apply to W&SS?
Number one, I've been able to participate more often, with more intensity and more variety, in outdoor recreation. I've been road biking 20 miles a day, walking 3 miles to school, bouldering 3-4 times a week, doing daytrips in the whitewater kayak, fly fishing a few times a week, took at least one backpacking trip a week this summer, and plan to skate and telemark ski all winter.
Number two, I learned some things that might help the general community. Since arthritis is the most common debilitating disease, affects 46 million American adults and the fact that so little is known about onset and there is no cure, I figure some people can apply a few tips to make outdoor recreation more viable.
Tip 1: There's a tool for that.
Chances are you can eliminate a large chunk of abuse on your joints by the correct use of the correct tools. If you find yourself unnecessarily abusing your hands, get a pair of gloves, and experiment with tools to find the one that offers the most efficiency with the least amount of pain. If you spend hours bushcrafting on your knees, bring kneepads or a kneeling pad. If you can't crack a jar, chances are you can pry the lid with an SAK or a P38 in order to equalize the pressure for easy removal. If something is putting too much pressure somewhere, pad it-wrap it in medical tape, foam, duct tape, canvas, something. I've been wrapping my shemagh around my levergun and axe handles and that alone does wonders. If you have a hard time gripping and pinching, get a pair of forceps and a decent needle nose multitool-you'll thank yourself for it.
Tip 2: Look on the bright side...
Pain can be an incredible motivator and you can use it as fuel to improve on your efficiency/skill in tool use and bushcraft technique in order to reduce brute labor. For example, I've stopped carrying chopping blades for the fun of it, and most of the time will take an ergonomically handled axe and a saw. This gives me a choice based on which joints are feeling what, and with the axe, more leverage means deeper biting, means less repetition and shock. I've deliberately spent a TON of time with an SFA this year, carving, felling, splitting, slicing and maintaining. Investing time in your sharpening skills has immediate and lasting effects on how much strength and abuse it takes to accomplish tasks. I've also spent alot of time learning easily undo-able knots, learning how to most comfortably pack my ruck, learning how to read the water instead of cranking on a paddle, and learning the little nuances of balance and pressure when it comes to climbing.
Tip 3: Use your excuse.
Light repetitive motion prevents/reduces stiffness, and there are lots of light repetitive outdoor sports out there. I started kayaking because it let me get backcountry with stiff hips. I justify rock climbing between class because it stretches out my larger joints and forces me to improve my range of motion. I justify road biking because it keeps me limber enough to walk. I justify cross country skiing because I can't road bike on snow. Use your excuse to invest in the right gear and take the time out of your day to participate, because self-applied physical therapy will make your entire life more productive. If I didn't spend an hour every morning on my bike, I'd spend at LEAST an extra hour hobbling around from place to place on stiff hips, knees and ankles. No one, including my mother, can give me shit about investing money and time in my bike. That's an extra hour a day I spend participating in outdoor recreation.
Tip 4: Improve your diet, it's not just hippie BS.
There are direct ties between joint and stomach inflammation, and if you treat your stomach right, not only will it help you stay in shape with reduced mobility, but it affects every aspect of your life in increasing energy levels and reducing day-to-day inflammation. I've always eaten relatively healthy as an adult, and learned early on that taking the time to learn how to cook pays off in the long run. In the last 6 months, I've moved to an unprocessed vegetable-heavy diet, supplemented with meat and dairy. Happy stomach, happy wallet, happy heart, happy joints, happy muscles, happy me.
I'm sure I can think of more general tips, but I guess my point is to be proactive. Educate yourself and apply it, get outside and your quality of life in every single aspect of day to day activity will go up. Beats the hell out of wasting your life sitting pissy in an armchair.
Last March I was officially diagnosed and participated in a treatment study with my dad, who has the same condition, and was a professional cyclist and biathlete for the better part of 20 years. Since then, I've seemed to find a pinprick of perfect balance between physical therapy/activity, drug treatment and diet to gain considerable functionality back. While I'll never do my cool Air Force job again, be as fast on a road bike or allaround capable as I used to be, I've managed to regain alot of what I lost, which is really motivating. It doesn't take 2 hours to get out of bed (usually), I can grip stuff with my hands and they tend to be more reliable, my right hip hasn't blown out once, and less pain means less cranky and more capable of getting daily tasks done, including the ability to focus in class.
I just got back from a week-ish long trip to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, after a checkup with my rheumatologist. We did full blood work, bone scan and mobility tests. Compared to last March, my inflammatory factors are almost identical, which is good-the immune system doesn't appear to be escalating in damaging activity and my kidney and liver function are healthy, considering my med stack. My back is almost one and a half times less distended and more flexible, and I've managed to keep it veeery straight. My pain level has drastically decreased, and general joint strength and range of motion have increased.
My hip joints are pretty messed up. There's noticeable bone spurring and deformation, which means double replacement in the future, but the doc is impressed at my range of motion and functionality there, considering. If we get some snow this winter I'll wind up getting Cortisone injections again, so that I can stay active in the snow and fluctuating pressure systems in the mountains.
So, how does this apply to W&SS?
Number one, I've been able to participate more often, with more intensity and more variety, in outdoor recreation. I've been road biking 20 miles a day, walking 3 miles to school, bouldering 3-4 times a week, doing daytrips in the whitewater kayak, fly fishing a few times a week, took at least one backpacking trip a week this summer, and plan to skate and telemark ski all winter.
Number two, I learned some things that might help the general community. Since arthritis is the most common debilitating disease, affects 46 million American adults and the fact that so little is known about onset and there is no cure, I figure some people can apply a few tips to make outdoor recreation more viable.
Tip 1: There's a tool for that.
Chances are you can eliminate a large chunk of abuse on your joints by the correct use of the correct tools. If you find yourself unnecessarily abusing your hands, get a pair of gloves, and experiment with tools to find the one that offers the most efficiency with the least amount of pain. If you spend hours bushcrafting on your knees, bring kneepads or a kneeling pad. If you can't crack a jar, chances are you can pry the lid with an SAK or a P38 in order to equalize the pressure for easy removal. If something is putting too much pressure somewhere, pad it-wrap it in medical tape, foam, duct tape, canvas, something. I've been wrapping my shemagh around my levergun and axe handles and that alone does wonders. If you have a hard time gripping and pinching, get a pair of forceps and a decent needle nose multitool-you'll thank yourself for it.
Tip 2: Look on the bright side...
Pain can be an incredible motivator and you can use it as fuel to improve on your efficiency/skill in tool use and bushcraft technique in order to reduce brute labor. For example, I've stopped carrying chopping blades for the fun of it, and most of the time will take an ergonomically handled axe and a saw. This gives me a choice based on which joints are feeling what, and with the axe, more leverage means deeper biting, means less repetition and shock. I've deliberately spent a TON of time with an SFA this year, carving, felling, splitting, slicing and maintaining. Investing time in your sharpening skills has immediate and lasting effects on how much strength and abuse it takes to accomplish tasks. I've also spent alot of time learning easily undo-able knots, learning how to most comfortably pack my ruck, learning how to read the water instead of cranking on a paddle, and learning the little nuances of balance and pressure when it comes to climbing.
Tip 3: Use your excuse.
Light repetitive motion prevents/reduces stiffness, and there are lots of light repetitive outdoor sports out there. I started kayaking because it let me get backcountry with stiff hips. I justify rock climbing between class because it stretches out my larger joints and forces me to improve my range of motion. I justify road biking because it keeps me limber enough to walk. I justify cross country skiing because I can't road bike on snow. Use your excuse to invest in the right gear and take the time out of your day to participate, because self-applied physical therapy will make your entire life more productive. If I didn't spend an hour every morning on my bike, I'd spend at LEAST an extra hour hobbling around from place to place on stiff hips, knees and ankles. No one, including my mother, can give me shit about investing money and time in my bike. That's an extra hour a day I spend participating in outdoor recreation.
Tip 4: Improve your diet, it's not just hippie BS.
There are direct ties between joint and stomach inflammation, and if you treat your stomach right, not only will it help you stay in shape with reduced mobility, but it affects every aspect of your life in increasing energy levels and reducing day-to-day inflammation. I've always eaten relatively healthy as an adult, and learned early on that taking the time to learn how to cook pays off in the long run. In the last 6 months, I've moved to an unprocessed vegetable-heavy diet, supplemented with meat and dairy. Happy stomach, happy wallet, happy heart, happy joints, happy muscles, happy me.
I'm sure I can think of more general tips, but I guess my point is to be proactive. Educate yourself and apply it, get outside and your quality of life in every single aspect of day to day activity will go up. Beats the hell out of wasting your life sitting pissy in an armchair.
