Planning with chronic injuries

[FairWeather]

At the ripe old age of 35 I find myself facing the reality that I have physical limitations that are here to stay.

I’ve known my knees haven been shot for years, but got an MRI on the left one this August. Full thickness fissure in the cartilage capping my femur. Still waiting on the referral for imaging on the right one, but it’s historically been the worse of the two, so I’m not optimistic. My deer season vacation last year was ended on the first day when my right knee went out while trying to cross over a downed tree trunk.

On top of that, I blew out my low back today by simply bending over to take screw out of some lumber. Dropped me to the ground, took close to 30 minutes before I could stand all the way back up and limp to the house. Not the first time it’s happened, either. Last time I was just loading the laundry machine. Luckily(?) this has so far been a muscle issue, not the spine itself.

I had bought my first elk tag back in early summer. I have the utmost of doubts that I can get through the steep thick stuff they’ll be hiding in to find one, or that I’ll be able to pack one out if I did connect on a bull. If it doesn’t wreck my knees, it might do in my back. Has me wondering if I should just cancel my hunt now, before I get invested, and my hopes up, too much.

Anyone else dealt/dealing with this level of uncertainty in your physical abilities? How do you plan or prepare for your seasons? Everyone talks so much crap about road hunters, but I’m worried that’s what I may soon be restricted to.

 

[donwh]

Just my opinion......but go hunt. Enjoy the outdoors and opportunities.
1. find some friends to hunt with that can help you. I'm 51 with some issues but i'm taking my 2 sons this year to help out and make unforgettable memories.

2. Don't set unrealistic expectations.

3. Get in the best shape you physically can.

4. Search out packers in the area you plan to hunt so if you do have a harvest success you can 1/4 it up hang it and hire a packer to get it out.

5. but by all means don't pass up a hunting season if at all possible none of us know how many hunts we have a head of us.

6. Good luck to you. If you planning to go out thanksgiving week in MT region 3 message me. If we are close we will definitely help you get one out if your close to us at all.

 

[IDiot]

Years ago I ran into two old timers hunting elk. They had several hundred yards of cable (they got it free somehow) in their truck to winch an elk back to the road when they got one. You might be limited but go hunt and figure out some tricks that work for you. Good luck.

 

[Pagosa]

You might want to look into peptides for the shoulder and knee problems along with shockwave theraphy. I know people (my daughter included from sports injuries) that have had great success with recovery from difficult injuries without doing surgeries. If your rifle hunting people every season in Montana shoot elk from public accessible road systems and they offer a PTHA program.
Last fall we hiked about 2.5 miles off a secondary highway to where we seen a group of elk the night before and several hunters filled their tags from that hwy, which was about 500 yards from our camp. We didnt see crap. If you spent several seasons learning migration routes or hunt right next to irrigated private on small sections of public land you can fill tags. I would personally try to go hunting and preferrable go in blizzards. Best of luck and hopefully you get some recovery.

 

[TOGIE]

we're basically the same age. my lower back has done stuff like that before from doing heavy barbell squats when i'm probably too fatigued from other stuff to be doing them. it's also a natural geometric risk in barbell squatting when you're tall, long lever physics and what not. really brutal, like couldn't even bend down to get my youngest out of the crib for over a week, and it's happened twice, but it is all muscular and fixes itself up fine. but your back can kinda be on high alert after it's happened once and spasm out really easily again. i'd put some serious effort into very consisten back and core exercises and stretching to help prevent more of that. i'm back to squatting more than ever.

but those knees tho man, i don't even know what the implications of that fissure situation really are. do your knees just hurt doing like anything? do they lack like integrity from that? or is it just pain? is surgery the best option?

were you a basketball player?

 

[thomas89]

Me personally? I’m not hunting. Focus on getting better. Always next season.

I’ve said it before in threads, look up the story of the Knees Over Toes guy. I have never bought any of the implements he’s got, just utilized his backwards walking and it’s helped my knees immensely. Backwards walking on a powered down treadmill. Backwards walking up paved hills. Activates the lower quad muscles and really stabilizes that knee joint. It has worked very well for me, whenever I feel a twinge I add some (walking) backwards hills to my runs.

As for the lower back muscles, mine are very finicky and somehow correlate a lot to my stress level. I have researched it and found a pretty solid tie to a tight psoas muscle. A solid stretching regimen has really helped me in that area. There is a wall stretch that really stretches the psoas out. Hurts like a son of a gun but look at where you’re at now. Probably don’t have much to lose.

I’ve been there dude. It sucks. Wishing the best for you.