High Sierra Topix

See this recent ABC report? Maybe cutting back on those OTC pain meds while in the backcountry, might be prudent. I know some people who take them like candy, without even thinking about it twice.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/report-lin ... d=47336271

Curcumin (400-500mg) occasionally, it decreases pain associated with post-operative, arthritic, and general pain symptoms. 2g is comparable to acetominophen in potency, plus it has a lot of beneficial affects: anti-inflammatory.

Ginger tea, or some root in food, for muscle pain and soreness.

Green tea at the end of the day, kills bacteria, that causes cavities and tooth decay.

Chewing on some Fennel or Caraway Seeds can ease an upset stomach.

Do you use any natural herbs or remedies in the backcountry for pain, infections, or other ailments?

maverick wrote:
Do you use any natural herbs or remedies in the backcountry for pain, infections, or other ailments?

No. I've had tooth issues and I swear by Vicodin or 3 advil to deal with it in the back country. If I think I have something more severe before I go, I don't go. Most drugs don't really work for me, other than those mentioned and antibiotics. Dog bit my finger and it was infected. Antibiotics worked as always. Hope to get the nail back but I'm not holding out hope. Right index finger, don't care. I'm left handed.

If you already use natural remedies at home, by all means use them backpacking. But I do not think I will experiment with them on a backpack trip. Better to try at home and get the doesage right.

I have found that a lot of evening aches and pains just go away on their own as the night goes on and as the trip goes on. I do often take some Advil the first night out, but not every night. I find that listening to soothing music also gets my mind of minor aches. I am not inclined to take much medicine at home, or out in the wilderness. Herbal tea, of any variety, is always relaxing and soothes.

I do not know if the following are considered natural remidies. I regularly use is to soak my feet in cold water. I will do this a few times each day at rest breaks. I always take olive oil for cooking. I will rub that on my hands if they get dried out. On longer trips I take some lanoline or bag balm to prevent cracking of skin on fingers. I purposely slow down the last half hour of hiking to "cool down". Never just plop down after hard hiking- I keep moving around. Sometimes massaging and stretching at the end of the day helps. Same at start of the day- start slowly and increase the pace. Less aches and pains this way.

I agree that over-stressing the body causes most aches and pains, including headaches, which can also be caused by dehydration or hunger. I recall that my "younger body" in my 20's could recover from overstressing a lot faster than my now "ancient body". Also, unhealed subtler injuries over the years adds up. I learned how to slow down when I took my 17-year old daughter on a very difficult 18-day off-trail backpack. She is a good backpacker, but had one pace- slow and steady and was never one to over-do anything (my layed-back B-personality child). Easier days meant less pain at the end of each day.

There is a saying we had at NOLS; "If you are hungry, thirsty, tired, or in pain; you are doing something wrong." Prevention is better than pills.

I found that ginger (candied) helps with the nausea of altitude sickness. Old Chinese remedy.

If I had a headache, I would go to my grandmother's standby analgesic, willow bark tea.

I once came down with the flu; luckily it was on our last day, while hiking out. We stopped to rest for a while, and happened to be near willow trees. I made a batch of willow tea, and, boy, did it help with my head and muscle aches!

We take ginger candies for stomach upset on every trip.

I've known some runners and distance athletes who take "Vitamin I" (ibuprofen) as a preventative measure before soreness or pain even occurs. But if the science in maverick's link isn't enough, I believe some of the latest research suggests that soreness and inflammation is beneficial for muscles and helps them heal. That said, on a backpacking trip, I wouldn't hesitate to take OTC pain relievers during the day if it helps. At night, I'm more likely to let the body handle things and try to fix things before morning.

I always bring Ibuprofin but rarely ever use it. I don't take anything for standard trail soreness. Just rest, food and water. I do bring Tums with me and have for the last couple of years. I get more acid indigestion while hiking these days, mostly from dried fruit and nuts, so I don't bring those anymore. That's helped a lot.

I can only recall twice that I needed a pain killer of some kind. The first on the last section of a day hike to the top of Half Dome. Unfortunately, I gave all of my vitamin I to a climber who reached the top while we were up there. Baaaaad Idea. Both knees were excruciatingly painful through the last 5 miles. The second time was on the search a few years back. A slight twist of the knee and a small pop. The next morning, I popped three Ibuprofin and hiked out leaving the rest to continue the search.

Echoing one of the responses above, I enjoy ginger candy or candied gingr while hiking both for an upset stomach or even when my stomach feels fine. My only herbal "remedy" isn't of much use in the Sierra as it doesn't grow at those high elevations. Yerba Santa is reportedly good for congestion and fever. I just enjoy chewing on a leaf every now and then for the weird sweetness. It initially has a very medicinal, eucalyptus, type of flavor (and that's all you get if you make it into a tea), but after chewing a folded up leaf for a minute or so you get a sweet undertone as well. When you are done chewing and sucking on the mashed up leaf, if you wash it down with some water, all you taste is the sweetness without the medicinal flavor.