Pain Management and Hikury on El Camino

Hiking + Luxury = Hikury. The best advice for pain management is to avail yourself of Hikury. We have the luxury, as do many people, of our luggage transported each day to the next destination. I carry only my day bag containing water, rain gear, and a first aid kit including an instant ice pack.

Also strapped on the outside of my bag is my cane Samwise. He is so named based on the suggestion of Sunshineme12 on the former post Name the Cane. As she said, “Samwise is there to support (Frodo in Lord of the Rings) both physically and emotionally”. Although I use walking sticks on the trail, around town I use Samwise. He supports me physically down hills and across cobblestones. He supports my daughter emotionally as she worries less as I wobble!

In many ways, my incapacity enabled me to be humble in expectations, thus better prepared in execution. Here are my recommendations to prepare for walking a pilgrimage.

1. Prepare: Walk regularly on a variety of terrains for several months, alternating the two pairs of footwear you plan to use on the pilgrimage.

2. Schedule reasonable daily distances. Six miles on the trail easily becomes eight miles because of side trips to view points of interest or tour the towns.

3. Arrange for Hikury. Use a company which will not only transfer your luggage but has the option to transport yourself if unable to walk on a certain day. Scheduling a rest/recovery day between long mileage days is also recommended.

4. After every day’s walk and before evening activities, take care of your body. Stretch, soak as needed, ice, re-bandage.

Be humble. Three days before El Camino I had a God-moment, a major inflammatory flare. I had resisted taking prescribed Prednisone. Now, it is included in my daily medication during the pilgrimage. It’s working. God knows best.