‘extreme hiking’

Last October, while I was training to climb Mt. Whitney (14,495 ft) I made a 10-hour hike up and down Mt. Gorgonio in the San Bernardino National Forest.

This was my eighth full day of hiking to get my legs in shape for the 15-hour hike up Whitney, 22 miles there and back, starting at 5:00 am and getting back to the car at about 9:00 pm, in the dark.

On this last training hike, something went wrong with my ankles. They became so sore and painful during the last two or three hours that, by the time I got back to the car, I was using my hiking poles as crutches and taking baby steps.

For the next three months, I treated my ankles in every conceivable way. I bathed them in hot and cold water. I got massages and electro-pulse therapy. I visited Chinese, Japanese and Thai specialists to carry out special, deep massage exercises to alleviate the pain and discomfort.

While I was traveling and speaking, I purchased special bandages and lace-up supports to enable me to limp from place to place. I tried every vitamin, mineral and non-traditional method of medicine possible and yet my ankles continued to be excruciatingly painful. Finally, I called an Orthopedic Surgeon, a "Bone Doctor," and went to see him. I told him that I thought that I had a hairline fracture that was causing me incredible pain, and stopping me from recuperating.

Without examining me, he said, "I doubt it; let’s take an X-ray and see what’s really going on."

A few minutes later, with the X-ray in hand, he said, "Here it is! You’ve got arthritis in your ankles and you now have bone on bone because of the wearing away of cartilage during your ‘extreme hiking’ trips through the mountains. What you need is a shot of Cortisone."

He gave me a simple shot of Cortisone into my ankle. By the time I got back to my car, I already felt better. By the next day the pain that had been almost unbearable for three months was 90% gone. It still is.

Today, in the newspapers, they have announced the results of more than 250 separate institutions and 246,000 documented studies on people taking various vitamin supplements, antioxidants and other formulations. Their conclusion: "They don’t work." They bring about no noticeable benefit. In fact, taking too many vitamin, mineral, Omega-3, Selenium and antioxidant supplements may shorten a person’s life.

What I’ve learned from this experience with the Orthopedist is that our medical system, and the doctors who work in it, are the best in the world. Before you seek out any kind of unconventional, non-traditional, "highly recommended," formulation or treatment, visit your doctor. He or she has probably seen your situation 100 or 1,000 times and can give you a quick, effective remedy that works almost immediately.

Remember, your job is to live a long, long, healthy, happy, vigorous, fit and energetic life. Our medical system is set up and designed to help you to achieve that goal. Take full advantage of it the next time you have an ache or a pain, and before you try anything else.

I’ll talk to you again soon.

Author's Bio: 

Brian Tracy is Chairman and CEO of Brian Tracy International, a company specializing in the training and development of individuals and organizations.

Brian's goal is to help you achieve your personal and business goals faster and easier than you ever imagined.

Brian Tracy has consulted for more than 1,000 companies and addressed more than 4,000,000 people in 4,000 talks and seminars throughout the US, Canada and 40 other countries worldwide. As a Keynote speaker and seminar leader, he addresses more than 250,000 people each year.

He has studied, researched, written and spoken for 30 years in the fields of economics, history, business, philosophy and psychology. He is the top selling author of over 45 books that have been translated into dozens of languages.

You can learn more about Brian by reading his blog or visiting his website.