I don't know about you, but sometimes the things you set out to do in life are not in reality what you end up doing. Sometimes you think you are just out for a leisurely stroll and suddenly you're on a trail that just isn't what you planned for in any way, shape or form.

This happened last week to me when we went out for a hike while we were in the desert. We hiked up, down and around through the desert canyons. It was beautiful: the sky was blue and the temperature was in the 70s with a light breeze. What is interesting in the desert is that due to the terrain and no trees, you can often see where you are going. Of course, this can be bad at times because at one point, we could see the long canyon down to the desert floor and the rise we had to hike back out and up to the next peak.

Suddenly, we weren't so sure that this hike was what we bargained for, but we were too far in to turn back. So we just had to put one foot in front of the other and keep going. Everyone tried to keep a good attitude and keep a good pace. We started conserving water; even though we could see civilization down in the city below, we were pretty far away from it and didn't want to get dehydrated. The desert can be deceiving when you are hiking because it looks like you are almost there when you really are not even close. No wonder people talk about seeing an oasis in the middle of the desert.

Hiking in the desert can be a lot like our lives. My patients remind me this all the time. They hadn't planned on climbing on the roof that day and, of course, they hadn't planned on falling off. Or they never imagined that crazy spot on their back was cancer, but it was. Or the hip pain that was driving them crazy was actually a degenerative joint, and they are only 50 and now they need surgery.

So now here they are, trying to climb a canyon that they hadn't planned on having to climb. Or maybe they just can't figure out how to put one foot in front of the other in order to keep going because they are in so much pain. Or maybe they can see the city below, but they just can' t seem to get to it. This is where physical therapy enters the picture.

Physical therapy can be an important part of helping you heal physically so you have the strength to get you where you need to go. Physical therapy evaluates where you are at presently and then helps you achieve your goals for full restoration. How can you climb up and down the desert floor and keep moving if you are in constant pain?

So don't wait. Do something about your pain and discomfort and keep moving towards what you love to do, whether that is hiking in the desert or playing tennis with your kids.

And by the way, the Hop Along Cassidy Trail is a walking trail in Palm Desert that is 11-12 miles long and is "strenuous in nature," according to the map we read after we got to the bottom. It rises from the desert floor and climbs 1,700 feet up and down through the canyons with beautiful vistas, and gorgeous flowers blooming on all different types of cacti. It was definitely not what we planned on, but it was worth the adventure. However, next time we will read the map before we go, so we can make sure we are prepared for our trip.

Sheree DiBiase, PT, and her staff can be reached at Lake City Physical Therapy in Coeur d'Alene at (208) 667-1988 and in the Spokane Valley at (509) 891-2623 to help get you in good physical health so you can tackle life's ups an downs with no problem.