Hiking is a great way to stay active and improve your overall health, but it can also be the cause of a few different foot and ankle injuries if you’re not careful. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at four common foot and ankle injuries in hikers.
Common Foot Injuries In Hikers
Some of these injuries are more preventable than others, but prevention first begins by being aware of some of the threats to your foot health. Here’s a look at some foot and ankle injuries that oftentimes plague hikers.
Achilles Tendonitis – Achilles tendonitis is a condition that’s been well-documented on our blog. It involves inflammation and microtearing of the Achilles tendon, which is the largest tendon in your body. This inflammation typically causes pain, stiffness and discomfort, and it commonly develops as a result of overuse. Putting a lot of miles on your feet or taking more stressful strides, like when you’re ascending or descending a hiking trail, can increase your risk of tendonitis onset. Gradually building up your mileage and wearing supportive shoes can help to prevent tendonitis onset.
Ankle Sprains – One misstep on the trail or stepping on a hidden root can cause you to roll your ankle in a hurry, and that can lead to sprained ankle ligaments. These sprains oftentimes heal well with rest, ice and strengthening exercises, but it’s imperative that you proactively work to strengthen the injured ligaments. If you don’t work to get them back to full health with exercises or physical therapy, the supportive ligaments in your ankle will remain weak, leaving you at an increased risk for subsequent sprains. Don’t just keep pushing through an ankle sprain, otherwise more may follow.
Plantar Fasciitis – Another condition that we’ve talked about at length on the blog is plantar fasciitis. This condition involves inflammation to the thick band of tissue on the underside of your foot that connects your heel to your toes. Similar to Achilles tendonitis, plantar fasciitis typically develops as a result of a significant increase in repetitive stress on the feet, especially if the feet aren’t in a properly-supportive shoe. Again, take it slow with your mileage and ease off a bit if your wake up with pain in your heel area with the first few steps of the day.
Stress Fractures – Finally, stress fractures can develop in the foot, ankle or lower leg as a result of the trauma of hiking. Stress fractures are commonly the result of overuse and repetitive stress, especially if this stress occurs on uneven surfaces, which are common out in nature. Stress fractures can grow if you don’t protect the area with rest, so like most of the above tips, build up your mileage slowly and give it the rest is deserves after your latest hike.