Plantar Fasciitis is an injury of the heel caused by overuse of the muscles in the feet. It’s especially likely to affect hikers and presents as a common foot pain problem.

Here are a few ways you can prevent sustaining this injury.

Use Proper Footwear

You can’t just head off on a hiking expedition in your old trainers. Just how you need to pack the right hiking essentials for your trip, such as a trail map, hiking poles, and flashlights, you also need to be dressed appropriately for the occasion and invest in the right footwear. Hiking trails can be rough, and the wrong shoe type can cause you to slip and hurt your foot.

Make sure you buy a sturdy pair of hiking boots before you head out for a hike. These should have strong soles that provide just the right grip and are designed to prevent shock injures pertaining to the feet. Since you’ll be walking a considerable distance and may or may not be climbing elevated surfaces, you’ll be exerting a lot of pressure on your feet. The repetitive motion can lead to plantar fasciitis especially if you’re not wearing the right type of boots that can otherwise reduce the risk of this injury.

Take Frequent Rest Breaks

As we’ve already established, plantar fasciitis is an overuse injury. So, how can you prevent this from happening when you’re out hiking and thereby continuously using the muscles in your feet?

By taking short, frequent breaks along the way! Depending on the distance being covered and the amount of effort it’s taking you to cover said distance, time your breaks at set intervals. This will prevent your feet (including your heels) from swelling up or becoming inflamed. In fact, while you pause to rest and catch your breath, take off your shoes and elevate your feet for a bit so that the blood rushing to them can drain back to your legs. This can also help reduce minor swelling or throbbing you may be experiencing in your feet.

You don’t have to overexert yourself while hiking and ruin the experience! Enjoy your hike by giving your body time to rest and recuperate so that injuries like plantar fasciitis can be prevented.

Stay Alert throughout the Hike

You’ll also need to be super vigilant while you’re out hiking, even during periods of rest. We don’t say that out of paranoia. Vigilance actually helps you prevent injuries of all sorts by keeping an eye out for potential signs of danger.

For instance, look out for slippery slopes, rough terrains, and loose rocks that may appear in your path. They may not seem that big a deal, but can actually cause a number of preventable injuries, even if you’re wearing the right footwear. Avoid areas where you’ll constantly be walking through sharp objects, or take maximum preventative measures if you do choose to go along the trail.

We use platelet rich plasma injections at RegenerVate Medical Injection Therapy to treat musculoskeletal injuries such as plantar fasciitis sustained while hiking. Call us 1 855 847-3975 for an appointment at our clinics in the greater Toronto area!