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Can I Exercise with Arthritis?
Can I Exercise with Arthritis?
Can I Exercise with Arthritis?
Glendale, AZ
623-486-3333
Can I Exercise with Arthritis?
Can I Exercise with Arthritis?
Can I Exercise with Arthritis?
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Can I Exercise with Arthritis?

Can I Exercise with Arthritis?

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Over the years, I’ve heard a lot of confusion surrounding the topic of exercising with arthritis.

Patients often mention that they tend to rest and steer clear of exercising whenever they experience pain arthritis pain.

What worries me even more, is that many people whom I talk to believe that they have no control over their arthritis. Consequently avoiding exercise altogether in hopes that it won’t get worse.

In Fact, When I First Meet With Patients Suffering From Arthritis Pain They Will Almost Always Say,

“well It’s Arthritis, And You Can’t Do Anything About That, Right?”.

What is arthritis?

Arthritis is extremely common, yet not well understood. Arthritis refers to a joint pain in which the cartilage surface wears down over time. Symptoms include pain, swelling, stiffness, and decreased range of motion.

Arthritis Diagram

Cartilage is a crucial part of your joints, acting as a shock absorber between your bones whenever you move. The downfall, and the main reason why arthritis is so common, is that cartilage doesn’t have a blood supply like other tissues do. This means that once cartilage is damaged, it cannot heal.

Although it’s true that you are unable to change the condition of the cartilage of your joints, you CAN restrict the progression of degeneration.

And what’s the only way to do that?

Can you slow down Arthritis?

One important aspect of exercise is that it keeps you up and moving. This is essential to managing a condition such as arthritis.

What allows your joints to move freely and become well-nourished is a liquid known as synovial fluid. If your joints aren’t constantly moving their full distance, the synovial fluid isn’t able to lubricate the joints. Which causes them to wear down more quickly.

Bonus tip: A technique that helps with knee movement: Sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you. Place a plastic bag under one foot and slide your foot up and down, bending at the knee. Try this with each leg, 10 times and 3 sets each, a couple of times a day.

Movement isn’t the only thing necessary to help with arthritis.

Strength is a significant factor as well, and the stronger the muscles are surrounding the joint, the more stable you are joint will be. In turn, makes it less likely for the join to degenerate.

As physical therapists, we use a combination of specific massage, stretches, joint mobilizations, and other manual techniques to facilitate the return of the joints’ normal function and movement.

Watch this video to learn the myths about exercising with arthritis. Click here.

What exercise is good for people with arthritis?

Swimming is a great method of exercise due to the fact that it keeps your joints moving and your heart rate up, all while taking mass amounts of stress off of your joints.

If you have osteoporosis as well (a condition where the bones become fragile due to loss of tissue), weight-bearing activities are significant in maintaining bone density.

So when it comes to arthritis, don’t give up! There is plenty that can be done to make certain your joints are kept in great condition so you’re able to do the things you enjoy for as long as possible.

If you have any more questions concerning arthritis and how to manage conditions like it, don’t hesitate to contact Nick Hunter or our Physical Therapist Assistant.

And if you have any other concerns about knee pain, take a look at any of our other blogs about knee pain https://preferredptaz.com/category/knee-pain/

You can also download our FREE Knee pain Report…

Can I Exercise with Arthritis?

How Can I Avoid An Ankle Sprain?

How Can I Avoid An Ankle Sprain?

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Now that February has officially started and many of you are continuing on your fitness journey, I want to focus on a question that I tend to get a lot from my patients who love running, especially on the treadmill:

“Nick, Can You Provide Me With Any Tips For Recovering From An Ankle Sprain Quickly?”

Most runners don’t realize this, but it does make a difference whether you’re running on a road, a sidewalk, or even a treadmill.

When choosing to only run on the road, you’re more than likely to suffer balance issues and ankle sprains. Why? Because your running habits predispose you to it.

On the other hand, running on a flat surface, such as a treadmill, has the power to lower your body’s reflexes. When continuously running on a flat surface, the body is basically pounding the same stable surface every time you run. This in turn causes the body to realize that there’s no need to remain alert or to stress about falling because the surface isn’t changing.

One thing we know about the brain is that it’s ALWAYS looking for a way to not have to work. Part of this includes turning off many balance receptors when it realizes that you’re running on a flat path. Its thought process looks a lot like this, “you were ok yesterday- you’ll be ok again today so keep going while I rest!”.

But, when jogging down a road full of bumps and hills or even switching from road to sidewalk your brain switches back to the danger that you may face. The unfortunate thing about the balance receptors located in your ankle ligaments is that they don’t always want to act as quickly as you need them.

The receptors in your ligaments work at incredibly fast speeds to send messages to the brain to help you as you’re about to fall over. If the signal doesn’t get there in time, it isn’t possible for you to change your body’s position in time to avoid falling.

Watch this video to learn a few exercises to help you avoid an ankle sprain. Click here.

The Consequence? An Ankle Sprain Or Worse.

So what’s the trick? To vary the surface that you run on.

Even if you add some grass, mud, or sand to the route. Your brain will be forced to think it has to stay alert because it has no idea what’s coming next. As a result, your receptors too will be on alert so if you do all of a sudden take a fall, you’re in a great position to limit the damage.

Although it’s not a foolproof plan, it’s better than suffering from an ankle sprain that could prevent you from running or exercising for anywhere up to four weeks. It could even increase the chance of Achilles tendon issues as well.

But back to our common question… what to do about an ankle sprain:

It’s best to ice for the first week (7 days), begin to gently stretch and walk and then progress into strengthening the ligament for the next couple of weeks. The main goal is to SAFELY, but quickly, get the ankle joint and Achilles tendon moving again. To find out safe stretches and strengthening exercises, talk to your local physical therapist or look here to get a free report on ways to recover from injuries quickly:

How Can I Avoid An Ankle Sprain?

5 Steps to Properly Recover From an Ankle Injury

5 Steps to Properly Recover From an Ankle Injury

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Most people have twisted their ankles in some way at this point in their life. Whether it be stepping off of a sidewalk wrong, stepping incorrectly in high heels, or even playing a favorite sport, the sharp pain that comes with twisting your ankle inwards can be pretty hard to forget.

When dealing with a sprained ankle, it’s important to understand what exactly we’re dealing with down there. The ankle is comprised of and held together by extremely strong ligaments. These ligaments assist the ankle through the stress that’s placed upon it when moving throughout the day.

In most cases, taking up exercising or playing sports again after a long period of rest affects the ankle’s ability to balance properly, therefore making it easier to twist.

Just like any other injury, ankle injuries take time to heal, sometimes up to 6 weeks. This is why it’s crucial to prepare yourself before starting sports or exercising.

Here are five tips that I have put together for you so you can recover from an ankle sprain and get back to doing what you love, quickly and safely.

  • 1. Improve Your Balance There is absolutely no excuse for poor balance! There are so many opportunities, techniques and exercises that can help your ability to improve your balance. This will drastically decrease your chances of an ankle injury. One way to do this is to stand on one leg while brushing your teeth. Alternate legs for a minute each, all while doing a task you’re already planning on doing! Such an easy and simple way to make sure you’re balance is on it’s A-game.
  • 2. Strengthen Your Ankle Muscles Muscles play a huge role in providing support to the ankle, so it’s important to keep them strong and secure. Luckily there is a technique that can be done in order to make sure this happens. Try sitting on the floor, with your knee straight and the outside of the foot touching the wall. While keeping your knee perfectly still, push your foot out into the wall and hold it there for five seconds ten times. Try repeating this at least three times.
  • 3. Use Ice NOT heat! When the ankle twists a little too far, the tendons have a tendency to tear and it can begin to swell. Now with it still being winter, we may not think that taking a hot shower can have a negative effect on our recovery. Don’t do this! Within the first couple of days of injuring your ankle, the best thing to do is ice the area for 10 minutes, three times a day. BUT make sure to leave at least one hour in between each time you ice. Ice has the ability to reduce the swelling and speed up your recovery.
  • 4. Don’t Rush Back to Activities Too Soon Resting is an essential part of the recovery process. But the amount of time of rest that is needed is dependant upon how badly the ankle is twisted. Usually if the area around the ankle is significantly bruised, it signifies a serious ankle sprain. As I stated earlier, twisting the ankle causes the ligament to slightly tear. Scar tissue molds around the damaged area in hopes of joining the damaged area back together, just like gluing a broken vase back together. During initial formation, the scar tissue is very weak. So, if proper rest isn’t taken, it is liable to tear again before it has the chance to harden.
  • 5. Physical Therapy Once the scar tissue has a chance to harden, it isn’t very flexible, similar to a scar if you cut yourself. To make the tissue less brittle and more flexible, it’s important to seek out your local physical therapist and ask about a cross friction massage or tool assisted soft tissue mobilization. This is the best way to break this scar tissue down. So stay active, remember my tips and enjoy the upcoming spring weather!

5 Steps to Properly Recover From an Ankle Injury

Strengthening The Arch of Your Foot

Strengthening The Arch of Your Foot

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Why Strengthen the Foot Arch?

Strengthening the arch has shown great results in overall improved foot support and helps in decreasing foot fatigue. Today, we will be discussing the most effective method to strengthen the arch of the foot in order to avoid future injury and chronic issues. After all, the feet are responsible for a majority of your mobility, so when walking becomes painful, your quality of life can suffer. Many of my patients, especially those who regularly run, experience foot/ heel/ Achilles issues up to a couple of years and most of them don’t know that it can originate from a weak foot arch.

The abductor hallucis muscle (a small muscle at the bottom of the arch) and the posterior tibialis muscles (bigger muscle behind the shin) contract in order to control pronation. Pronation is a natural movement of the foot, where the foot rolls slightly inward. This being said, strengthening those key foot muscles can reduce overpronation as well as the problems that accompany it. Those problems can include Plantar Fasciitis, Shin Splints and even knee problems.

What Exercises are Most Effective at Strengthening the Arch of The Foot?

Although there are many strategies to addressing foot pain, some are better than others. Hands down the best exercise that helps in strengthening the arch of the foot is a technique called “arch domes”. Just as the name implies, this exercise has you using essential foot muscles to create a dome by pulling the balls of the toes inwards towards the heel. This essentially “shortens” the length of the foot.

Just like any other exercise or technique that you haven’t performed yourself yet, you probably won’t do it very well. This may mean that you’ll struggle a bit, your face may turn red and you’ll get frustrated. But it’ important to not give up! Learning a new skill takes focused attention and time. Keep at it because odds are, it won’t take long to figure it out!

It’s possibly that you may experience cramping. And that’s fine! It’s an indicator that you’re doing the exercise correctly. When this occurs, you have two options. You can either relax and wait until the cramping ceases or hold the short foot until the cramping passes. This tends to hurt a bit, but the pain passes quickly.

The great thing about this exercise is that no equipment is needed!

And in the end, the challenge of learning this new exercise is nothing compared to the aggravation of missing out on life because of foot pain.

 

Strengthening The Arch of Your Foot

Plantar Fasciitis: How to Limit it

Plantar Fasciitis: How to Limit it

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Plantar fasciitis is much easier to explain than it is to pronounce. So I’ll try my best:

It’s basically an injury that you’d recognize from a very sharp ‘pin prick’ like pain underneath your foot.

It can come from too much running, having a long-term problem with an Achilles tendon that wasn’t properly fixed, from wearing running shoes that are too tight, running on hard surfaces causing the muscles to tighten, and joints to stiffen or even a weak lower back.

Take your pick! Either way, it’s not nice. And it can be pretty painful too. Particularly for the first 20 minutes or so when you get out of bed.

Its effect is made more likely by running on a hard, concrete surface in an attempt to increase cardiovascular fitness.

Now, another injury I would expect to see happen a lot more this time of the year than any other is shin splints.

Again, it’s an overuse type of injury that mainly happens to runners, either trying to increase their cardio outdoors or even preparing for those half and full marathons that pop up around this time of year, due to overtraining.

But, you don’t usually see something like this with those pro-runners or athletes.

Reason why?

Simply because they are better prepared when it comes to having core stability muscles working to limit the risk of any of these injuries happening.

In the early stages of training, you’re likely to see a lot more impact of ‘sudden’ ankle and foot injuries. This happens because of the hard surfaces that most runners will train on over the course of those weeks, and some injuries are just hard to avoid.

My tip for you to maintain fitness but limit stress through the foot and ankle to help avoid plantar fasciitis is to vary your training.

Get on your Nike, go for a swim and do things like X trainer or rower so you’re not constantly training on hard ground.

P.S. For more foot and ankle injury tips like this, claim your copy of our 100% free report which shows all the fastest ways to recover from the most common foot and ankle injuries:

Plantar Fasciitis: How to Limit it

6 Common Shoe Mistakes That can Hurt Your Feet

6 Common Shoe Mistakes That can Hurt Your Feet

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If you’ve ever hobbled off of the dance floor at a wedding with your heels in hand, or ever found yourself looking forward to the moment you go home after a long day spent in meetings so that you can slip your new pain of work shoes off- you’ll know that shoes can easily cause foot pain.

This holds true for all types of footwear, not just the fancy kind…

Exercise shoes, office shoes, sandals, and that pair of weekend errand running shoes we all have – they can all lead to painful feet as well.

But, before you throw out every pair of shoes that you own- let’s talk about your feet.

A lot of us are unaware of just how big of a role feet play in supporting your body.

Feet have the huge job of supporting all of your body weight and taking the impact of standing, walking, running, and everything else that you do throughout the day.

Your feet are made up of 26 bones, 33 joints, and over 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Crazy to think about huh? So when your feet don’t get the support that they need, it’s no wonder why you can get issues!

Lack of support can also cause pain beyond your feet- your knees, back, and other parts of your body begin to overcompensate, which can lead to pain in those areas too….which is not good at all.

With all of the above in mind, here are 6 shoe mistakes that cause foot pain. Are you making any of them?

1. You’re Unaware of Your Arches

Generally speaking, there are two types of feet:

  • High arched
  • Low arched

And the demands of these two types are quite different!

For someone with high arched feet- they have taller ‘gaps’ on the soles of their feet.

For someone with low arches – the curves between the balls of the foot and heels are closer to the ground.

The curve of your shoe should support your arches so that they can, in turn, support the rest of your feet and body. A good running shop, shoe shop or physical therapy clinic can figure out what’s best for you.

2. You Choose Your Running Shoes Based on Appearance

Have you ever purchased a pair of shoes because you think they look good? You’re definitely not alone, many of us do. I’ve been guilty of it too!

The truth is, picking the right performance shoe should be a strategic process.

When you need a new pair of running shoes, go into a specialty running store and speak with a specialist. It’s important to consider things such as the type of exercise you’ll be doing- running over 20 miles outdoors each week is VERY different from doing pilates classes a few times a week.

If you can afford to, have a few kinds of trainers for the workouts that you do most often.

Wearing a tennis shoe for running, or a basketball shoe for weight lifting, can promote injuries- choose wisely.

3. You ‘Break In’ Your New Pairs of Shoes

While it’s true that some shoes made of various materials, like hiking boots, might need some ‘breaking in’ before you get to the point where you feel like you’re walking on clouds.

Your shoes need to become accustomed to your feet over time to avoid pain and nasty blisters that so often come with a new pair of shoes.

Instead of pushing through the pain, wear your shoes a little at a time until they loosen naturally. Whether you’re doing this at home or while you’re out and about getting things done, keep a pair of socks handy to prevent blisters.

4. You Walk Around Barefoot at Home

Do you throw your shoes off as soon as you step through the door after a long day?

For many of us, taking our shoes off is one of the best feelings! But for some people. Walking or standing barefoot on surfaces like hardwood floors, marble, or tile places stress on the structures of the feet, either causing or making pain worse over time.

This can happen when the fleshy parts of your heel or balls of your feet, that help cushion your body weight, wear down.

If you have foot pain that feels worse when you walk around barefoot- get a pair of slippers to wear around the house to ease the pain.

5. You Don’t Use Insoles

…Or understand their purpose.

Depending on your foot type and foot pain, you might already have insoles that come with your shoes. However, they may not be right, or even supportive of you.

To ease the pain, stop it from getting worse, or even to prevent it from coming on- it’s a smart idea to get yourself a pair of customized insoles (also known as orthotics).

They also act to make activities such as running, walking, and even standing more efficient. They can also act to redistribute pressure on the bottom of the foot to relieve pain from excessive pressure or calluses.

Rarely, however, are true custom orthotics available in many places, and most definitely not in shoe stores, retail stores, or even pharmacies.  These can be pricey, so be sure you have tried everything else before jumping into a custom set.

You’re Still Wearing That Worn Down Pair of Shoes from 2014

Many of us throw away a pair of shoes when they’re looking a bit worse for wear and worn down.

But, once the sole of your shoe begins to break down, it changes the way your foot strikes the ground. This can ultimately cause pain in your feet, hips, knees, and back. It can even happen before your shoes start showing obvious signs that it’s time for a brand new pair!

Depending on your activity level, it takes a few months to a year of daily use to wear out footwear.

If you really love a pair of shoes, then re-soling them or adding an insert can help to prolong their wear.

But don’t hold onto a pair of shoes too long, before it’s too late!

The takeaway: Your feet are probably doing way more than you give them credit for, so they need shoes to match.

The right choices for you will depend on your activity levels, height, weight, walking, and running style. If you’re experiencing any kind of foot pain that lasts for days, it makes it almost impossible to live your life as normal.

If you’d like to read about more tips and tricks to ease and prevent foot and ankle pain, here is my free report:

6 Common Shoe Mistakes That can Hurt Your Feet

These Shoe Mistakes Could Be Causing you foot Pain

These Shoe Mistakes Could Be Causing you foot Pain

0

If you’ve ever hobbled off the dance floor at a wedding with your heels in hand, or ever found yourself looking forward to the moment you go home after a long day spent in meetings, so that you can slip your work shoes off- you’ll know that shoes can easily cause foot pain.

This holds true for all types of footwear, not just the fancy kind…

Exercise shoes, office shoes, sandals, and that pair of weekend errand running shoes we all have can all lead to painful feet as well.

But, before you throw out every pair of shoes you own, let’s talk about your feet.

A lot of us are unaware of just how big of a role our feet and ankles play in supporting our bodies.

Feet play a huge role in supporting all of your body weight and taking the impact of standing, walking, running, and everything else that you do throughout the day.

Your feet are made up of 26 bones, 33 joints, and over 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Crazy to think about, huh? So when your feet don’t get the support that they need, it’s no wonder why you can start to get issues!

Lack of support can also cause pain beyond your feet. Your knees, back, and other parts of your body begin to overcompensate, which can lead to pain in those areas too. Not good at all!

listen to this podcast about the foot and ankle. Click here

With all of the above in mind, here are 6 shoe mistakes that cause foot pain. Are you making any of them?

1) You’re Unaware of Your Arches

Generally speaking, there are two types of feet: High arched and low arched.

And the demands of these two types are quite different!

Someone with high arched feet has taller ‘gaps’ on the soles of their feet.

For someone with low arches, the curve between the balls of the foot and heels is closer to the ground.

The curve of your shoe should support your arches so that they can support the rest of your feet and body. A good running shop, shoe shop, or physical therapy clinic can figure out what’s best for you.

2) You Choose Your Running Shoes Based on Appearance

Have you ever purchased a pair of shoes because you think they look good? You’re definitely not alone. Many of us do.

The truth is, picking the right performance shoe should be a strategic process.

When you need a new pair of running shoes, go into a specialty running store and speak with a specialist. It’s important to consider things such as the type of exercise you’ll be doing. Running over 20 miles outdoors each week is very different from doing pilates classes a few times a week!

If you can afford to, have a few different shoes for the workouts that you do most often.

Wearing tennis shoes for running, or basketball shoes for weight lifting can promote injuries- choose wisely!

if you’re in the Peoria, az area and are unaware of what shoe you need check out this shop: http://tortoiseandharesports.com/

3) You ‘Break In’ Your New Shoes

It’s true that some shoes made of various materials, like hiking boots, might need some ‘breaking in’ before you get to the point where you feel like you’re walking on clouds.

Your shoes need to become accustomed to your feet over time to avoid the pain and nasty blisters that so often come with a new pair of shoes.

Instead of pushing through the pain, wear your shoes a little at a time until they loosen naturally. Whether you’re doing this at home or out while getting errands done, keep a pair of socks handy to prevent blisters.

4) You Walk Around Barefoot at Home

Do you throw your shoes off as soon as you step through the door after a long day?

For many of us, taking our shoes off is one of the best feelings! But for some people, walking or standing barefoot on surfaces like hardwood floors, marble, or tile places stress on the structures of the feet, causing pain or making it worse over time.

This can happen when the fleshy parts of your heel or balls of your feet, that help cushion your body weight, wear down.

If you have foot pain that feels worse when you walk around barefoot, get a pair of slippers to wear around the hour to ease the pain.

5) You Don’t Use Insoles

…Or understand their purpose.

Depending on your foot type and foot pain, you might have insoles that come with your shoes. However, they may not be right or even supportive for you.

To ease the pain, stop it from getting worse and prevent it from coming on in the first place, it’s a smart idea to get yourself a pair of customizable insoles (also known as orthotics).

They also act to make activities, such as running, walking, and standing, more efficient. They can also act to redistribute pressure on the bottom of the foot to relieve pain from excessive pressure or calluses.

Rarely are true custom orthotics available in many places, and most definitely not in shoe stores, retail stores, or pharmacies. They can be pricey, so be sure you have tried everything else before jumping into a custom set.

6) Still Wearing That Worn Down Pair of Shoes From 2014

Many of us throw away a pair of shoes when they’re looking worse for wear and worn down.

But once the sole of your shoe begins to break down, it changes the way your foot strikes the ground. This can ultimately cause pain in your feet, hips, knees, and back. It can even happen before your shoes start showing obvious signs of wear.

Depending on your activity level, it takes months to a year of daily use to wear out footwear.

If you really love a pair of shoes, then re-soling them or adding an inset can help to prolong their wear.

But don’t hold onto a pair of shoes for too long, before it’s too late!

The takeaway: Your feet are probably doing way more than you give them credit for, so they need shoes to match!

The right choices for you will depend on your activity levels, height, weight, walking, and running style. If you’re experiencing any kind of foot pain that lasts for days, it makes it almost impossible to live your life as normal.

If you’d like to read more tips and tricks to ease and prevent foot and ankle pain, here is my free report:

These Shoe Mistakes Could Be Causing you foot Pain

Plantar Fasciitis: How to Limit it

Plantar Fasciitis: How to Limit it

0

Luckily, plantar fasciitis is MUCH easier to explain than it is to pronounce.

what is plantar fasciitis?

Plantar Fasciitis is an injury characterized by a very sharp ‘pinprick’ like pain coming from underneath the foot.

It can come from too much running, having a long-term Achilles tendon issue that wasn’t attended to, wearing shoes that are too tight, running on hard surfaces, or even a weak low back.

Take your pick!

Either way, it can be debilitating!

And it can be quite painful too! Particularly for the first 20 minutes or so when you get out of bed.

It’s mainly caused by running on a hard, concrete surface in an attempt to increase cardiovascular fitness.

Another injury I would expect to see happen a lot more this time of the year is shin splints.

Again, it’s an overuse type of injury that mainly happens to runners, either trying to increase their cardio outdoors or even preparing for those half or full marathons that pop up around this time of year due to overtraining.

But you don’t usually see something like this with those pro-runners or athletes… right?

Watch this video to learn how to prevent plantar fasciitis. Click here.

How to limit Foot injuries

Simply put, it’s because they are better prepared when it comes to having core stability muscles working to limit the risk of any of these injuries occurring.

In the early stages of training, you’re likely to see a lot more impact of ‘sudden’ ankle and foot injuries. This happens due to the hard surfaces that most runners will train on over the course of two weeks, and some injuries are just too hard to avoid.

Our tip: Vary your training! This will allow you to maintain your fitness while limiting the stress placed on the foot and ankle.

Get on your bike. Go for a swim. Do things like the elliptical or rower at the gym, so that you’re not constantly training on hard ground.

P.S. For more foot and ankle injury tips like these, claim your copy of our FREE report, which shows you the fastest ways to recover from common foot and ankle injuries.

Plantar Fasciitis: How to Limit it

Avoid Foot Pain With These 2 Important Tips

Avoid Foot Pain With These 2 Important Tips

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Hiking is a highly sought-out activity in Arizona. Many people live or vacation in Arizona for outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, rock climbing, trail running, and horseback riding. 

With the sun beating down on you while enjoying the great outdoors,  your feet are surely going to start sweating and rubbing. This can cause foot pain such as blisters, hot spots, and plantar fasciitis.

Common Foot Pain

Blisters can be painful, especially when you have to keep moving with blisters forming and rubbing on your shoes or sock. The friction can cause blisters, especially when your feet get sweaty and that moisture is trapped in your sock and shoes. Blisters can be painful and if not taken care of properly can get infected.

Plantar fasciitis is more common in people who have flatter feet. Heel pain can be a sign of plantar fasciitis. While hiking may not cause plantar fasciitis it can cause it to flare up when hiking. The plantar fascia supports the arch of your foot and absorbs the shock when you walk. 

A sprained ankle occurs when your ankle rolls or turns in an awkward way resulting in soreness and swelling of the ankle. It can be painful but taking it easy on your ankle and using ice to reduce the swelling can be helpful. 

To prevent a sprained ankle when hiking a good solution is to use high-top hiking boots to provide more support and minimize the risk of an ankle sprain.

Listen to this podcast about ankle arthritis from a certified physical therapist and guest Dr. McAlister DPM, FACFAS.

How To Avoid Feet Pain When Hiking

1. Proper Hiking Boots

As mentioned before for more ankle support high-top hiking boots may be for you. Your boot should fit snug but offer room for your toes. Try them on with the socks you plan to wear and make sure there is enough room for your feet to swell up. 

When completing a lot of walking, running, or hiking your feet tend to swell and need that room for you to be comfortable when exercising. Make sure the boot has a good mixture of support, cushioning, stiffness, and breathability. 

A good habit to get into is to also bring an extra pair of socks for when your feet get sweaty and start to slip around. This can even help to prevent blisters as well. If able, take a rest and take your shoes off to dry out along with your feet. You can even take this time to have a snack and some water.

Investing in compression socks can be very beneficial when going on longer hikes. The compression socks help to increase blood flow and help repair muscles faster.

2. Bandages

Making sure you have an ample amount of bandages and moleskin can be a lifesaver when going on a hike. If you do incur a blister you need to make sure you can comfortably cover your blister and continue on your hike. If you’re prone to getting blisters somewhere on your foot try covering that area with moleskin so it does not run on your sock or foot. 

Another really good item to carry with you is blister patches, where your whole blister can be increased and safe from sweat and other factors. Another common item people may use is toe- spacers. If you get blisters between your toes you can use toe spacers that go in between your toes to separate them so you do not create a blister on your hike.

watch this video for some simple foot and toe exercises.

How To Heal Foot Pain After Hiking

Once you complete your hike, you may be exhausted and want to sit right away. But before you do, make sure you cool down and stretch! Cooling down gives your muscles and body temperature time to regulate and slow down. 

Make sure to rehydrate and refuel after your hike as well. If you’re feeling extra sore a day or two after you can always soak your feet. Don’t be afraid to get a foot massage as it can help to increase blood flow and recovery. Don’t downplay a good night’s sleep as it can be very beneficial. While you sleep your muscles have time to recover.

Read this blog if you have heel pain when walking.

Foot Pain Relief, Glendale

When looking for foot pain relief Preferred Physical Therapy in Glendale, Arizona is a perfect place for you. We help people who are looking to stay away from surgery and avoid painkillers. Our physical therapists work one-on-one with our patients providing hands-on care and exercises with your personalized plan of care.

Unlike other clinics where they may leave you to wait and then meet with a physical therapist for only 10-15 minutes and then leave to do the exercises unsupervised. Here at Preferred Physical Therapy, we want you to achieve your goals and reach an active lifestyle again.

What Are The Most Common Foot Injuries Causing Foot Pain? – Do you have one?

What Are The Most Common Foot Injuries Causing Foot Pain? – Do you have one?

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Foot injuries can be devastating.  Foot pain can take away your ability to balance and live an active lifestyle without compromise.  Since our feet are so important to keep us active and mobile, any injury to them can affect the way we work, exercise, and enjoy hobbies.

Many people, including myself, may have posture, balance, high arches, or flat feet that affect their everyday movement.

Many foot injuries can occur at different stages in your life and depending on what hobbies you participate in.

What are Common Foot Injuries?

Some common foot problems and injuries we see in our clinic are arthritis, bunions, Achilles tendon injuries, fractures, and flat feet conditions.

  • Flat Feet Conditions: Flat feet is when the arches are flattened, which allows the soles of your feet to touch the ground when you stand up. Most are born with flat feet and other times it develops. Having flat feet usually does not come with pain but having flat feet can cause issues in which pain can occur.
  • Foot Arthritis: Arthritis is when cartilage deteriorates leading to a restricted range of movement after completing numerous motions or tasks over time. You can develop arthritis in many joints such as your wrists, ankles, and toes.
  • Bunions: Bunions are normal bones that eventually shifted out of alignment and are not protruding on the outside of your toe. Bunions are normally caused by genetics. Typically if the bunion is causing you pain you will have to get surgery so they can shave down the bone. If the bunion is not hurting you there is no harm in leaving it alone.
  • Achilles Tendonitis: Achilles tendonitis is the overuse of the Achilles tendon. This is the band of tissue that connects your calf muscle all the way down your lower leg to your heel bones. This injury is most commonly seen in runners and middle-aged people who play sports such as pickleball, tennis, or basketball.
  • Plantar Fasciitis: commonly occurs in women more than men who have high arches and tight calves.  The plantar fasica is a thick connective tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot from the heel to the balls of the feet.  This foot injury can produce pain anywhere along the bottom of the foot but mostly at the heel.

 

If you’re having Achilles pain ready why you shouldn’t IGNORE the pain: https://preferredptaz.com/achilles-pain-why-you-cant-ignore-it/

What Is The Most Common Foot Injury?

One of the most common foot and ankle injuries is plantar fasciitis.

Plantar fasciitis involves the fascia band in the arch of the foot that becomes inflamed that causes sharp pain in the heel. Some treatments are massaging your feet, using an ice pack, stretching, using toe separators, or trying cupping for your feet and ankles.    

Plantar fasciitis occurs when repetitive motion or anything that puts a lot of pressure on your foot. Some activities that may cause this are running, jogging, and long periods of standing.

 

To read more about plantar fasciitis and how to limit it read this blog.

Treatment Options For Foot Injuries

Many non-surgical options are an option when it comes to these foot injuries. When having flat feet, having arch support for your shoes or supportive shoes, in general, will be very beneficial in having little to no pain when being active. Arch strengthening exercises can be very beneficial as well. 

Watch this video for a foot strengthening exercise.

Limiting inflammation and having a brace can be helpful when dealing with arthritis.

Remember arthritis can not be fixed but it can be treated. If you are experiencing a lot of pain with your arthritis injections can be used but trying nonsurgical measures first is always recommended.

When dealing with Achilles tendonitis you want to be very gentle and do some simple stretching. Elevate your foot if you are experiencing swelling and reduce your physical activity.

 Icing the area when in pain can help inflammation and pain. Do not put the ice pack directly on your skin, leave the pack on until your leg feels numb/cold, and then take the ice pack off. Sometimes the pain may not improve and surgery will be necessary.

Conclusion

All of these conditions can be helped by also performing physical therapy. Physical therapy offers you increased mobility, balance, strengthening, and muscle manipulation to help recover.  At Preferred Physical Therapy in Glendale, Arizona we are not like other clinics. 

We work one-on-one with our patients to provide personalized care. You will receive hands-on treatment along with exercises specific to your needs. 

Our providers help you through the exercises to make sure you get the most out of your visits and know what to expect when you do them at home as well. Unlike other places that may not listen to your needs and just follow a very original plan.

We get to the root cause of your pain and continue treatment for the root cause so your problem does not return in a month or two. You will be evaluated to determine where your foot pain is coming from.

If you feel pain from your hip you may actually be experiencing problems in your back and the hip pain is just a factor in that back pain. 

If you’re suffering from ankle, foot, or other pain, mobility issues, weakness, or any other muscle irregularities then inquire about our cost and talk to one of our specialists.

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