Ready for Spring Hikes? How to Finally Address Your Nagging Ankle Pain

Hiking is one of America’s favorite outdoor pastimes, with more than 59 million people regularly hitting the trail. Spending a day exploring nearby trails in and around Tennessee is a fun and rewarding experience. But if you have chronic ankle pain, even taking a few steps can feel like a herculean feat.

At Performance Therapy Institute, with offices in Nashville, Brentwood, and Nolensville, Tennessee, our experienced team regularly sees hikers sidelined by ankle pain.

This blog explains how to pinpoint what’s causing your ankle pain and offers easy, effective tips for reducing pain so you can get back to the hobby you love. 

Identifying the source of your ankle pain

Before you can treat ankle pain and encourage recovery, you need to identify the source. However, that’s often challenging, because ankle pain occurs for various reasons, including:

• Arthritis
• Tendonitis
• Sprains
• Overuse
• Traumatic injury, such as a fall

If your ankle pain comes and goes or varies in intensity, you can do some preliminary work to help determine the cause. For example, keeping a journal and monitoring when your ankle hurts, the severity of the pain, and whether certain activities trigger it can help you rule out potential causes and home in on others.

If your ankle pain persists for more than a week or two and doesn’t respond to at-home care, such as rest, ice, and over-the-counter (OTC) pain medication, don’t wait to contact us. After a comprehensive exam and diagnostic imaging, we can confirm your diagnosis and determine the best treatment approach.

Pre-hike preparation: Support and strengthen your ankles

Preventing ankle pain during hikes starts at home, before you hit the trail. 

Most importantly, you need proper footwear. If you’re trying to climb a mountain in Crocs or sandals, your feet lack the necessary support to move comfortably. Don’t feel like you have to buy a specific brand, but we recommend wearing shoes with laces that have a supportive arch and plenty of toe room. Deep heel cups can also be beneficial, as they can prevent your feet from turning inward (pronation).

It’s also important to keep the muscles in your lower legs strong. Exercises such as calf raises, standing toe raises, and ankle circles, performed a few times each week, can help you build muscle and stabilize your ankle joint. If you have a history of sports injuries, we may also recommend wearing a wrap or brace, especially on longer excursions. 

Other tips for managing ankle pain during and after hikes

You can also take steps during and after hikes to help keep pain at a minimum. We recommend:

Warming up and cooling down

Warming up before your hike increases blood flow to your lower extremities and loosens up muscles, so you can move more efficiently. 

Cooling down afterward may seem like a hassle, but it can significantly reduce the risk of injury and help prevent delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).

Pace yourself

Once spring arrives, many hikers rush back into activity. This makes sense. After all, you’ve been cooped up all winter. But pushing your body too hard too quickly can worsen previous injuries and increase inflammation.

Listen to your body and start slow. After you’ve mastered a few easier hikes, you can ramp back up to more challenging ones.

Focus on recovery

Once you’re home, treat your feet and ankles. You can elevate or soak your feet, try a professional or self-foot massage, or simply take your socks and shoes off and let your feet breathe. Small self-care activities like these can reduce inflammation and support your body’s healing process.

We can help you manage chronic ankle pain

If chronic ankle pain is affecting your hiking hobby, contact us today by calling the nearest office or booking an appointment online. After learning more about your symptoms and completing an exam, we can make personalized treatment recommendations.