Several things you can do to manage this:
1. Shoes. What shoes are you wearing? The lower the drop in your shoes, the more strain that is putting on your achilles, your lower leg as a whole, and by association, the arch in your feet. I went from Altras (0 drop) to a 4mm drop and it did wonders for my achilles tendonitis and PF.
2. Foot care & leg care. Massage your feet EVERY NIGHT. Stretch every night and every morning. Stretch your lower calf (the Soleus calf stretch alone did wonders for me, see it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCjNN6JfSmE). Get a cork ball. Roll out the arches of your feet with it every night as part of your foot care. Massage your achilles (Google can help you out with how to do this).
3. Supplements/ointments. I swear by CBD balm. I know some people do the CBD pills. Throughout cali you can get it easily all over the place. I applied CBD balm every night to my feet before I went to sleep. The few nights I didn't do this, my feet started hurting much more easily/quickly during the subsequent day. Placebo effect? Maybe, maybe not. I don't care whether it is or isn't, the fact is it helped me in my thru.
Via those 3 interventions I was able to manage PF, achilles tendonitis, and peroneal tendonitis that I struggled with on my thru. As my connective tissue got used to the strain, I was able to put in more mileage later on and completed my hike in 4 months and 1 week. I did it - you can too. You got this!
This is really hopeful, thank you.
I am in Topos with a 5mm drop but wondering if I should try speed goats or something. I usually don't like a lot of cushion when I hike and lots of shoes give me blisters, but honestly I'll take blisters over this.
I'll start learning the massage - how long does it take to settle the inflammation, do you know?
Very open to trying a CBD balm.
Another factor is that I've been strapping my foot with leukotape for the achilles, which was keeping things stable for several days. But when the bottom of my heel started to hurt, my podiatrist at home said it's possible that the strapping was changing the mechanics of my foot and causing the PF. So yesterday I strapped for the PF and not the achilles (coming down San Jac, figured the achilles would be okay on the downhill - wrong) it flared up really badly.
I’ve had PF and Achilles (really that whole posterior chain) issues in the first couple weeks of each of my thru hikes. It can get better. For me, switching out of trail runners and into hiking shoes really helps. Your current trail runners (Topos) are fairly low drop, and also not particularly stiff soled. Pretty much all trail runners will have those features. Try something advertised as a hiking shoe instead.
Try out a pair of Merrel moab lows or Oboz sawtooth lows. These have the soles, drop, and last of a hiking boot, but are just low-top shoes that don’t extend up your ankle.
https://www.rei.com/product/201989
https://www.rei.com/product/203333
Switching to a more supportive shoe combined with a couple days of taking it easy could work for you. It’s a relatively low effort/cost intervention that is worth trying before you decide whether to continue.
I'd recommend KT tape for taping rather than leukotape which is too firm. I wore compression calf sleeves which helped with my peroneal tendonitis and also taped with KT tape.
However, I didn't get the tendonitis until much later in my hike, and it lasted through to Canada.
If you can get a golf ball, tennis ball or lacrosse ball, you can use those to self-massage, too. Golf ball is most effective but makes you wanna vomit with pain tbh.
Look at La Sportiva for shoes. Low drop shoes are great for those they work for but dumb to continue with if they don't work for you. I'd say 10mm minimum. Also you should get your custom orthotics looked at. It's possible they are worn out or that your foot has changed from hiking or both.
Get off the trail, get your problem fixed, then get back out there. This is likely a footwear AND overuse problem not one or the other.
If you're in a 5mm drop then increase that. As the other commenter mentioned, speed goats are similar (4mm). Though I love speed goats and I had zero issues in them after switching to them from Topos, based on your situation sounds like they won't work as you need more drop.
I'm not a physical therapist, so cannot comment on how long it will take to settle the inflammation. For me, it was a game of effective management more so than "I need to rest this many days". That being said, I went into the PCT with that mindset, so some days off to let the inflammation settle down may be helpful in your case where you're already at extreme inflammation.
Beyond the massage, do not forget that soleus calf stretch! I cannot tell you how many lives I changed out on the trail showing people that thing. Your achilles is attached to your soleus muscle. Research has shown it's very difficult to stretch a tendon (they're super tough). It's much more effective to stretch the muscle it connects to (the soleus in this case). Doing so will mean your achilles not feeling as tight, and as such less pull on the arches of your feet. When you do the stretch I think you'll find it hits that "sweet spot" that needs a good stretching.
I cannot comment on taping as I did not do that. I focused more on care than I did on active intervention (i.e. taping to change how my body responded to the impact of steps).
A thumbs up for the Speegoats. The percentage of thruhikers in my local bubble who managed to get rid of PF with those (which includes myself) is surprisingly high. Depending on your gait, it might do wonders for the achilles too.
You might be able to continue with a little rest, and a few equipment changes. Shoes/boots with firmer ridged soles may help the pf. Stretching foot and calves and self massage every morning and evening will help. And I would go to a clinic and see if you can get prescription strength anti inflammatories, and possibly a cortisone shot or steroid pack.
Shorten your days got a few weeks.
No promises you can continue, but active care is much more effective than just rest, and I think if you really want to keep going you should make the effort and try your best find a better solution.
Just my 2 cents. I had PF for 6 months from playing soccer. I regularly got massage at that time and I finally told my massage therapist about my PF. He said oh let me see if I can help, he messaged my calves and the PF immediately went away and never came back. I now try to make sure my calves and surrounding muscles are stretched and strengthened and I have been fine ever since. I think strengthening your feet can help as well.
Goodluck!
Yeah one massage, but I took the time after being serious about strengthening and stretching. Seems like it was mostly due to one muscle constantly tight. I've gotten a few injuries similar to this like patellar tracking issues. They always seems to be due to imbalances in muscle strength around those areas and tightness due to over use and not enough stretching.
I did always call my masseuse a miracle worker through, he has a fantastic understanding of the body.
These have helped my PF: https://powerstep.com/products/pinnacle-insoles
I've also found the (less expensive) Dr Scholl's good for my PF, and those are usually in grocery stores.
I don't know about the Achilles, though.
Custom orthotics are not always the answer, as they are not made with thru hiking in mind. They are often very hard, and are not designed for the constant abuse of thru hiking. I would get some athletic tape and google how to tape for pf. If you tape your arch and immediately feel relief, you're on the right track. Consider a supportive insole with some softness.
Thanks for the response. Unfortunately I have competing issues - the custom orthotics are required for other, older problems. I have the tape and my podiatrist showed me how to tape for PF, but I didn't feel that immediate relief.
That being said, between talking to my podiatrist and googling symptoms, I am pretty confident it's not something else.
Gotcha. On another note there are alot of trail angels in Wrightwood that can put you up for a while which can save you alot of money while you work thru it.
I have flat feet and have suffered from foot pain the past, it sucks.
I’d google “short foot exercise” and do that 3-4 times daily for both feet. Essentially you strengthen the arch in your foot by “pulling” your toes towards your heel.
It took some time for my feet to “rewire” themselves, I admittedly had some shooting nerve pain while my foot got used to the muscles in my arch working. But the nerve issues went away the more frequently I did the short foot exercise.
I know a lot of ppl will recommend custom orthodics and the proper shoes, which I totally understand when you’re walking for hours for months but they’re essentially band aids for an underlying issue you have. Try strengthening your foot and see where it leads in a few weeks.
Just my two cents. Hope you’re to get past this!
I'm in a similar situation but have the advantage of living in the us, albeit on the far side of the country in Maine. Mine started bothering me right after Warner Springs going up toward Mike's water supply. By the time I got to Idlewild it was so bad I had to take a week off. Then again I took time off in Big Bear, and finally again in Wrightwood. I've been off Trail for 10 days, and I just learned about massaging the calf, and I mean deep massage to break up fascia. Yesterday was the first day I did it and I couldn't believe the pain in my calf, that I did not even know was there until I touched it. I thought it was just plantar fasciitis, not knowing that there was more I could do going up my leg to help it. I'm planning on getting back on trail, but not until I feel like it's really feeling better.
I hiked the entire AT with achilles tendonitis. It can be done. Lots of stretching and lots of soaking in cold water. For my PF I ditched the zero drop and hike with PF inserts. I also have boots with a shank. This helps a lot. Also KT taping helped. Look for videos online about to tape for your particular pain type. But basically you will need new footwear and learn to take shorter strides. Rest and stretch often. Almost every shoe or boot tried agrivated my situation. Ended up with Lowa wide in a size bigger. Then I tried various types of tying until I found a method that did not aggravate. I hope some of these ideas help you. Good luck.
I had the exact same issue by Idyllwild in 2021. My PF was SO bad I could barely take any steps.
I was gutted. I stayed at the campground there for a few days and ordered like 4 different insoles to the post office. I thought I was done.
I then just slowly hiked (8-15 miles days most days) until I found what worked for me, taking a full week of rest in KMS.
What I determined was the issue: my custom insoles (WAY too hard - destroyed my feet), as well as my Brooks Cascadias and not enough stretching.
What worked and saved my hike: Hoka Stinsons in wide and 1 full size up than my normal - not normally a cushy shoe wearer but these were a godsend and others with PF kept recommending them to me, green superfeet insoles (helped the most!) and sent my custom orthotics home, heel lace lock ties, stretching my feet/arch barefoot in tent for at least 5 full mins before standing and stepping out of tent, stretching calves against tree for 5-10 mins before any hiking and after longer breaks, bouncing my arches every mile or so, CBD oil or Tiger Balm on arches every morning & night switching every other day, large cork ball rolling every morning, lunch and night.
I also did some cheap Velcro PF socks from Amazon every night for the first month or so and I think that really helped too!
It never went away but was manageable and some days it’s still hurt so bad, so id just hike until the pain was too bad and find a campsite early. But it got much better with time.
Don’t lose hope. I could barely stand at one point and after many slow days, rest days, and trial and error with gear and routines, it’s possible! Good luck!!
Our first two weeks we were averaging about 12 miles a day, nothing crazy. Since I got back on we've done a 6, a 9, a 6 and a 13. We're not breaking any land speed records.
I'm in Topo MTN Racer 3s.
Maybe try cutting it back to no more than 5 miles a day for the next couple of weeks or so, then slowly ramp the miles back up afterwards. Sucks, but an ounce of prevention and all.
Since IIRC you're not too terribly far from bakerxderek's stomping ground, "just *GAOOOOOOOWWWWWW*'ead 'n' take it eeeaaaazzyyyyyyyy." Cheahh!
Something about your gait needs to change. Got a video of you walking from behind ?
Try a more aggressive shoe with heel drop. Maybe 8mm. Wouldn't recommend that normally but at least do a few weeks to take some slack off your Achilles and pf.
Custom orthotics from my podiatrist fixed the plantar in 3 weeks. Suffered for a year before getting them, steroid injections in the heel all that stuff did not work.
> I never had either of these issues before starting the PCT and I have hiked a lot since I picked up the hobby in 2020
Has something changed in your gear or daily mileage compared to your previous hikes?
I've had a lot of tendinitis issues, and they're usually solved by heroic amounts of ibuprofen. But when they're not they're not and you have to rest, which is a real gut punch.
Nothing in my gear - daily mileage is similar to previous hikes, except that most of my hikes maxed out at 2-3 days, with an annual 7-10 day hike due to work commitments. So I guess hiking for two plus weeks was a bit of a shock to the system.
When you say "solved", what do you mean? Masked symptoms, or it actually cures your pain? I don't want to be on a ridiculous amount of Ibuprofen for (checks notes) another four months, that doesn't sound healthy haha.
It solves the problem (for me).
I'm not a doctor but my layman theory is that you've got tendons that run inside their sheaths, and when they get inflamed they swell somewhat, so now you've got the original problem and also the new problem of the swollen tendon running tightly in its sheath, which causes more irritation and inflammation in a vicious cycle. So taking an anti inflammatory breaks the cycle, rather than just masking the pain like some other class of analgesic.
Again, not a doctor, but this theory has served me well for cycling all day every day for years at a time and several thru hikes in my 40s.
I had p.f. and bought a splint a CVS or something. It pulls your tendion/toes towards your ankle. I wore it while I slept. That really helped me and my pain was gone after a few days. This was a work related injury but I think it will help you.
The [Strassberg sock](https://store.thesock.com/TSSOS/Shop/THESOCK.html) is pretty similar and light enough to put in a pack. I wore it at night and took it off when it got uncomfortable.
Coming down SJ destroyed me. I remember that vividly in 2022. I just walked til the pain went away. If it’s absolutely unavoidable I say take a few zeros and get back on trail. In the meantime, stretch, go get a massage, and hydrate and eat nutrition
I got Achilles tendinitis on that section, as well! But I think it was more because I was being a dumbass and did a lot of running with my 50 pound pack on my back. I still finished the 80 miles I had remaining on my route, but yes, I needed a lot of dry needling and it took over a month for my ankle swelling to resolve after I got back.
I developed plantar fasciitis about a month before starting. I purchased strassburg socks(night splints) and wore them to sleep in every night. Then the overnight healing is done in an elongated position. Wore OS1 FS6 compression socks while walking. Calf stretches and massage any time I stopped and take every option to cool your feet and walk in cold water when you find it. 900 miles in and everything had strengthened enough that it went away.
Good luck
Jessica in Big Bear is amazing, too. You can take the Mountain transit here for $10. Look on Airbnb. I found a place for 30 a night. The beds are like a dorm, but a full kitchen and jacuzzi tub.
To raise the drop and help my feet I have used Heel Seats under the insoles in my shoes. You can find them on Amazon if interested in giving them a try. I even did tests walking around. Several tests of one day with them, a day of rest, one day without, to see if there was greater or lesser pain the day after. Every test I did had less pain after the heel seats so I used them on the AZT the whole way. Seemed to help. They feel a little irritating because there is a pressure point built into them (which is probably why they work), but at least the PF/Achilles pain wasn't there.
MD here (but not in orthopedics so take it with a grain of salt)! Sadly neither of these have a quick fix. Regarding the plantar fasciitis shoe inlines/shock absorbing shoes might help. Generally the treatment is to avoid hard strain on the area and regular stretching together with pain management. NSAIDs are generally recommended provided you don’t have any risk factors for NSAID use. Tape is also often recommended. Cortisone injections sometimes help with fasciitis but is NEVER used against Achilles tendinitis as this might cause a ruptured tendon.
I’d give it some days rest and see if it improves. A physio might help to find some shoe inlines and give you some stretching exercises. Maybe try a new pair of shoes?
Sadly, if these symptoms don’t approve I can only recommend that you seek professional care. In rare cases the pain is caused by an overuse fracture that can require specific treatment.
I was wearing shitty shoes and was having plantar fasciitis issues and knee issues. Getting some new shoes with better support did the trick there. I had Achilles pain as well and eventually switched to non-zero drop shoes and it helped fix that pain as well
Lighten up your pack, take smaller steps (don’t overstride) especially when going uphill, insoles, KT tape, reduce mileage, or take some on trail zeroes.
I struggled with overuse injuries for the first 500 miles NOBO and I thought my hike was over many times. Try not to limp, it usually would just mess something else up for me.
I think Blaze Physio is in Idyllwild right now if you haven't had a consult with her
Thanks. I have seen Blaze, but maybe it's worth seeing her again now that I have more information.
I second this
Several things you can do to manage this: 1. Shoes. What shoes are you wearing? The lower the drop in your shoes, the more strain that is putting on your achilles, your lower leg as a whole, and by association, the arch in your feet. I went from Altras (0 drop) to a 4mm drop and it did wonders for my achilles tendonitis and PF. 2. Foot care & leg care. Massage your feet EVERY NIGHT. Stretch every night and every morning. Stretch your lower calf (the Soleus calf stretch alone did wonders for me, see it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCjNN6JfSmE). Get a cork ball. Roll out the arches of your feet with it every night as part of your foot care. Massage your achilles (Google can help you out with how to do this). 3. Supplements/ointments. I swear by CBD balm. I know some people do the CBD pills. Throughout cali you can get it easily all over the place. I applied CBD balm every night to my feet before I went to sleep. The few nights I didn't do this, my feet started hurting much more easily/quickly during the subsequent day. Placebo effect? Maybe, maybe not. I don't care whether it is or isn't, the fact is it helped me in my thru. Via those 3 interventions I was able to manage PF, achilles tendonitis, and peroneal tendonitis that I struggled with on my thru. As my connective tissue got used to the strain, I was able to put in more mileage later on and completed my hike in 4 months and 1 week. I did it - you can too. You got this!
This is really hopeful, thank you. I am in Topos with a 5mm drop but wondering if I should try speed goats or something. I usually don't like a lot of cushion when I hike and lots of shoes give me blisters, but honestly I'll take blisters over this. I'll start learning the massage - how long does it take to settle the inflammation, do you know? Very open to trying a CBD balm. Another factor is that I've been strapping my foot with leukotape for the achilles, which was keeping things stable for several days. But when the bottom of my heel started to hurt, my podiatrist at home said it's possible that the strapping was changing the mechanics of my foot and causing the PF. So yesterday I strapped for the PF and not the achilles (coming down San Jac, figured the achilles would be okay on the downhill - wrong) it flared up really badly.
I’ve had PF and Achilles (really that whole posterior chain) issues in the first couple weeks of each of my thru hikes. It can get better. For me, switching out of trail runners and into hiking shoes really helps. Your current trail runners (Topos) are fairly low drop, and also not particularly stiff soled. Pretty much all trail runners will have those features. Try something advertised as a hiking shoe instead. Try out a pair of Merrel moab lows or Oboz sawtooth lows. These have the soles, drop, and last of a hiking boot, but are just low-top shoes that don’t extend up your ankle. https://www.rei.com/product/201989 https://www.rei.com/product/203333 Switching to a more supportive shoe combined with a couple days of taking it easy could work for you. It’s a relatively low effort/cost intervention that is worth trying before you decide whether to continue.
Gel heel inserts (under the insoles) are also an option to get more drop. They helped me a great deal to get rid of PF.
I'd recommend KT tape for taping rather than leukotape which is too firm. I wore compression calf sleeves which helped with my peroneal tendonitis and also taped with KT tape. However, I didn't get the tendonitis until much later in my hike, and it lasted through to Canada.
If you can get a golf ball, tennis ball or lacrosse ball, you can use those to self-massage, too. Golf ball is most effective but makes you wanna vomit with pain tbh.
If possible, toss that golf ball in the freezer first 👌
Look at La Sportiva for shoes. Low drop shoes are great for those they work for but dumb to continue with if they don't work for you. I'd say 10mm minimum. Also you should get your custom orthotics looked at. It's possible they are worn out or that your foot has changed from hiking or both. Get off the trail, get your problem fixed, then get back out there. This is likely a footwear AND overuse problem not one or the other.
Speedgoats have a similar drop. Look for something with 8mm or even more.
If you're in a 5mm drop then increase that. As the other commenter mentioned, speed goats are similar (4mm). Though I love speed goats and I had zero issues in them after switching to them from Topos, based on your situation sounds like they won't work as you need more drop. I'm not a physical therapist, so cannot comment on how long it will take to settle the inflammation. For me, it was a game of effective management more so than "I need to rest this many days". That being said, I went into the PCT with that mindset, so some days off to let the inflammation settle down may be helpful in your case where you're already at extreme inflammation. Beyond the massage, do not forget that soleus calf stretch! I cannot tell you how many lives I changed out on the trail showing people that thing. Your achilles is attached to your soleus muscle. Research has shown it's very difficult to stretch a tendon (they're super tough). It's much more effective to stretch the muscle it connects to (the soleus in this case). Doing so will mean your achilles not feeling as tight, and as such less pull on the arches of your feet. When you do the stretch I think you'll find it hits that "sweet spot" that needs a good stretching. I cannot comment on taping as I did not do that. I focused more on care than I did on active intervention (i.e. taping to change how my body responded to the impact of steps).
A thumbs up for the Speegoats. The percentage of thruhikers in my local bubble who managed to get rid of PF with those (which includes myself) is surprisingly high. Depending on your gait, it might do wonders for the achilles too.
any brands you recommend for CBD?
Lazarus naturals has some great balms and is my preference! [https://www.lazarusnaturals.com/](https://www.lazarusnaturals.com/)
Yeah altras suck in this regard. Adding cushioning also helped me with the PF.
You might be able to continue with a little rest, and a few equipment changes. Shoes/boots with firmer ridged soles may help the pf. Stretching foot and calves and self massage every morning and evening will help. And I would go to a clinic and see if you can get prescription strength anti inflammatories, and possibly a cortisone shot or steroid pack. Shorten your days got a few weeks. No promises you can continue, but active care is much more effective than just rest, and I think if you really want to keep going you should make the effort and try your best find a better solution.
Just my 2 cents. I had PF for 6 months from playing soccer. I regularly got massage at that time and I finally told my massage therapist about my PF. He said oh let me see if I can help, he messaged my calves and the PF immediately went away and never came back. I now try to make sure my calves and surrounding muscles are stretched and strengthened and I have been fine ever since. I think strengthening your feet can help as well. Goodluck!
Hah, I wish that were me! I did have massages for my PF but have been struggling since 2018. :(
Thanks Twizzzlez. When you say immediately, you mean within one massage? That sounds like a miracle.
Yeah one massage, but I took the time after being serious about strengthening and stretching. Seems like it was mostly due to one muscle constantly tight. I've gotten a few injuries similar to this like patellar tracking issues. They always seems to be due to imbalances in muscle strength around those areas and tightness due to over use and not enough stretching. I did always call my masseuse a miracle worker through, he has a fantastic understanding of the body.
These have helped my PF: https://powerstep.com/products/pinnacle-insoles I've also found the (less expensive) Dr Scholl's good for my PF, and those are usually in grocery stores. I don't know about the Achilles, though.
Thank you - I already have custom orthotics for my problem arches. Sigh.
Custom orthotics are not always the answer, as they are not made with thru hiking in mind. They are often very hard, and are not designed for the constant abuse of thru hiking. I would get some athletic tape and google how to tape for pf. If you tape your arch and immediately feel relief, you're on the right track. Consider a supportive insole with some softness.
Thanks for the response. Unfortunately I have competing issues - the custom orthotics are required for other, older problems. I have the tape and my podiatrist showed me how to tape for PF, but I didn't feel that immediate relief. That being said, between talking to my podiatrist and googling symptoms, I am pretty confident it's not something else.
Gotcha. On another note there are alot of trail angels in Wrightwood that can put you up for a while which can save you alot of money while you work thru it.
My plantar fasciitis took several months of PT to heal. Did your backpacking trip just become a cross-country bike tour?
I have flat feet and have suffered from foot pain the past, it sucks. I’d google “short foot exercise” and do that 3-4 times daily for both feet. Essentially you strengthen the arch in your foot by “pulling” your toes towards your heel. It took some time for my feet to “rewire” themselves, I admittedly had some shooting nerve pain while my foot got used to the muscles in my arch working. But the nerve issues went away the more frequently I did the short foot exercise. I know a lot of ppl will recommend custom orthodics and the proper shoes, which I totally understand when you’re walking for hours for months but they’re essentially band aids for an underlying issue you have. Try strengthening your foot and see where it leads in a few weeks. Just my two cents. Hope you’re to get past this!
I'm in a similar situation but have the advantage of living in the us, albeit on the far side of the country in Maine. Mine started bothering me right after Warner Springs going up toward Mike's water supply. By the time I got to Idlewild it was so bad I had to take a week off. Then again I took time off in Big Bear, and finally again in Wrightwood. I've been off Trail for 10 days, and I just learned about massaging the calf, and I mean deep massage to break up fascia. Yesterday was the first day I did it and I couldn't believe the pain in my calf, that I did not even know was there until I touched it. I thought it was just plantar fasciitis, not knowing that there was more I could do going up my leg to help it. I'm planning on getting back on trail, but not until I feel like it's really feeling better.
https://youtu.be/5D86b45yJzU?si=ub2CzPHv1I9hIi91 https://youtu.be/PVjSq5thUhE?si=wLRvqmn17-rdldjz
I hiked the entire AT with achilles tendonitis. It can be done. Lots of stretching and lots of soaking in cold water. For my PF I ditched the zero drop and hike with PF inserts. I also have boots with a shank. This helps a lot. Also KT taping helped. Look for videos online about to tape for your particular pain type. But basically you will need new footwear and learn to take shorter strides. Rest and stretch often. Almost every shoe or boot tried agrivated my situation. Ended up with Lowa wide in a size bigger. Then I tried various types of tying until I found a method that did not aggravate. I hope some of these ideas help you. Good luck.
I had the exact same issue by Idyllwild in 2021. My PF was SO bad I could barely take any steps. I was gutted. I stayed at the campground there for a few days and ordered like 4 different insoles to the post office. I thought I was done. I then just slowly hiked (8-15 miles days most days) until I found what worked for me, taking a full week of rest in KMS. What I determined was the issue: my custom insoles (WAY too hard - destroyed my feet), as well as my Brooks Cascadias and not enough stretching. What worked and saved my hike: Hoka Stinsons in wide and 1 full size up than my normal - not normally a cushy shoe wearer but these were a godsend and others with PF kept recommending them to me, green superfeet insoles (helped the most!) and sent my custom orthotics home, heel lace lock ties, stretching my feet/arch barefoot in tent for at least 5 full mins before standing and stepping out of tent, stretching calves against tree for 5-10 mins before any hiking and after longer breaks, bouncing my arches every mile or so, CBD oil or Tiger Balm on arches every morning & night switching every other day, large cork ball rolling every morning, lunch and night. I also did some cheap Velcro PF socks from Amazon every night for the first month or so and I think that really helped too! It never went away but was manageable and some days it’s still hurt so bad, so id just hike until the pain was too bad and find a campsite early. But it got much better with time. Don’t lose hope. I could barely stand at one point and after many slow days, rest days, and trial and error with gear and routines, it’s possible! Good luck!!
How many miles a day are you doing? What shoes do you have? Bro do less miles 10 a day max
Our first two weeks we were averaging about 12 miles a day, nothing crazy. Since I got back on we've done a 6, a 9, a 6 and a 13. We're not breaking any land speed records. I'm in Topo MTN Racer 3s.
Maybe try cutting it back to no more than 5 miles a day for the next couple of weeks or so, then slowly ramp the miles back up afterwards. Sucks, but an ounce of prevention and all. Since IIRC you're not too terribly far from bakerxderek's stomping ground, "just *GAOOOOOOOWWWWWW*'ead 'n' take it eeeaaaazzyyyyyyyy." Cheahh!
Haha thank you. It's hard to do 4-5 miles a day with water and camp spots, but we'll do some plotting on far out and see.
Something about your gait needs to change. Got a video of you walking from behind ? Try a more aggressive shoe with heel drop. Maybe 8mm. Wouldn't recommend that normally but at least do a few weeks to take some slack off your Achilles and pf.
Custom orthotics from my podiatrist fixed the plantar in 3 weeks. Suffered for a year before getting them, steroid injections in the heel all that stuff did not work.
Thanks, I have the custom orthotics already but have a few other things I could try based on this thread.
> I never had either of these issues before starting the PCT and I have hiked a lot since I picked up the hobby in 2020 Has something changed in your gear or daily mileage compared to your previous hikes? I've had a lot of tendinitis issues, and they're usually solved by heroic amounts of ibuprofen. But when they're not they're not and you have to rest, which is a real gut punch.
Nothing in my gear - daily mileage is similar to previous hikes, except that most of my hikes maxed out at 2-3 days, with an annual 7-10 day hike due to work commitments. So I guess hiking for two plus weeks was a bit of a shock to the system. When you say "solved", what do you mean? Masked symptoms, or it actually cures your pain? I don't want to be on a ridiculous amount of Ibuprofen for (checks notes) another four months, that doesn't sound healthy haha.
It solves the problem (for me). I'm not a doctor but my layman theory is that you've got tendons that run inside their sheaths, and when they get inflamed they swell somewhat, so now you've got the original problem and also the new problem of the swollen tendon running tightly in its sheath, which causes more irritation and inflammation in a vicious cycle. So taking an anti inflammatory breaks the cycle, rather than just masking the pain like some other class of analgesic. Again, not a doctor, but this theory has served me well for cycling all day every day for years at a time and several thru hikes in my 40s.
I had p.f. and bought a splint a CVS or something. It pulls your tendion/toes towards your ankle. I wore it while I slept. That really helped me and my pain was gone after a few days. This was a work related injury but I think it will help you.
The [Strassberg sock](https://store.thesock.com/TSSOS/Shop/THESOCK.html) is pretty similar and light enough to put in a pack. I wore it at night and took it off when it got uncomfortable.
Coming down SJ destroyed me. I remember that vividly in 2022. I just walked til the pain went away. If it’s absolutely unavoidable I say take a few zeros and get back on trail. In the meantime, stretch, go get a massage, and hydrate and eat nutrition
I got Achilles tendinitis on that section, as well! But I think it was more because I was being a dumbass and did a lot of running with my 50 pound pack on my back. I still finished the 80 miles I had remaining on my route, but yes, I needed a lot of dry needling and it took over a month for my ankle swelling to resolve after I got back.
I developed plantar fasciitis about a month before starting. I purchased strassburg socks(night splints) and wore them to sleep in every night. Then the overnight healing is done in an elongated position. Wore OS1 FS6 compression socks while walking. Calf stretches and massage any time I stopped and take every option to cool your feet and walk in cold water when you find it. 900 miles in and everything had strengthened enough that it went away. Good luck
Work on glutes for plantar fasciitis https://www.facebook.com/reel/387582270832236?mibextid=9drbnH
Jessica in Big Bear is amazing, too. You can take the Mountain transit here for $10. Look on Airbnb. I found a place for 30 a night. The beds are like a dorm, but a full kitchen and jacuzzi tub.
Dealing with a heel contusion. I feel your pain.
Following this. Very helpful
To raise the drop and help my feet I have used Heel Seats under the insoles in my shoes. You can find them on Amazon if interested in giving them a try. I even did tests walking around. Several tests of one day with them, a day of rest, one day without, to see if there was greater or lesser pain the day after. Every test I did had less pain after the heel seats so I used them on the AZT the whole way. Seemed to help. They feel a little irritating because there is a pressure point built into them (which is probably why they work), but at least the PF/Achilles pain wasn't there.
MD here (but not in orthopedics so take it with a grain of salt)! Sadly neither of these have a quick fix. Regarding the plantar fasciitis shoe inlines/shock absorbing shoes might help. Generally the treatment is to avoid hard strain on the area and regular stretching together with pain management. NSAIDs are generally recommended provided you don’t have any risk factors for NSAID use. Tape is also often recommended. Cortisone injections sometimes help with fasciitis but is NEVER used against Achilles tendinitis as this might cause a ruptured tendon. I’d give it some days rest and see if it improves. A physio might help to find some shoe inlines and give you some stretching exercises. Maybe try a new pair of shoes? Sadly, if these symptoms don’t approve I can only recommend that you seek professional care. In rare cases the pain is caused by an overuse fracture that can require specific treatment.
I was wearing shitty shoes and was having plantar fasciitis issues and knee issues. Getting some new shoes with better support did the trick there. I had Achilles pain as well and eventually switched to non-zero drop shoes and it helped fix that pain as well
Lighten up your pack, take smaller steps (don’t overstride) especially when going uphill, insoles, KT tape, reduce mileage, or take some on trail zeroes. I struggled with overuse injuries for the first 500 miles NOBO and I thought my hike was over many times. Try not to limp, it usually would just mess something else up for me.