A Guide to Common Hiking Injuries

There are a lot of different things that people with chronic pain in Phoenix like to do in order to relax. In the interest of not antagonizing their injury even further, they are best off picking an activity that is not too physically challenging. That is why hiking is such a popular option for people with neck pain in Phoenix. Although the person is getting great exercise from walking up the steady incline, they are not exerting themselves to the point where they are likely to get injured or worsen their already existing back pain in Phoenix.

However, that does not mean that hiking doesn’t present any danger at all. In fact, there are plenty of injuries that a person hiking might experience if they are not careful. To help make sure someone is properly prepared, here are some of the most common hiking injuries that might occur and how to handle them if they do.

Frostbite

If someone happens to be hiking in an area further south or in the middle of the summer, then frostbite is not something that they have to worry about. However, if they decide to venture further north to do a winter hike, then this is a very real concern. That is why everyone should make sure that they know exactly what to watch out for when it comes to frostbite so that if they fall victim to it, then they will already know how to handle the situation.

Frostbite occurs when someone’s skin is exposed to very cold temperatures for a long period of time. It is indicative that the cells in that area are becoming damaged and are on the path to developing long-term nerve damage if not treated soon. Some of the warning signs to look out for when it comes to frostbite include numbness in a localized area, pale white skin, and a lack of elasticity in the skin. When these symptoms begin to occur, it signals that the person is entering the stages of full-blown frostbite, which requires immediate treatment.

The best way to deal with frostbite is to try and immediately warm up the skin. Depending on which part of the skin has been affected, they might be able to nuzzle it inside of their armpit and groin. These are the best areas to use because they are often the warmest parts of the human body and will be able to provide a fair amount of warmth to the affected areas.

However, if the stages of frostbite have advanced even further, then this is not going to be enough to help. The person should also fully immerse their body parts in luke-warm water and keep it submerged until all numbness has stopped. At this point, they should bandage up the affected areas and keep them out of the cold as much as possible. When it comes to frostbite, any part of the body can be affected, but the vast majority of cases happen on a person’s face, fingers, and toes since these are the most commonly exposed areas.

The easiest way to make sure that frostbite does not occur is to make sure to wear plenty of layers when hiking in cold weather. This will allow someone to remain a body temperature where they are perfectly warm even if the temperature changes or they begin to perspire. They should also make sure that they have clothing capable of covering every major area of their body, including their hands and cheeks.

Sprained Ankles

With all the walking that someone is sure to do on a hiking trail, it should come as no surprise that one of the more common injuries for a hiker to experience is a sprained ankle. Although human ankles are quite resilient, there is only so much strain that they can take before they suffer significant damage. Under normal circumstances, someone's ankles should be perfectly capable of performing properly without suffering damage since they do this every day when a person walks. However, there are certain situations that can often occur during hiking that make a sprained ankle far more likely.

For example, as soon as the trail gets uneven, this vastly increases the chances of someone rolling their ankle as they try to maintain their balance on the bumpy surface. If someone does end up spraining their ankle, then this is usually indicated by a distinctive pop or snapping sound, which is followed by intense pain.

Depending on the severity of the sprain, someone may be able to continue walking at a slower speed if they do not put much weight on the affected ankle. However, if the sprain is bad, then someone will immediately be rendered immobile and will need the assistance of someone else in order to go anywhere.

Someone who has a severely sprained ankle is likely going to need the professional help of a pain clinic in Phoenix in order to help heal it. But there are a few pain management techniques that someone from Phoenix can use in the meantime to try and help reduce the pain of a sprained ankle.

This includes soaking the ankle with something cold, such as water from a river or snow that is wrapped up in a piece of cloth. The sprained ankle should then be wrapped up using a medical bandage and the person should try and slightly loosen up their ankle muscles through some stretches. They will also want to make sure that they keep the affected leg elevated slightly above their heart, which will help to control blood flow to the region.

In order to help reduce the chances of someone experiencing a sprained ankle, they should make sure to do a fair amount of stretches before they begin hiking. They will also want to wear shoes that have higher ankle support to help keep an ankle upright when walking on uneven terrain.