common injuries and treatment while walking

1. Blisters

During long-distance walking, the most common injury is blisters. Blisters form due to prolonged friction between the soles of the feet and the shoes. Not only do blisters affect the smooth progress of walking, but improper treatment can also lead to infections, causing significant discomfort.

How to treat?

If you develop a blister, you can cover it with a band-aid to prevent further friction. For larger blisters, the accumulated fluid should be drained to relieve the pressure. The standard procedure is: first, clean the affected area with disinfectant alcohol, then use a sterilized needle to puncture a small hole at the edge of the blister and gently squeeze out the fluid. Apply disinfectant or ointment, and finally cover the wound with adhesive tape or dressing. It is important not to cut off the blister skin.

2. Skin Abrasions and Lacerations

Abrasions are caused by external friction, resulting in broken skin and bleeding or exudation of tissue fluid. Lacerations are injuries to the skin or soft tissue caused by blunt impact or collision. They often occur when the body collides with hard objects, with head and facial lacerations being the most common.

How to treat?

For shallow and small abrasions, clean the wound with saline, disinfect the surrounding area with medical alcohol, and apply antibacterial and anti-inflammatory agents locally. No bandaging is needed; just expose the wound to the air. If there are foreign objects in the wound, rinse them out before treatment. For deeper or heavily contaminated wounds, seek hospital treatment.

For small lacerations, after disinfection, use a band-aid to close the wound. For larger lacerations, seek immediate hospital treatment.

3. Ankle Sprains

The ankle joint is the main weight-bearing joint that first contacts the ground during movement and is one of the most susceptible joints to injury in daily life and sports. During outdoor walking, an unstable center of gravity when stepping down or accidentally stepping into a pit can easily cause an ankle sprain.

How to treat?

Mild sprains can be self-treated. Immediately stop activity, apply a cold compress to the injured area, apply pressure bandaging, and elevate the injured limb. After 24 hours, depending on the injury, you can use external medications like safflower oil or massage cream, and combine with massage and hot compresses. Severe ankle sprains may cause complete ligament rupture, often accompanied by avulsion fractures or subluxation of the talus, requiring prompt hospital treatment.

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