Oregon Hikers

I had it years ago. I spent $20 on Amazon and bought Penetrex. It fixed the problem within a few days. Your mileage may very. Sometimes, those type of ailments are a one-time irritation that won't go away on its own and in others, it is there for a reason. You have to pick at potential reasons until it stays gone. I also switched to different hiking boots. I had been using Merrils and they did not work with my feet at all.

What about backpacking?

I was diagnosed this Winter and have to keep Cortizone shots in my heal to get me through work. I do stream surveys so hike alllll day long, so I know I can hike, just not sure about carrying weight.

I've struggled with tendonitis and other connective tissue issues for years (including several severe bouts of PT). People's suggestions of stretching are spot on EXCEPT you should work on stretching muscles in ankle/calf/ hips/glutes/ lower back, but NOT the actual facia of the foot itself. Most PT results in micro tears of the tendon, and stretching that can excerbate healing times significantly. Try not to stand in place for long periods of time, especially on hard surfaces like concrete, it causes the arch to push down. Good footwear is a must: properly fitted arch support, good ankle support, and the one that's often overlooked: a shoe with good torsional support. (If you hold it in your hand, can you twist the body of the shoe? If the answer is yes, it's a no go). Custom orthotics from a podiatrist can be helpful, NSAIDs can help, in really severe cases, a cortisone shot can also be useful. Sadly, sometimes it's best to take yourself off your feet completely for a week or two to let the tendons truly heal if it's really thay severe. (Had to do that once, but the pain went away fully a lot quicker than all of the other times ). Best of luck to you, hope you get to stay out on the trails!