Ankle Mobility

Look at that picture above...24 degrees of dorsiflexion (ankle/toes pointed towards your body).  I know this isn't meaningful to most people, but if you have trouble squatting or had ankle, knee, hip, or back pain, lack of ankle mobility could be the reason (or at least one of them).  Recently, I have seen an increased number of patient complaining of knee pain without major trauma.  The first place I look? The ankle...And you should be looking at yours.  IT'S EASY!

ASSESSMENT​

Crouch down in a half kneel with our foot about a fist length away from the wall.

Next lean forward and see if your knee can touch the wall...WITHOUT YOUR HEEL COMING UP!

Cheaters never prosper! Keep that heel down!

If your knee touches, you most likely have sufficient ankle range.  Congratulations, you can stop reading.  If your knee does NOT touch the wall, then read on.  We need to fix this...Below are 2 easy exercises to start working of your ankle dorsiflexion.

TREATMENT

Calf Stretch: 30 sec hold; 2-3 rounds
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Lunge position with back knee straight, bend the front knee until a stretch is felt in the calf of the back leg. Please, keep both feet parallel aka pointing forward.

Please...Parallel people. Don't let the back foot turn out. You are wasting your time doing it this way. We see it way too much.

​Heel Raises Off a Step: 15-20 reps; 2-3 sets.

Keep knees straight and don't let butt stick out. Sink heels down and hold 2-3 sec.

Press up on your toes, making sure your heels stay level. Try and have 50% of your weight on the balls of your feet and the other 50% distributed to the remaining 8 toes.

Do not come up on the outside of your feet like the picture...you are compensating for a whole bunch of other things...different post.

There you go.  2 easy ways to improve ankle mobility; there are tons more.  This by NO MEANS solves all ankle mobility issues.  There are many components to ankle mobility and consulting with a knowledgeable physical therapist is advised.  

​I hope you have a geat 4th of July!
-Dominick