![]() When the ankle ligaments-especially those on the outside ankle-are not mechanically strong due to sprains that never fully healed, that can also impact ankle stability, says Caldarella. Limited ankle dorsiflexion is a common occurrence after ankle sprains, research shows. “When that soft tissue doesn’t allow someone to get that full range upwards, that sets off compensation issues,” he explains.Īnother common culprit of limited ankle mobility: “Sometimes, we just get scar tissue from old injuries, like ankle sprains,” says Lundstrom. As they come down the leg, they join to form the Achilles tendon. On the back of your lower leg, you’ve got your gastrocnemius and soleus muscles-they make up the calf. “The primary issue with limitation of ankle joint dorsiflexion is a tight Achilles tendon,” says Caldarella. Not only does that force your knee and low back to absorb more stress, it requires the opposite side to do more work to keep you moving forward, which could lead to overworked calves or hip flexors on that other side. “And irregularities at the ankle can cause problems all the way up the kinetic chain.” That may mean overuse injuries like runner’s knee, IT band syndrome, and Achilles tendinopathy.įor example, if one ankle is not moving properly, you’re not going to be able to push off and create as much force with that side while running, Lundstrom explains. “If the ankle joint isn’t moving properly, then something has to compensate for that,” says Lundstrom. On the flip side, most people have 30 to 35 degrees of plantar flexion available (but that type of motion is way less of a concern for runners). Generally speaking, a normal gait requires at least 10 to 15 degrees of dorsiflexion, says Caldarella. ![]() These joints function as a unit, but this article will focus on the mobility of the ankle joint itself.) ![]() (There is another joint right below the ankle called the subtalar joint, says Caldarella, which is responsible for moving your foot side to side-a.k.a. Join Runner's World+ for unlimited access to the best training tips for runners “It primarily moves in one direction: up and down.” When your foot is pointing upwards, that’s called dorsiflexion when your foot is pointing down, that’s called plantar flexion. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, a Boston University Teaching Hospital, in Boston. So, how exactly does the ankle joint function? “The ankle proper is a singular joint that connects the two leg bones, the tibia and the fibula, to the ankle bone, which is called the talus,” explains David Caldarella, the head of podiatric medicine and a foot/ankle specialist at St. “ Mobility, on the other hand, is about a joint’s range of motion and ability to function properly,” he explains. your muscles, tendons, and ligaments), says Lundstrom, and how it stretches in response to stress. Flexibility is all about soft tissue (i.e. What is ankle mobility?Ī lot of runners use the terms mobility and flexibility interchangeably. And you might not even realize your ankle’s limited mobility is holding you back. Without a fully functioning ankle, you won’t get far. “Your ankle plays a key role in both absorbing impact and transferring force into the ground when you’re pushing off,” says Christopher Lundstrom, Ph.D., a lecturer in the School of Kinesiology at the University of Minnesota and head coach for Team USA Minnesota, an elite development program for professional distance runners.
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