Stability and mobility around the ankle joint is very important for individuals looking to reduce pain and prevent injuries from happening. According to Clark et al. (2014), the most common injuries around the ankle include: sprains, plantar fasciitis, achilles tendonitis, lower back pain and shin splints (more in athletes). This brings us to the topic of corrective exercise and how to prevent common ankle injuries that can even translate into knee and lower back pain if not identified.
Pronation Distortion Syndrome
Pronation Distortion Syndrome is a common lower body disfunction that effects many individuals and is identified as over pronation of the feet, knees caving in (valgus) and increased knee flexion (Clark et al., 2014). There are over and under active muscles that need to be treated to prevent this dysfunction which helps longevity and performance if you are an athlete. Use the treatment plan below in order to help prevent ankle and knee injuries.
Treatment #1: Inhibit and Lengthen Overactive Muscles
Over active muscles include the following: gastrocnemius (upper calf), soleus (lower calf), peroneals (outer calves), biceps femoris (outer hamstrings), adductors, TFL (hip flexors). Perform the following foam rolling exercises in your warm-up routine before the dynamic warm-up for best results. In addition, perform the static stretches below at the end of each session and through out the day:
A. Foam Roll- Calves (:30-1:0 ea. side)
B. Foam Roll- TFL (:30-1:00 ea. side)
C. Foam Roll- Adductors (:30-1:00 ea. side)
D. Stretch- Gastrocnemius (:30-1:00 ea. side)
E. Stretch- Soleus (:30-1:00 ea. side)
F. Stretch- Kneeling Hip Flexor (:30-1:00 ea. side)
G. Stretch- Elevated Adductor Stretch (:30-1:00 ea. side)
H. Stretch- Elevated Outer Hamstring Stretch (:30-1:00 ea. side)
Treatment #2: Activate Underactive Muscles
Under active muscles include the following: Tibialis anterior (shin-dorsiflexion), hamstrings, Glute Med. (outer glute) and glute max. Perform the following exercises in a mini circuit for 1-2 sets:
A. Activate- Resisted Dorsiflexion (Tibialis Anterior) 10 reps
B. Activate- Standing Supination (posterior Tibialis) 10 reps
C. Activate- Banded Bridge (Glutes) 10 reps
A movement assessment can best identify and help areas that need support in our bodies and once it is done, we can take action immediately. After an assessment, our first phase includes inhibiting and lengthening the muscles through foam rolling and static stretches. When the first phase is completed we can integrate activation exercises to help our bodies function properly by make larger strides in the gym.
Reference:
Clark, M. A., Lucett, S. C., & Sutton, B. G. (2014). NASM Essentials of Corrective Exercise Training (1st ed. revised). Jones & Bartlett Learning.