Are recurring ankle
sprains limiting your running?
Ankle sprains can be very frustrating to
runners.
Traditionally runners either ignore their
injuries and soldier on, or when they seek treatment, the rehabilitation focus
is on strengthening the glutes and calf muscles. And still, in both scenarios,
runners often continue to suffer from recurring ankle sprains and pains.
We would like to share with you a different
approach and that these injuries often don’t need endless amount of
rehabilitation exercises and the “fault” is rarely our glutes and calf muscles.
Subconsciously our muscles listen to the bones
to which they are attached.
Our bones and joints get influenced by gravity,
mass, momentum and on some occasions injuries. The answer may lie with a very
important little bone in the ankle called the talus…
The talus is a fascinating little bone.
First of all, it’s one of the few bones in the
body that does not have a muscle directly attached to it. Many ligaments keep
it supported, but not a single muscle.
The question is why?
No matter if you believe in design or evolution
this little piece of anatomy is extremely ingenious in that it allows the talus
to move in space wherever gravity together with
your body mass and momentum pulls it.
A complete chain reaction follows within the
body that stimulates certain muscles through communicating with bones above and
below the talus, creating a reaction within muscles to prevent us from falling
over.
Sadly, ankle sprains can influence the position
of this talus between the lower leg and calcaneus (the heel bone) which in turn
can influence your balance reactions and make it so much easier to stumble and
sprain your ankle.
So if you suffer from recurrent ankle sprains,
even though you have invested time (and money) into rehabilitation exercises,
ask your physiotherapist to assess the position of your talus. The answer to
solving your persistent injuries might lie in improving the position of this
marvelous little bone.
Toni-Lynne Monger
Physiotherapist and Owner
The Balance Group; 12 Loop Street, CBD, Cape Town