Name: Playbook - Joe Walker - Stiff Ankles?
Uploaded: 2023-05-18T04:19:57.712Z
Duration: 30 min
Description: Stiff Ankles?

The program is designed to restore ankle mobility, specifically ankle dorsiflexion. Ankle dorsiflexion may be limited following an ankle sprain and/or as a result of overuse. Limited ankle mobility can limit one’s ability to walk, squat, lunge and/or perform functional activities. To assess your ankle mobility, stand in a tandem stance with toes of back foot touch heels of front foot. Drive back knee forward as far as you can without allowing heel to pick up or arch to collapse. For normal range of motion, you should be able to drop a plum line down from the back knee at the end range of motion and it should lie in front of the ankle bone of the front foot. If the back knee falls short of the front ankle and/or if there is pinching in the front of the ankle joint, there is a mobility problem. Perform these exercises to improve your mobility.

-Start standing
-You can use a lacrosse ball for this exercise
-Place the ball under your foot. -Start at ball of your foot
-Roll to your heel, stopping and applying pressure on any trigger points you find along the way. 
-Once you find a tender spot, hold pressure on the spot and flex and extend your toes down and up
-Don’t forget to get the insides and outsides of your feet.

Trigger Point Plantar Fascia

- Place ball on yoga block, one leg on ball (the other leg on top of the leg you’re treating) 
-Roll up and down leg to find trigger points
-When you find a trigger point, point your toe forward and hold for a few seconds
-Then point your toe back towards you and hold. 
-Alternate between pointing forward and back a few times

Trigger Point Calf

-Place a lacrosse ball in front. of the ankle bone
-Apply a force with the ball on the fibula directed backward and upward 
-Slowly flex foot up towards shin while maintaining pressure on the fibula 
-Avoid pain or pinching

Self Fibular Posterior Mobilization

-Start in a half kneeling position with band placed around the ankle joint just below the medial and lateral ankle bones
-Ensure that there is tension on the band
-Place a stick along the outside of the front foot (pinky toe) aligned at an angle towards the inside of the front knee
-PASSIVE STRETCH – Bend at the knee approximating it towards the floor while the front foot/heel remains flat on the ground Hold 1-2mins
-PAILs – Plantar flexion pressing the forefoot into the ground. Hold 15 seconds 
-Take up the slack and hold the passive stretch again for 30 seconds
-Repeat PAILs contraction again
-Take up the slack and hold the passive stretch again for 30 seconds
-RAILs – Approximate the tibia to the dorsal surface of the foot. Hold 15 seconds

Ankle Dorsiflexion w/ Band PAILs/RAILs

-Lie on back with knees and hips flexed to 90 degrees
-Place MiniBand around feet
-Slowly triple flex one leg, bring home knee towards chest while simultaneously triple extending opposite leg, pushing out
-Bring both legs back to 90-90 position and repeat with opposite sides

Supine 90-90 Band Resisted Triple Flexion/Extension

-Stand on step or stair with heels hanging off the edge and arms supported on railing or counter
-Rise up on toes using the assistance of your arms and pushing off both feet
-Shift weight onto one foot and slowly lower heel towards ground until stretch is felt in Achilles and calf
-Avoid pain or pinching in front of ankle joint

Stiff Ankles?

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