INSIDE RUNNING
Functional Movement for Runner Part III
Ankle/Lower Leg/Achilles Heel
Last week we chatted about the foot and the importance as the base, of our foundational running. Because the foot is a stable platform, the ankle is an important partner and impacts the movement of the foot
The ankle is what they call a synovial hinge joint. Meaning, it has movement in multiple planes, moving the toes/foot toward the shin (dorsiflexion), moves the toes/foot away from the shin (plantarflexion), and rolls the ankle inward (eversion) and outward (inversion). The ankle also plays an active role in our landing and pushing off (propulsion). Do not get to caught up in the technical jargon, but it is important to understand that the ankle requires a reasonable amount of mobility in-order for the foot to play the valuable role of good running.
During the running gait the ankle ideally works like this: the gastrocnemius and the soleus (calf muscles), pull the toes toward the shine (dorsiflex), our foot lands on the outer side of our foot (inversion/supination), as our center of mass moves forward, the foot flattens out and our ankle flexes (ideally 10 degrees), and our foot begins to push off the ground (plantarflex), and ultimately, we propel off of our big toes (pronation). More jargon not to get lost in.
Let’s put it together
As we land and take off the ankle plays a huge role in absorbing the impact (3 to 4 times our body weight) and as we push off the ground it combines with the foot to provide propulsion. To do these important functions, the ankle is required range of motion (ROM) to adequately flex up and down, roll internally and externally (invert/evert, supinate/pronate) and be strong enough to perform its function.
Without getting into all that composes the ankle, it is important to know that it is a connection point for multiple muscles, along with connection of the foot to the tibia and fibula. Understanding this, helps us to realize that various functions can adversely impact the movement of the ankle. The gastrocnemius and the soleus muscles are examples of muscles connected at the ankle and if they are tight, they will most likely restrict the movement of the ankle (ROM). So, now the ankle restricts the normal movement of the foot in one of the directions I mentioned (see above), and now we have a flaw in our running form.
Having a flaw in our running form is never a good thing. Such injuries as plantar fasciitis, calf strain, and shin splints, are all possibilities as a result of our ankle not having sufficient stability (strength) or mobility. While those injuries make some logic to us, it gets even more sorted… In some cases, if the ankle fails to handle its responsibilities the body now seeks another source to function adequately. Moving up the kinetic chain we have the knee, which is a stable joint that is only really when it flexes and extends. If the ankle does not flex inward, quite possibly the knee may take up for it and turn inward. Ouch! Over and over and over… Maybe another multi-planner joint comes to the rescue, like the hip, hmm… While I can appreciate the team work, these biomechanical alterations are not good things.
Again, I am venturing into a scope of practice that is clearly out of my purview, but I can tell you this much from my education and knowledge; an ankle that lacks proper stability and mobility may be the source of pain quite distal (far) from the problem. From a running efficiency prospective, the same logic can be used; if the ankle is not functioning appropriately, other joints and muscles must pick up the workload and running efficiency suffers when the right muscle or joint is not doing their role.
What can we do?
First, if you are having pain somewhere, get to a doctor or a physical therapist. From a running efficiency standpoint, a gait analysis really helps here, as it will show the ankle movement in action. A quick test to check if you have adequate range of motion, is to place your foot a palm length away from a wall and keeping your foot flat on the floor, bend your knee toward the wall. If you cannot touch the wall without lifting your heel, you may lack the 10-11 degrees that is ideal. If you can, that is great, but until you see yourself on video, you do not know if you actually use that flexion when you run.
This definitely got long, but I did my best to keep it simple, but hopefully detailed enough to explain the importance. Please feel free to comment or contact me if you have any questions or comments.
Mike
