WEAK ANKLES / ANKLE INSTABILITY

A natural approach – no orthotics, no surgery, no medication

What are Weak Ankles / Ankle Instability?

"The most common injury around the ankle joint involves the ligaments, especially in sports that involve jumping. When a joint is subjected to a force greater than what it can withstand, it will be forced out of alignment (subluxation). Often rehabilitation of these injuries is inadequate, because the underlying cause has not been addressed resulting in a high rate of recurrence and ankle instability. Hence, a subluxated ankle will ultimately lead to further instability and cause one to resprain the ankle. This mis-alignment will also apply further stress to the surrounding tendons which can cause them to be over worked and result in inflammation."

The 'before' foot image shows the ankles rolling inward leading to weak & sore ankles along with aching calves. The 'after' foot image shows how the feet and ankles have been corrected naturally and are much straighter in alignment. This resulted in stronger ankles and no more calf pain. There was also reduced ankle swelling.

Weak ankles can be strengthened naturally without foot orthotics or surgery. By using foot and ankle mobilisation along with corrective exercises this 'resets' the ankle into its neutral position thereby making it more stable.

How to fix weak and unstable ankles

Diagnosing which structures around the ankle are sore and correlating that to the individual’s history and clinical findings is the beginning of fixing ankle pain and instability. Identifying if there is an underlying foot / ankle subluxation and correcting that through foot mobilisation and corrective exercises is the key to solving this problem. It is almost like 'recalibrating' the ankle joint. This will take the stress off the muscles and ligaments and reduce the instability.

When you have sprained your ankle this shifts your joints our of alignment and causes an interruption to the proprioceptive (nerve) feedback to the brain. This results in ongoing sprains. A simple exercise to improve your ankle stability is to stand on one leg with the knee slightly bent for 20 seconds. For safety reasons make sure you are near a doorway to keep yourself upright if you begin to lose balance.

To determine whether your ankles can be strengthened naturally and relieve your ankle pain and instability call your nearest Foot Posture Centre.

Ivanhoe (03)9499 2006 & Forest Hill (03)9877 0056.

FOOT FACTS

WARNING: This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional podiatric advice. Treatment will vary between individuals depending on the diagnosis and presenting complaint. An accurate diagnosis can only be made following personal consultation with a Podiatrist.