THE CHARLOTTE ATHLETE
  • Home
  • ABOUT US
    • Andrew Kenas
    • Aerial Burleson
    • Mike Chamberlain
  • Physical Therapy
    • BFR Self-Booking
    • Recovery Boots
  • Free Resources
  • Testimonials
  • Blog

Quarantine Runners! Your Guide To Surviving Foot and Ankle Injuries: Part 1

4/29/2020

0 Comments

 
Whether you’re a typical globo gym-goer, a CrossFitter, a yogi, hiker, or anything else, we all have one thing in common right now...all of our gyms and parks are closed! Our usual preference for exercise is now altered and we’re being forced to be creative. So if you’re like me, you’re trying to turn your home into the best gym you can so you don’t lose all of your progress you’ve been making in the gym.  Being cooped up inside our homes can make us go a little stir crazy and there’s only so many body weight exercises we can do! The solution we’ve resorted to? Running. I’ve seen a lot more athletes take up running to try to keep up with their cardio, endurance, and fitness. So with this new increase in mileage and frequency of running, whether you’re a novice or an elite runner, comes new aches, pains, and injuries. This post will address some of the most common things new runners should be aware of to improve performance and steer clear of injury, such as important mobility and stability drills, appropriate footwear, and proper technique - help keep ya'll running for days! (and maybe even beyond quarantine).
Picture
Let’s start with the hips; from a mobility perspective. Hip flexor tightness is one of the most common things we see. Your hip flexor (iliopsoas) does exactly what it sounds like it does - it flexes your hip, aka brings your thigh toward your stomach. Cnsider this,  if you were to run an 8 minute mile, you’re taking an average of 1,500 steps! That’s a lot of times that you’re asking your hip flexor to work, especially when you multiply that 1 mile by 2..3..even 4 miles or more. When hip flexors are worked to that degree, they become tense and often tight, causing your pelvis to rotate anteriorly (forward) which then negitvely affects the muscles on the opposite side, your glutes. And when muscles are lengthened, they’re typically weak.
Picture
This brings me to stability. Let me first say that running is technically a one-legged sport (both feet are never on the ground at the same time). One leg has to support the entire load of your body and much of that single leg stability comes from your glutes - gluteus medius in particular.  Similarly, because running is a uniplanar motion (meaning you commonly go in one direction... forward), you’re rarely training your glutes the way they need to be trained. Your glutes wrap around to the sides of your hips, so they need lateral movement to strengthen them.

How does this affect your foot and ankle? Glad you asked.  Your glutes control the amount of rotation of your thigh, which then (since everything in the body is connected) contributes to the amount of inward collapse happening, not only at your knee, but also in the arch of your foot (a movement known as pronation), which is what common culprit to pain and injury.  So if you’re not doing supplemental lateral movements and glute strengthening, then you won’t be able to control your arch, counteract the pull of your hip flexors, or actively support your body the way you need to while running.

Here's what we recommend:
1. Start with this KB psoas release for 2 minutes per side:
2. Then follow it up with:
​a. Banded side step/squat combo. Shoot for 3 sets of at least 20ft of side stepping followed by at least 10 squats
b. Kettlebell Deadlift. Make it hard, make it heavy. Atleast 3 sets.
3. Single Leg Kettlebell Deadlift. Also make it hard, make it heavy. Atleast 3 sets.
Now let’s talk about the ankle and big toe. Hypomobility or joint stiffness can commonly develop in athletes. Because of the repetitive propulsion that is required from your feet and ankles, your calves and achilles tendons are likely to become tight. Over time, this tightness will affect the mobility of your ankle joint and limit your ability to bring your ankle in the opposite direction, the “toes to nose” direction known as dorsiflexion. With insufficient ankle mobility, the muscles surrounding your joint become overworked and can lead to overuse or “tendonitis” type injuries because they’re trying to move a joint that’s unable to be moved. Additionally, with months of running without supplemental mobility work, activities that require this “toes to nose” motion (which can also be thought of as decreasing the angle between your shin and foot), such as any kind of squatting or even going up and down stairs may be more difficult.

Similarly, the big toe (aka your body’s kickstand!!) is also an important part of that propulsion. It acts by what’s known as the “windlass mechanism”. As you propel yourself forward, your big toe is supposed to be able to extend.  This winds up the plantar fascia underneath your foot in order to create a more rigid foot capable of maintaining your arch, withstanding your body weight, and allowing for a strong push off as you run.

Picture
With a stiff big toe, your plantar fascia can’t support your foot as it needs and your foot is more likely to overpronate or collapse inward. This excessive mobility in the midfoot alters the mechanics of your ankle-foot complex and is what commonly leads to injuries
Picture
What to do about your mobility:
1. Ankle dorsiflexion self mobilizations: perform 20 reps each side
2. Great toe extension self mobilizations: perform 20 reps each side
While mobility and strength are important elements you need to consider, there are other components that have just as big of an impact on your ability to stay pain free. Two of the biggest are choice of footwear (arch dependent) and your running technique. Check out part 2 of this series where we dive deep in each!

Dr. Aerial
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    This is where we share our expert opinion on hot topics in physical therapy, injury prevention, sports  performance, strength and conditioning, nutrition, and sometimes other random thoughts. Enjoy.

    Archives

    April 2022
    March 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    August 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    September 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    May 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018

Picture
Physical Therapy for Athletes in Charlotte NC
Phone: (704) 848-6466
Instagram: @thecharlotteathlete
Email: info@thecharlotteathlete.com

Join our newsletter

© Copyright 2022 The Charlotte Athlete LLC.  All rights reserved.
​The material provided throughout the website is intended for educational and informational purposes only. This website is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions.

Consult with a physician before undertaking any information found on this website. All visitors to this site must consent to Terms of use and Notice of Privacy Practice.
  • Home
  • ABOUT US
    • Andrew Kenas
    • Aerial Burleson
    • Mike Chamberlain
  • Physical Therapy
    • BFR Self-Booking
    • Recovery Boots
  • Free Resources
  • Testimonials
  • Blog