Why Stiff Ankles Can Be A Good Thing!
Stiff ankles can be demonised as a bad thing and to be fair there are some plausible explanations to why a stiff ankle joint can potentially increase the risk of problems emerging. Limited movement at the talo-cural joint (ankle joint) which is primarily responsible for dorsiflexion and plantarflexion can in some cases, force excessive movement at the transverse-tarsal joint, ‘stressing’ the longitudinal medial arch of the foot. These ‘mechanical’ compensations aren’t necessarily exclusive to the foot as limited ankle movement can also influence the kinetic ‘chain’ above too.
Now, although an individual’s ‘biomechanics’ has the potential to be a contributing factor to a pain event (what causes pain is no where near as simple as just a movement compensation occurring) the body has the ability to adapt and tolerate to new loads as long as it’s not too sudden and the load isn’t greater than the system can adjust to.
Tissues like the achilles tendon are in a good position from a topographical perspective to limit ankle dorsiflexion. The gastrocnemius amongst other functions, modulates the stiffness of the achilles tendon (1). So logically if an individual is experiencing ankle stiffness, exercises and potentially hands on remedial treatment for this muscle can be beneficial in resorting ankle mobility… But do you always want to?
Individuals with stiff achilles tendons have been shown to be able to generate greater explosive movements like jumping compared to those with not so stiff achilles tendons (2). This is because the achilles tendon structure is the primary tissue for absorbing and transferring forces at the lower part of the leg (3).
It’s even been shown that kangaroos who can jump an incredible 30ft in the air don’t have more fast twitch muscle fibres compared to the slower koala bear and it is the structure of the kangaroo’s tendons that allow them to perform such great athletic feats, not just their muscles! This surely demonstrates the value of stiff, elastic tendons!
So if you are working with individuals whose goals are to run faster or become more explosive in their movement (if they play sports like basketball or are ballet dancers) you might not want to try to mobilise their ankle joint if they present with tissue stiffness at the ankles as this may be a functional adaptation to improve their sporting performance. For individuals who require stiffer ankles to improve their sporting performance, plyometric training (as well as general strength conditioning) can be really benifical.
Here are some plyometric exercises you can do for yourself and with your clients.
Plyometric Exerises For The Achilles Tendon
Do you want to learn more exercises to improve the movement and function of the foot as well as learn the fascial principles for strong and robust feet? I’m teaching a 3 hour foot webinar on the 28th November and we’re going to dive deep into foot anatomy and function!
Click the link below to find out more!
Feet For Life: Organising Your Dynamic Base - Franklin Method Webinar
Movement is medicine.
Tom
References:
1) Interactions between the human gastrocnemius muscle and the Achilles tendon during incline, level and decline locomotion. G A Lichtwark, A M Wilson. 2006.
2) Achilles tendon material properties are greater in the jump leg of jumping athletes. A J Bayliss, A M Weatherholt, T T Crandall, D L Farmer, J C McConnell, K M Crossley, S J Warden. 2016.
3) It pays to have a spring in your step. Gregory S Sawicki, Carla L Lewis, Daniel P Ferris. 2009.