RECOVER: 7/17/15 Five Things You Can Do to Reduce Your Risk

Spoiler Summary - if there ever was a vulnerable spot, this seems to be the one. 5 easy things you can do to reduce your risk.

There you are, walking along, thinking about your day.  You put your foot down, feel your weight shift just a bit as the surface you're walking on tilts ever-so-slightly, almost unconsciously you correct your balance and keep moving.  This is how the ankle and foot are supposed to work....and in most cases this is exactly how it does.....but not always.

Ankle injuries are one of the most common injuries in active folks -- the most common sports related injury and very common on the work site and at home.  It's not surprising perhaps, all of our body weight balancing through a relatively small area is quite a challenge....and as life moves faster and bodies get bigger, the forces across that area are larger.

However, the good news is that ankle sprains can often be prevented with a few simple tactics.  Here are the top 5 to consider

1. Feet - they're not super wonderful to look at (or smell) in most cases, but how your foot strikes the ground can tell you a lot about your risk.  For individuals who tend to have very high/stiff arches it's not uncommon for more weight to be placed on the outer edge of the foot while walking.  Not unlike a poorly packed vehicle - all the weight on one side increases the risk of a "rollover".  Maintaining flexibility in the feet and ankles can help.

2. Footwear - it's not only what's going on inside the shoe that matters. Choosing the right style of shoe for the conditions and lacing them properly to make sure they are worn snugly (but not tight) can ensure that the foot remains properly positioned within the shoe on every step.  Extra motion within a shoe (sliding/shearing) can greatly increase your risk of an injury, especially on uneven terrain or in situations where you must move quickly.

3. Stability - because of its design, the ankle requires a significant amount of active-stabilization, i.e. muscles working to steady things.  Unfortunately, as we age and as we have greater amounts of sedentary time, those stabilizing muscles can weaken considerably. This can also be the case in folks who always wear high-top shoes/boots or other external bracing. Exercises that improve stability and muscle timing can produce impressive results.  Whether working them into your gym routine or just practicing at home, they can have a strong impact.  

4. Flexibility - not too much, not too little, just right! Although some people have chronic joint laxity which puts them at risk for injury, this is less common in the workplace.  Most individuals, especially those who wear boots frequently, will develop stiffness in/around the ankles.  The achilles tendon is often very stiff, which greatly increases risk and the top of the foot (tibialis) isn't usually much better.  Although there isn't typically a need for long bouts of stretching, short/regular (daily) flexibility exercises can go a long way to reducing compression of the joints and pain syndromes.

5. Priming for timing - as I alluded to in the first paragraph, the foot and ankle, when healthy, are so finely tuned they adapt almost instantly and unconsciously to the surfaces we stand/walk on.  However with a history of injury or in highly sedentary individuals (under-use), that timing can be altered.  Simply "pumping" the ankles throughout the day, doing a few "heel raises" in standing (i.e. raising up on your toes 3-5 times) and weight shifting back and forth prior to activity can help ready the body for action and minimize the risk of injury. For individuals who might drive a long distance and then have to step out of a vehicle.  This 30 seconds is well worth the time.

There are of course many more ways to lower injury risk at the ankle - reach out with questions.

Have a great weekend,

Mike E.