"Move Better" Series: The Importance of Ankle Dorsiflexion Mobility
WHAT IS ANKLE DORSIFLEXION?
Dorsiflexion is a motion that occurs at the ankle and involves the movement of the top part of the foot toward the tibia (shin) bone. The same movement occurs when your feet are planted on the ground and you bring your tibia forward over the foot, like when you squat or crouch.
WHY IS ANKLE DORSIFLEXION IMPORTANT?
Restricted ankle dorsiflexion has been found to impact many functional movement patterns including the squat, single-leg squat, step down, and landing from a jump. This may impact a person’s ability to perform sport specific movements as well as normal daily activities. Someone with impairments in ankle dorsiflexion mobility may have difficulty going down stairs, squatting to lift an object off of the ground, standing up from a low chair, or walking on inclines and uneven surfaces.
Limitations in ankle dorsiflexion during squatting, lunging, and jumping activities is also correlated with an increase in dynamic knee valgus during these movements. Dynamic knee valgus is when the knee moves or collapses inward while under load. This increase in dynamic knee valgus may increase someone’s risk for knee injury and knee pain with sports and movement.
Adequate dorsiflexion range of motion is also important for running and sprinting. During running and sprinting, ankle dorsiflexion range of motion can affect the swing speed of the forward moving leg and alter the foot position and amount of pronation during impact with the ground.
HOW CAN I ASSESS MY ANKLE DORSIFLEXION MOBILITY?
See our previous blog post titled “MOVE BETTER" SERIES: KNEE-TO-WALL TEST to watch a video on how to perform a simple dorsiflexion mobility assessment at home.
WHAT CAUSES POOR ANKLE DORSIFLEXION MOBILITY?
Ankle dorsiflexion mobility can be impaired due to tight calf musculature or a prior ankle injury or surgery. These injuries and surgeries may include ankle fractures, tendon and ligament repairs, and ankle sprains. These injuries often result in periods of immobility and possible tissue scarring that can impair ankle dorsiflexion mobility. They may also alter the alignment and biomechanics of the ankle joint. Both significant and minor ankle injuries may affect ankle mobility, however in most cases the ankle joint can regain full range of motion and function over time.
HOW MUCH ANKLE DORSIFLEXION IS NORMAL?
Normal ankle dorsiflexion range of motion is 20 degrees according to most research and orthopedic organizations, however there is some variability in the research literature. Studies have found that walking requires 10-20 degrees of ankle dorsiflexion, while studies examining squatting have found that more than 20 degrees may be necessary to get into deep squatting positions.
To measure your ankle dorsiflexion, see our previous blog post titled “MOVE BETTER” SERIES: KNEE-TO-WALL TEST.
HOW CAN I IMPROVE MY ANKLE DORSIFLEXION?
In most cases, ankle mobility can be improved with consistent stretching and joint mobility exercises. See our recent blog post “MOVE BETTER” SERIES: EXERCISES TO IMPROVE ANKLE DORSIFLEXION MOBILITY for exercise examples.