We all know that it’s important to have adequate dorsiflexion.
A lack of dorsiflexion prevents effective squatting, drives feet into pronation, alters pelvic tilt, promotes quad dominance, and a number of adaptations up the kinetic chain.
Ever have an athlete that no matter how hard to you try to impact dorsiflexion, you don’t see the changes in his performance during ground-based activities?
You mobilize his ankle, and his squat doesn’t change. You stretch the calf, and he still has a premature heel lift when he walks. You have him hop up on the exam table, and it looks like he should have enough dorsiflexion as you move the ankle through a full range of motion. You put him back on the ground. No dice.
So what’s the deal? What are you missing?
Let me explain with a little demonstration.
Take your shoes off and stand up…I’ll wait.
Now, keep your knees straight, stay tall, and slowly lean forward until the moment you feel like your heels will come up off the floor and hold that position. Do you feel it?
Do you feel your toes grip the floor? Do you feel the tension move up into your calves?
In an effort to maintain stability, your nervous system turns on your calves and the deep posterior compartment musculature and on up the kinetic chain. Many athletes have the exact same problem.
Your mobilization and stretching may have addressed the physiologic stiffness that would prevent normal ankle mobility, but if your athlete has poor control of his center of gravity, the stiffness will persist to maintain stability. The result is a neurologic barrier to performance and greater risk of injury.
Got an athlete with plantar fasciitis, anterior knee pain, groin pain, piriformis syndrome?
Consider looking at the factors that influence center of gravity and the associated alignment and muscular activation patterns.
Here’s a hint…start from the ground up.
More later.