By Michele S Jang, PT ~
One joint that is often overlooked when dealing with back and any lower extremity pain is in the ankle. The name of this secret “culprit” is the tibiotalar joint. This tibiotalar ankle joint is formed from the
distal part of the tibia and the top of the talus bone. The talus is the bone which sits on top of your calcaneus or heel bone.
It is imperative that this joint have adequate motion because it helps with shock absorption every time you place weight on your foot which is basically every time you take a step to walk. As you take a step, your ankle quickly goes into dorsiflexion whereby your talus glides posteriorly under the tibia. Such action allows the rest of your foot to then become pliable to absorb the forces of the ground as you take a step.
The lack of posterior glide of the talus leads to limitations in ankle dorsiflexion which is simply not fixed by performing calf stretching alone. If ground forces aren’t dispersed adequately through your foot and ankle, these ground forces will then travel up to your knee, hip and into your back. Not only does adequate movement of the tibiotalar joint reduce strain on the back and lower extremity, it also improves general balance and gait.
Mobilization of the tibiotalar joint is extremely difficult to perform on oneself even if you are a trained practitioner. In my experience, after effectively mobilizing this joint, most if not all patients feel an immediate difference in the freedom of ankle movement and a greater ease while walking. If you suspect you have a “locked” ankle and are experiencing ankle, lower extremity or back pain, please give us a call. We’d be happy to be the detective to see if the tibiotalar joint is the “culprit” behind your problems. We can “unlock” this joint and empower you with tools you can use on your own to prevent such problems from occurring again.
Michele S Jang, PT is a physical therapist who likes to look outside the box. She has been a physical therapist for over 20 years and has extensive training in manual therapy or the use of hands to help rehabilitate the body. Michele has been an instructor both in the United States and abroad. She offers Free Consults on Tuesday afternoons. Michele also has a team of therapists at Spirit Winds who offer an array of expertise on exercise, fall prevention, foot and shoe assessments, body mechanics and proper breathing technique to increase awareness and healing. Michele can be reached at 805 543-5100 or [email protected].
