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Ankle Plantar Flexion Stretch
If you've ever sprained an ankle, chances are that you have some shortened soft tissues or even scar tissue along the front and side of your ankle that is preventing optimal mobility whenever your foot is plantar-flexed.
This Ankle Plantar Flexion Stretch can help restore diminished plantar flexion to your ankles:
The idea is to improve plantar flexion of your ankles by sitting back on your heels while kneeing, but with the top 3rd of your feet resting on a yoga block. If you don't have a yoga block, you can use a thick paperback book or two.
Try to keep the heels of your feet close together so that your ankles don't spray outward i.e. you don't want your ankles to evert. You want to sit with your glutes directly on top of your heels, and aim to sit in this position for about 60 seconds.
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Comments
ankle stretch
Would this be good for someone who suffers from cuboid syndrome? If not, what would be? Thanks!
Ankle Stretch
Hi Laurel,
Dr. Kim has found it to be helpful, but every situation is unique, so it's
important to observe how your foot responds within 24 to 48 hours of doing the stretch and any other mobility work. The mobilization video showing how to mobilize the fore and mid-foot regions can be helpful for cuboid syndrome as well, as kinetics of those regions affect biomechanics within the cuboid/calcaneus/talus/navicular/cuneiform region. You can find that here: http://drbenkim.com/mobilize-feet.htm
Sincerely,
Colleen
Client Care Manager
Tried it Last Night
You know, I just wrote you for other ideas last night on how to start to build up to this stretch. I ended up trying this anyway using a pillow last night. It hurt so badly I wanted to cry, but I could feel the entire stretch in the front of the foot. I am going to do this a couple of times today. I can't yet sit back on the foot, but just the stretch is breaking the shortened muscle tension. Ouch and feels good.