Ankle
Dorsiflexion-Glute Interaction
It has been said that there is a "Direct Correlation Between the
Athlete's Ability to Fire their Glutes and Dorsiflex their
Ankle." The science hasn't completely caught up with the neurological
firing sequences that take place, but the clinical and
biomechanical components are undeniable.
To first review what we're talking about, ankle dorsiflexion is an
athlete's ability to pull their toe towards their shin. Ideally,
an athlete will demonstrate at least 10-15 degrees of Dorsiflexion, but
unfortunately, many of them struggle greatly with this motion,
especially if they have sustained a previous ankle
or lower extremity
injury. In fact, poor ankle dorsiflexion is likely the most
overlooked and under appreciated component of a lower extremity
evaluation, regardless of where the pain or injury site may be.
The importance of quality glute firing is well documented. The
glutes are likely the most explosive and important muscle of the lower
body. Without strong and active glutes, an athlete will struggle
to produce
power, stabilize
their core, prevent
knee injuries, or even
balance on a single leg. So, if an athlete struggles to dorsiflex
their ankle, it is usually a given that their glutes aren't working well
What is the relationship?
Biomechanically, it is fairly easy to see the relationship. The
best way to see good glute firing is to put the athlete in a position
where they can easily reach full hip extension. While we would
like to see 15-20 degrees of hip extension in all athletes, it will
vary greatly depending upon Illiopsoas
tightness.
In a clinical setting, the glutes can be isolated with the knee bent,
especially when lying prone (on their stomach). But, this is not
functional at all and does very little to replicate sporting movement
patterns.
By telling the athlete to shift their weight to their heels and
dorsiflex when given the opportunity, we begin to see better glute
firing. This is especially true with the athlete weight-bearing
(as in an acceleration position). By dorsiflexing and driving
through the heel, the athlete will automatically lock their knee into
extension, squeeze the quads and the glutes will fire. By cuing
your athletes to dorsiflex and drive through their heels with
weight-bearing exercises, it won't take long for your to see that this
simple coaching point will go a long way to help your athletes produce
power and prevent
injury.
Neural Component
To say that the research in this area is limited is overstating
it. To date, it is difficult to scientifically say for sure that
there is a direct neurological
track between an athlete's ankle
dorsiflexors and glutes. But, it is pretty easily deduced that
there is some sort of a neurological
connection between the two. After all, the nervous system
controls everything within the body.
Treatment
Usually, cuing anc coaching will do wonders to improve this
relationship. But, if the athlete has a history of ankle
issues
and has a true ankle dorsiflexion restriction, hands on work will
likely be required to get rid of scarring and adhesions. This
will include a variety of joint mobs, which is above and beyond the
scope of this discussion.
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