Chiropractic and Ankle Instability
If you have ever twisted your ankle, you might still have some weakness,
which could still be causing problems. The most common injury to the ankle is turning it in, such as when wearing high
heels and turning it over by stepping on a stone or the edge of a kerb. This is a common ankle sprain.
Occasionally
the end of the bone on the outside of the ankle breaks but more often the ligaments of the ankle on the front and side get
torn and produce massive swelling and bruising.
It can take 4 to 6 weeks to recover from the immediate injury but, the
ligaments very rarely repair satisfactorily and often become full of scar tissue, which is not elastic. This increases
the likelihood of rolling over again and several further sprains. Such repeated traumas will influence the mechanics
of the ankle and cause problems in the joint and the structures above, such as the knee and spine. These usually tend
to become obvious after jogging or long walks, especially on uneven ground, but as the symptoms may be in a distant joint,
you do not necessarily think of that old ankle injury being the origin of it. Chiropractic treatment can help to prevent chronic
and recurrent problems.
Your chiropractor will, by careful case history and examination, be able to discover the cause
and remedy it accordingly.
Pronation
Chiropractors recognise that this can be caused by a weakness in the calf
and foot muscles and produces distortion such as flat feet, bunions, hammer toes and widening of the fore foot. Although pronation
is often a consequence of ankle instability, it can occur on its own through various other factors such as prolonged standing,
bad shoes or inherited tendencies. Much is now known about foot pronation and many chiropractors or podiatrists treat it with
insoles or othotics. It is important, however, to deal with any mechanical and muscle imbalance problems that may excist
and your chiropractor is ideally suited to diagnose and treat the problem. Here at the Inner Strength Chiropractic & Rehab we
offer to correct the problem. We will also advise you on the correct shoe wear and on the right type of exercise
to help the condition.
Flat Feet
The feet have two arches, one on the inside and one of the outside of the foot,
allowing for correct propulsion. Wearing shoes on even surfaces means the arches of the feet do not get used for shock
absorbance. The muscles weaken and eventually the arches drop, causing the person to become mildly 'knock kneed'?.
This puts more pressure on the inside joint of the knee and can result in arthritis and cartilage problems.
An assessment
by the chiropractor will determine if the arches have dropped. If they have, this can be addressed by exercises to strengthen
the muscles and use of arch support.
Nerve irritation in the lower back can often cause weakness in the legs, therefore,
Chiropractors will also assess the spine as a possible source of the problem.
