The Ankle Joint will be our focus this week, along with its function within the foot.
Did you know that the average person walks 75,000 miles in their lifetime?
The ankle joint complex comprises the lower leg and the foot. The lower limb can contact the ground for walking and other activities.
Some fun facts:
The human foot and ankle also have 26 bones, 33 joints and around 100 muscles, ligaments, and tendons.
The ankle also has three joints: the talocrural joint (foot-up motion) and plantarflexion (foot-down motion). The subtalar joint allows side-to-side foot motion, and the inferior tibiofibular joint allows a small gliding range.
Seven tarsal bones help create the foot arches. Your body weight distributes throughout the bones in your foot. The Achilles tendon is the strongest. It connects the calf muscles to the heel.
The Ankle is a natural shock absorber.
The soles of the feet contain more nerve endings per square inch of skin than any part of your body. Furthermore, each foot has over 100,000 sweat glands and can excrete more than 4oz of sweat daily!
Why we need to look after our ankles:
Acute ankle sprains (mainly inversion or inwardly turning your ankle) are among the most common injuries at any age. These account for 2 million annually.
An ankle sprain can injure the connecting ligaments. Always apply a cold pack to the damaged area. Any heat will increase blood flow and lead to further pain and swelling.
Sports ankle-related injuries include 20% of the overall annual count.
When walking, each foot takes up 1.5 times the body weight and running 2.5 to 3 times.
Moreover, poor shoe support is the cause of some ankle sprains/injuries. Estimates show that high heels cause 120,000 injuries annually, most of which happen to women in their 20s and 30s.
So, wearing the most supportive shoes for your activity will reduce the risk of injury to each ankle and foot.
Finally, if you’re suffering, Contact us now to book your appointment, and let us help ease your pain and discomfort.
The Ankle Joint will be our focus this week, along with its function within the foot.
Did you know that the average person walks 75,000 miles in their lifetime?
The ankle joint complex comprises the lower leg and the foot. The lower limb can contact the ground for walking and other activities.
