Try this knee to wall test at home to help you determine your risk of injury and re-injury.
Procedure:
- Remove your shoes such that you are barefoot.
- Proceed to position yourself into a half kneeling position.
- Start with your foot at the wall and slide your foot back until either your knee leaves the wall or your heel leaves the floor.
Scoring:
- Measure the distance from your big toe to the wall on each side
- If the distance is less than 9-10 cm or the angle from your lower leg to foot is <35 deg you may be experiencing ankle restriction.
Why is this important?
Restriction can affect a number of issues. This can include but is not limited to the risk of ankle injury and walking pattern deviations. Furthermore, this position may recreate your ankle pain symptoms. Ankle mobility is necessary for movement coordination, muscle power during lifting, walking & running. According to research (Clanton, 2012; Bird, 2016), you are 5 times more likely to re-injure your ankle if it is restricted.
These are all reasons to meet with a physical therapist at Pro+Kinetix Physical Therapy and Performance so we can further assess your ankle mobility.
Dr. Colin Miller explains in a step by step video how to complete this self-assessment!
