Does your ankle not move all the way up. Are you or your child walking with out your heel hitting the ground.  Then you may have a condition called equinus

The Ankle Joint is a key joint in your lower extremity that your body rolls over in the process of propelling you forward during the gait cycle. You May hear about over pronation  as a major cause of foot pain. Let me tell you over-pronation is over rated. Foot pain can stem from a variety of bio-mechanical malfunctions. Today we will talk about equinus.

Many scientific studies have shown a higher connection of ankle equinus and limited ankle range of motion as the source for many foot and ankle diseases. For example Heel pain and plantar fasciitis as well as heel spurs are directly related to a tight Achilles tendon. Ankle Equinus and a tight Achilles tendon has been identified as the culprit on Bunions and Hammertoes. Many diabetic foot ulcers and foot wounds are directly because of a contracture (meaning tight) of the Achilles tendon. The reason is that the ankle joint requires a specific amount of motion in the upward direction or else there are increase forces on the rest of the foot.

Achilles stretching exercises are vital in helping you recover. Daily stretching such as hanging your heels of the back of stairs can help increase the motion in the ankle thus decreasing the forces on the rest of the foot. Physical therapy plays an important role in Achilles tendon therapy. Also night splints can provide stretching for over 8 hours at a time while you sleep.

If all else fails there is a minor surgery where I stick a camera in the back of the leg with a 2 millimeter incision and using a tiny blade the tendon can be lengthened is less than 5 minutes. This as quite an amazing procedure that has dramatic results in pain relief.

One must be thoroughly evaluated with proper Achilles range of motion tests to see if your motion is limited.

equinus ankle