Foot and Ankle Rehab
the sacrum's influence on the foot and ankle
The spinal cord passes through the central canal which is essentially a hole through the center of each vertebrae in the spine. The spinal cord then gets divided into sections called nerve roots, which exit through the side of each vertebra at openings called the intervertebral foramen. The lowest lumbar nerve root and the sacral nerve roots give the foot and ankle sensory awareness, motor control, and awareness of where the foot is in space!
Now imagine if those nerve roots or anywhere along the peripheral nerve prior to entering the foot and ankle were impinged or compressed, creating microtrauma to the nerve. The appropriate signals would not get to the foot and ankle resulting an imbalance in muscle function or posture awareness.
Treating the foot and ankle requires an understanding of the nervous system connections up the chain. Your pelvic floor therapist is uniquely suited to helping tease out these connecting pieces.
When is the outside in approach also helpful?
How your foot meets the ground influences the ground reaction forces and where the stress and load get placed on the joints above it including: the knee, hip, pelvis, and spine.
For instance, let's say someone comes in for PT for pelvic pain and does not inform their therapist of their history of untreated chronic ankle sprains. If they never improved flexibility, mobility, and balance in the foot/ankle, this could have resulted in poor shock absorption resulting in extra stress through hips and pelvis. This could be driving the pelvic floor issues you are coming in for. Because Therapeutic Pilates has a strong understanding of orthopedics, your pelvic floor will never just be addressed in isolation. Your therapist will help determine what is driving your symptoms.
When do I see therapeutic pilates for my ankle?
If you have been through orthopedic physical therapy, and you feel like there is a missing piece, consider a consultation with us!
Having the pelvic floor background allows an "inside out" approach for assessment and treatment of the foot and ankle. An inside out approach simply means that your therapist will look at the proximal control through your hips and pelvic. If you are lacking control to this region, the foot may hit the ground differently which may result in joint compression or muscle strain. Many therapist will only address the area of pain, and can miss an important piece to the puzzle and the cause of the foot/ankle pain.
Having your therapist assess your hip and pelvic region does not require an internal exam on visit 1 to treat your orthopedic pain, but it does mean that your therapist will screen/clear the pelvic girdle, low back, and lower leg for contributing factors. These regions of the body are commonly missed in many orthopedic cases.