Do you have ankle pain after running? Is ankle pain preventing you from training?
Ankle pain after running is a relatively common running injury. At my Charleston Chiropractic clinic I have treated thousands of ankles over the past twenty years. Many of them were runners and were resolved even after they failed conventional therapies like surgery and seeing Charleston Physical Therapists.
No matter whether or not you’re an experienced runner or a complete novice, the secret to fixing your ankle pain and getting back to running as quickly as possible is to try and dial back the root cause of what is causing your ankle pain in the first place.
Running is a sport that requires thousands upon thousands of repetitions in a relatively short duration of time. Meaning, the smallest imbalances in the body can create a lot of wear and tear on muscles and joints rapidly. Imagine getting in a little fender-bender in your car. You get out and notice there’s a few scratches. No harm no foul. But maybe you don’t realize the alignment of the car is shifted slightly. Now you drive a few thousand miles and one of your tires becomes bald. Runners are the same thing.
One of the biggest issues with developing ankle pain after running comes down to poor or limited range of motion in the ankle. Most people have poor ankle mobility because of a crucial law in the body and that’s because if we don’t use it, we lose it.
To use our ankle mobility to its fullest means that you need to have the full flexibility for your knee to pass in front of your toes when you squat or lunge. When was the last time that you hung out in the deep squat (ass to grass) position?
Years ago when I was in China, I would see 80+ year olds sitting by the road in the deep squat position. This position is deeply rooted into the lives of many cultures as a resting posture and even going to the bathroom! Some toilets around the world are simply a porcelain hole in the ground that one would squat over, meaning you would use it throughout your entire life.
In the US, I routinely ask 7 year old athletes to show me their deep squat and they fall over due to tight ankle mobility which over time leads to extra stress on other areas of their bodies especially if they are runners.
Not being able to do so indicates scar tissue and myofascial adhesions in the deep calf muscles and ligaments that support the rear aspect of your ankle.
If one area of the body has poor mobility or scar tissue, another area will overcompensate. In terms of tight ankles, this could be ankle from toe and foot pain, knee pain, back pain or just plain ankle pain – all of which can shut down your training.
Another reason for tight ankles after running is poor core muscle engagement or weak core muscles. This often remains a touchy subject for most well rounded athletes because many assume that the fact that they train their “core” means that they have zero core weaknesses…
To put it in perspective, most athletes have core weaknesses. Two weeks ago I treated an active player for the Baltimore Ravens that stood at 6’4 and nearly 300 pounds and he had fairly weak core muscles. Now it wasn’t that this guy couldn’t squat nearly 1000 pounds. He could. He was strong as hell. But like most athletes, myself included, he was good at cheating his core muscle weaknesses by cheating with other groups of muscles giving the illusion of a balanced core.
Core weaknesses start to show up stronger when we start to fatigue and when it happens you might have a tendency to thrust your hips forwards or backwards or even side to side which ultimately leads to different strain on your ankles.
Ankle pain after running, like any sports or running injury requires both a micro and macro perspective point of view do determine the root cause. These are just a glimpse into just a few of root causes that I look for when runnings come to my Charleston Chiropractic clinic that can cause ankle pain after running. The sooner you can determine the root cause of your injury, the more targeted your treatment which means the quicker you’re able to get back to doing what it is that you love. Running.
Dr. Jeremiah Jimerson, D.C.Founder of Elite Performance & Pain
Chiropractic Innovator
Myofascial and Neurological Specialist
Pioneering a holistic approach to chiropractic care, I focus on uncovering the root causes of discomfort, blending myofascial techniques like Active Release Therapy with neurological insights. My practice extends beyond traditional adjustments, delving into the complex interplay of muscles, nerves, movement and overall wellness.
Notable achievements: Hospital Residency Pioneer, Collaborator with Orthopedic Surgeons, Active Release Technique Certified since 2004, Experience with the Buffalo Bills, Ironman Triathlon, College of Charleston Track Team, and high-profile clients.
Passionate about personal health, anti-aging, and longevity. Devoted to activities like weightlifting, calisthenics, jiu-jitsu, movement, and outdoor adventures.
Serving chronic pain patients and athletes who seek innovative, effective solutions.
Connect with me: www.fixyourpaincharleston.com
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