I broke my ankle about three years ago in a car accident. I followed all of the doctor's instructions as my ankle healed, but something didn't heal quite right. Two and a half years later, I was still having severe pain and my doctor couldn't figure out why. He suggested that I see a podiatrist to have it looked at more closely. It turns out that there is a lot more to an ankle injury than I had known. Scroll through my site to find out what can really happen to your ankle when it is broken and what could cause the pain to continue long after the injury is sustained.
If you can currently walk and don't have any injuries or other conditions that prevent you from walking with a relatively normal gait, you may think that walking is one of the most basic activities and that you totally know how to walk. However, that's not the case for many people. Incorrect foot placement, overpronation and supination, poor shoe choices, and more issues plague a large number of people. If you walk incorrectly, you can suffer from problems like heel pain and ankle pain, among other conditions. If you want to improve your walking skills, a podiatrist and physical therapist can help you; keep these things in mind when you work with these specialists.
Don't Use Too Much Force
A proper step begins with putting your heel down firmly and squarely, hitting the ground with the center portion of the heel. But don't use too much force. That impact can send shockwaves up your legs and into your knees and hips, and over time, those impacts can cause pain. You should not feel like your heel is punching the ground. You want a firm stance, but one that supports you, not one that tries to flatten your shoe soles.
Imagine a Center Line
As you continue to take a step, you should roll through the step, ending up on the ball of your foot (the pad just behind your toes) and pushing up and off the ground there, mainly with your big and middle toes. It's best to imagine a line drawn down the center of your foot connecting your heel and toes. If you don't keep your foot fairly centered, you could end up overpronating or supinating and walking on the inside or outside of your feet, placing too much stress on the arch and on your ankle. This can result in strains, shin splints, and other painful conditions.
Remember Proper Heel and Arch Support
Your shoes matter, too. Not only do you need good cushioning and adequate room for your toes, but you also should have the proper arch and heel support—even if the proper support for you is less than you think. You don't want to wear shoes with high arches if you have low arches, for example. The result can be foot pain or walking too much on the outside of your foot to avoid the painfully high arch.
If you have other questions about walking, you can take walking classes, talk to a podiatrist, or sign up for physical or sports therapy. Walking properly can eliminate so much pain that it makes sense to take lessons in something you might have thought was a basic movement.
Share20 July 2016
