My Blog
Posts for: October, 2011
Are your favorite players sidelined, or is your fantasy team loosing players left and right from the infamous, seemingly common “high ankle sprain” If so, you may be wondering what a “high” ankle sprain actually is, and how it is different than a “regular” or traditional ankle sprain? Why can’t a high powered running back play through this injury?
The high ankle sprain is an injury to the syndesmotic ligament that connects the two bones in your lower leg (the tibia and fibula). It is called a “high” ankle sprain due to its location above the level of the ankle joint itself. The injury occurs with external rotation of the foot on the lower leg, which stresses the syndesmotic ligaments and can cause tears or even rupture. With too much strain in this direction, a high ankle fracture can occur.
Most traditional ankle sprains occur in the direction of inversion or internal rotation, opposite of the “high” ankle sprain. Another notable difference between the types of injury is the lack of bruising and swelling in the high sprain, unlike traditional ankle sprain which often swells and bruises quite rapidly.
Both types of ankle injuries are common in sports that utilize cleats, and/or are performed on artificial turf. Pain associated with this type of injury is located just above the ankle joint and can be exacerbated by squeezing the leg from side-to-side, or while performing sharp cutting motions while running which is why a running back could be sidelined for a couple of weeks from this injury. Depending on the severity of injury, the high-powered athlete can be sidelined up to 6 months!!!
“Toning shoes” were a huge hit last year, with estimates of nearly 10million pairs sold. One of the recent “fads” in the shoegear industry, these shoes have been portrayed as another “quick fix” to obtain the perfect body.
Research from the American Council on Exercise compared people walking in traditional athletic shoes and special toning shoes. The study found that muscle activation in response to exercise were essentially the same for both the regular and toning shoes. SO….shoes alone will not tone your body. The way to tone your body is EXERCISE!!
Recent allegations have resulted in Reebok refunding consumers who purchased the toning shoes under the impression they would make them look like the “fit” models on Reebok commercials. Shame on the consumers for believing this quick fix and how dare Reebok put fit models in their commercials!
Other than modeling the toning shoes off of the “balance ball” theory for exercise, these shoes may actually create instability at the ankle joint due to muscles being required to fire more than usual to maintain stability. The muscles involved are small and will not likely increase the person’s metabolism, or fat burning potential. In the wrong person, these shoes may actually increase likelihood of ankle sprains, and/or joint and tendon inflammation.
Although they may have some effect on the stabilizing muscles of the upper leg and core, it is very minimal. Our very own, Dr. Cernak, used a pair of toning shoes for a week and stated “I was lucky I didn’t roll my ankle in the clinic!”
In conclusion, BEWARE of quick fix weight loss advertisements. As always, the key to any long term weight loss program is healthy eating habits and regular exercise.
Archive:
- 2011
