Unlock Your Stride: Why Dorsiflexion Matters

Running form can contribute to your movement efficiency, injury risk and speed. While there isn't one perfect running form, there are many components that go into making sure your stride is efficient, with all the joints and muscles of the chain contributing properly for force absorption and propulsion. One small but mighty contributor to running form is your ankle.

When running, the foot and ankle are the first joints that force moves through once the foot contacts the ground. If the ankle has mobility limitations, this can cause alterations up the entire chain. Your ankle needs to be able to dorsiflex, the movement of pulling your foot upwards towards your head, for:

• Proper foot strike

• Optimal shock absorption

• Powerful propulsion

• Movement efficiency

Limited dorsiflexion affects your whole kinetic chain

Walking requires around 10 degrees of dorsiflexion while hitting max squat depth with proper form requires roughly 35. If you are missing this movement, you are likely to experience movement alterations up the chain from your knees to your shoulders, including changes to arm swing, excessive thoracic rotation, overstriding or trouble creating forward lean that increase your risk for:

• Shin splints

• Plantar fasciitis

• Hamstring strains

• Medial knee pain

• Glute weakness

How to tell if you have limited dorsiflexion

If you have trouble with dorsiflexion, chances are you will have issues with more than just running. Individuals with limited dorsiflexion typically also experience challenges with squatting and lunging patterns. 

Common signs of limited dorsiflexion:

• Pinching in the front of the ankle

• "Bouncy" gait or early heel raise with walking

• Inward knee collapse during squatting

• Heels lift off the ground during squatting

• Forward trunk lean during squatting

To check your dorsiflexion mobility, get in a half kneeling position with one leg on the floor. Drive your raised knee forward over your first two toes. If your heel comes off the floor, your knee caves inward or outward, you can't drive your knee past your toes - you have limited dorsiflexion.

In most instances, limited dorsiflexion is a result of the way your joint moves and working on muscle tension, mobility and loaded movement patterns can unlock better ankle mechanics for better movement quality and less pain running. 

Ways to Improve your Dorsiflexion

Improving joint mobility involves a combination of soft tissue work, stretching and moving the joint through full range during exercise to promote proper movement mechanics.

1. Soft tissue work

Sometimes dorsiflexion limitations are the result of tight posterior calf musculature. In these cases, it is important to loosen posterior tension before working mobility and strength drills so that you are releasing muscle resistance to the movement in the body. Dry needling and instrument-assisted soft tissue are two of our favorite options for decreasing muscle tension in the calves.

2. Joint mobilizations

Our bones must slide and glide across one another to enable a joint to move effectively -- we call this arthrokinematics. When a joint's movement is stuck, it can cause pain and limited motion. Joint mobilizations are a great way to improve dorsiflexion and reduce pinching in the front of the ankle during squats and lunges.

3. Strength

Muscle strength is crucial for joints to move properly. If a muscle is tight or inhibited, it can lock down a joint and make it more challenging to move through full range of motion comfortably. For the ankle, it is not just important to make sure your tibialis anterior, the muscle on the front of your shin which lifts your foot, is strong, but also to make sure your posterior calf muscles -- the gastroc and soleus --  are also strong.

4. Loaded mobility

Loaded mobility refers to moving a joint through a certain range of motion with weight. These drills are functional and encourage the ankle to move in the context of larger body movements like a squat or a lunge. For the ankle, consider full depth squats, cossack squats and split squats as loaded mobility variations that can improve dorsiflexion. 

Considering changes to your running form? Talk with a professional!

Running form is not just a matter of positioning -- it depends on muscle imbalances, power deficits and underlying mobility restrictions that impact the entire lower body and core. Before making changes, it is important to receive a thorough evaluation from a professional to make sure they are accurately identifying and targeting your unique limitations.

If you've been stuck trying to improve your running form, it might be time to rethink the approach. Book an evaluation today to start your path towards optimal running efficiency.