This area of the body warrants a close look at the anatomy, while the technique itself is very simple.
This one small area, when fascially restricted, can wreak havoc on the entire foot, ankle, heel, plantar fascia and quite possibly a lot of things upstream as well, such as knees, the groin, the SI area and possibly even your neck and head (headaches CAN sometimes be related to this line of fascia being too tight/restricted).
We’re not going to look at the entire body or ALL the ways this one area can impact the body.
Today I want to focus on 3 main things: plantar fasciitis and/or heel pain that is showing up directly in line with the flexor digitorum longus and tibialis posterior tendons, and how this area plays a part in rolling ankles.
You’ll need a lacrosse ball for this one. I do NOT recommend using any other ball, nor do I recommend a theracane (I’ve seen some people use this). The first is too big, and the second too pointed and you’ll likely bruise (something I’m always trying to avoid).
There’s a lot going on in this one small area: the medial head of the gastrocnemius along with the soleus (meidal) and their fascia can get stuck to each other and to the flexor digitorum longus fascia. The flexor digitorum longus, when over-tight (or stuck to other muscles via their connecting fascia), can over-invert the foot, making the ankle susceptible to being rolled.
Also potentially leading to over-inversion of the foot is tibialis posterior, and via its tendon can contribute to ankle pain or heel pain between the ankle and calcaneus.
While we won’t necessarily be getting it directly, this technique can help free up the tibialis posterior, particularly the posterior tibialis TENDON which has a big impact on heel and ankle health.
If you have flat feet, fallen arches or your foot drops (arch collapses) while walking, this is one area to look at (it may not be the culprit) along with everything in the lateral line – ankle and foot fascia, tibialis anterior, perroneals, IT Band fascia etc.
The relationship these two (the medial and lateral lines of fascia) have with one another can determine SO much of what happens in our bodies, because everything in the foot and ankle determines our stride and what happens upstream. If your ankle doesn’t articulate well or creates an unhealthy gait pattern, that pattern transfers up to the knees, hips and shoulders.
As usual around here, I’m less concerned with naming all the muscles involved than talking about the restricted fascia between and around all these muscles.
Fascia also wraps our bones, and I believe this is one area of the body where the fascia of these muscles is particularly clogged or stuck to the bone (in this case the tibia).
The technique I demonstrate in the video isn’t nearly as effective as the in person version that I use on clients, but it’s an acceptable self-help solution (or I wouldn’t be giving it to you).
Session expired
Please log in again. The login page will open in a new tab. After logging in you can close it and return to this page.
Hi Elisha, a new fan from Brisbane. Thanks for your web site. It has been very helpful for me. More power to you
Happy to have you here Dave! Thanks for the supportive comment 🙂
I appreciate your detailed description of this technique. A friend of mine is a ballet dancer, and she continues to roll her ankle and sprains it over and over. When this happens, she still has to dance, and I always worry about the pain that it causes her. This should be helpful in reducing the pain and healer quicker so she can still dance. Thank you!
I hope this helps! Would love to know if you want to keep me posted 🙂
Hi Elisha,
How are you? I have been following your posts every week for the last few months and love
your depth of work. I have a Pilates studio and have been integrating to my classes quite a few of your techniques and tips. I have a specific question regarding your last video and blog post regarding relieving heel pain and inner calf release. One of my clients suffers from what he says is Gout which is expressed in the area of his ankle (lateral side) and foot, not his heel. (He is also an alternative medicine doctor). This pain he experiences shows up once and a while. Do you think this technique can benifit him?
thanks,
Tamar
Hi Tamar – Happy to have you here, thanks for sharing my info! Gout isn’t really something I deal with, and I haven’t had much experience working with anyone who has it. Obviously I’m not a doctor, so…I would say this is up to your clientv (who you said is an alternative medicine doctor so he would know what is ok or not ok for himself), if they want to try it. If he does go a fascial release route (for anything in the foot/heel), I’d definitely point them in the direction of my “ONE stretch” post for plantar fasciitis, it will do more to free up blood flow in the lower leg and foot than this particular technique. Wishing you and him well!