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Butcher's Dog! Regular
outdoor fitness tips from the canine on creatine. Cold wet
nose and glossy coat guaranteed.
Wobbly Ankles
Okay, I'm a dog, I don't have ankles as
such, so I turned to OUTDOORSmagic's gear question and
answer geek Richard
Gear and asked him what to do if
you have weak and feeble ankles:
Slack Ligaments
Most weak ankles are a result of some
sort of strain or break which has caused damage to the ankle
mechanism in two ways. As I understand it, repeated strains
will cause some real slackness in the ligaments - which is
why if you've sprained the same ankle several times, there
will be less trauma when it turns again - and nerve
damage.
The nerve damage is a major problem. In
simple terms, what's happens is that your body no longer
knows instinctively where your foot is in relation to your
leg. Whereas with a healthy ankle, you'll be able to sense
when it's about to turn over and correct accordingly, with a
serially-trashed one, it's already gone before your brain
realises - cue yet another turned ankle.
Wobble Boards
The good news is that using something
called a wobble board - think of a wooden upturned Mexican
sombrero - can rebuild those nerve responses again, they're
sold by physio equipment suppliers and the trick is to
balance one legged on them for extended periods, eventually
graduating to doing it eyes shut, till you've relearned the
responses. Dull but worth the effort. You can get some of
the effect by closing your eyes and standing on a pile of
loose cushions.
Another tip is to see a physio and get
them to demonstrate how to strap the ankle lightly with zinc
oxide tape. This doesn't so much physically protect the
joint as, by pulling on the skin when your foot is off
vertical, tell your mind what angle the foot's
at.
Boots and Stability
It's easy to make the mistake of thinking
that high-sided, stiff boots are going to offer more
protection, but the reality is that only very high mountain
boots will actually hold your ankle firmly enough to
physically prevent it from turning. The pressure of the boot
against the ankle may give you some sensory warning of when
it's about to turn, but it won't prevent it.
In reality, stability doesn't come from
the sides of the boot at all, but by how positively your
heel is cupped in the boot and, how natural it feels. The
Salomon X-Adventure 7 for example is a relatively light, low
boot, but holds your foot firmly enough and has enough
lateral rigidity in the sole that it feels as stable as much
stiffer boots. The thinner the sole and closer to the ground
your foot is, the more stable the boot is likely to feel,
which is one of the reasons that thin-soled fell shoes work
so well.
So what I'm saying is that big, stiff
boots may feel more secure, but in reality aren't really
and, the pay-off can be reduced comfort as the soles flex
less and heavier weight to lug around on your feet. I'd
advise you first to get hold of a wobble board and make a
determined effort to strengthen your ankles, next to find
out how to strap them and finally to look for a boot that
fits your foot as well as possible with a particular
emphasis on holding your heels well - shaped padding and a
pronounced heel cup will help.
Thanks for that Richard. And remember
guys and gals, always keep your paws clean and your claws
clipped.
Woof!
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