Dorsi Flexion and Plantar Flexion: Avoiding Injuries and Increasing Speed
by Melinda Burris Willms
This article examines the role of dorsiflexion and plantar flexion in proper body motion from walking to sprinting and clearing hurdles at optimum speed while protecting your ankles and Achilles tendons from injuries that can radiate all the way up to your shoulder and severely limit your general mobility.
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What is Dorsiflexion and Plantar Flexion?
First things first, let’s discuss what dorsiflexion and plantar flexion are and the important role they play in human movement. Dorsiflexion occurs when you raise your foot up in the direction of your shin. We rely on dorsiflexion when we walk, to bear our body weight: as the one foot prepares to push off from the ground, the foot extends to its full dorsiflexion range. Dorsiflexion motion utilizes muscles located in the forward part of the foot. In contrast, plantar flexion involves the back of the foot as it moves downward to return to the ground.1
Why Dorsiflexion is Important for Hurdlers
Coach McGill emphasizes that hurdlers want to be dorsiflexed, with their toes pointing up, so that they land on the ball of the foot, with the foot directly beneath the hip. Failure to have the lead foot toes dorsiflexed can cause a hurdler to make contact with the hurdle on approach; likewise, if the toes on the trail leg are not dorsiflexed, the hurdler can also hit the hurdle.2 It has been noted that dorsiflexion allows the hurdler a 2 to 3-inch margin in which to clear the hurdle.
Les Archer is a track and field coach whose specialties include training in the long jump and sprints. Archer has trained athletes of all calibers from school age to Olympic competitors.3 Coach Archer stresses that proper dorsiflexion involves lifting more than the toes, the entire forward foot must be raised. Likewise, according to Archer, plantar flexion is not just a downward movement of the foot: “It has to be done in such a manner that it applies maximum force against the ground in the shortest possible time.”3 This is vital for increasing an athlete’s rate of speed.3
Ankle Injuries and Dorsiflexion Motion
According to an article in Medical News Today, ankle injuries can negatively impact dorsiflexion motion, seriously limiting overall mobility. This is due to the fact that dorsiflexion issues can radiate upward on the body, resulting in injuries from the knee as far up as the shoulder. This chain reaction is kinetics in action.
Achilles Soreness and Tendonitis
Coach McGill affirms that “Achilles pain is usually caused by landing too flat-footed while sprinting, but especially when coming off the hurdle. Landing on the balls of the feet isn’t just good running posture; it also helps to cushion the impact for all the other parts of the lower legs.”4 Author and yoga expert Beryl Bender Birch confirms that swelling or small bumps visible on the tendon can be symptoms of chronic, severe Achilles tendonitis. Immediate treatment should include cessation of workout and icing the affected tendon 2-3 times each day for 15-20 minutes at a time. Birch also recommends “deep tissue and transverse friction massage, as well as kneading and stroking” maintaining that massaging the back of the affected leg will provide immediate relief of the tension distressing the Achilles tendon.5
Heel Bone Tendonitis or Heel Spur Syndrome
Tendonitis of the heel bone is often referred to as “heel spur syndrome” and causes pain in the heel or beneath the arch and radiates out to the mid tendon. This type of tendonitis is triggered by tiny tears occurring in the tendon and its surrounding tissue either where the tendon links with the heelbone or in the tendon beneath the arch. A calcium deposit that feels boney can develop at the heelbone and is commonly called a “spur”.6 Heel bone tendonitis is extremely painful and the pressure jumping hurdles places on the heels exacerbates the condition. In addition, hurdlers have to take extra precautions against tight hamstrings and calves as these can restrict the ankle’s range of motion and result in an inability to properly perform the critically important dorsiflexion and plantar flexion motions.
Exercises Athletes Can do to Promote Dorsiflexion
There are a number of exercises you can do to improve your dorsiflexion. Coach Archer recommends the following:
- To perform a seated foot up, lift each foot 30 times while varying your rate of speed. Do 3-4 sets of these for each foot.
- Standing foot lifts utilize the same motion as the seated foot up but require more balance since you are standing. Challenging your balance in this way can advance your stability. As you raise each foot for 30 lifts, be sure to lift your toes and point them upwards. Do 3-4 sets of these for each foot.
- The walking with foot lifts exercise requires you to walk on your toes, taking small, intentional steps while you focus on landing on the ball of your foot each time you lift your foot to move forward. Your knees should remain straight throughout this exercise. Continue walking this way for 15-20 meters and repeat 3-4 times. When you can do this exercise without difficulty, increase your walking speed with each therapy session.
- Return to childhood by skipping. This exercise has the advantage of improving not only dorsiflexion, but plantar flexion as well. Be sure the foot is raised up each time it departs the ground. Begin by doing 30 of these and continue working your way up until you can do 100.
Exercises for Tight Calves
If tight calves are causing pain and interfering with your ability to properly dorsiflex, these exercises advocated in Medical News Today can be helpful:
- To execute a gastrocnemius stretch, your back leg remains straight while you bend the front knee forward. Feel the stretch and maintain for 20 seconds.
- To stretch on a step: Put your foot on a step, then lower the heel to the ground. Feel the stretch and maintain for 20 seconds.
Injury Prevention
As always, prevention beats treatment every time. Coach McGill recommends wearing cushioned shoes and wearing your spikes only when necessary. McGill maintains that many workouts, particularly those done during the off-season when the focus is on increasing your conditioning, rarely call for the wearing of spikes. It is important to avoid the spikes in favor of flat, cushioned training shoes because spikes have little if any cushioning, providing inadequate support for the ankles and the Achilles tendons, which means over-wearing them makes it likely you will be prone to injuries and less likely to be able to compete for the entire season.4
References
- Seymour, T. (2017). Dorsiflexion: Injuries and Mobility Exercises.
- Skretta, S. Skills, Drills, and Miscue Analysis: 100/110 Meter Hurdles.
- Archer, L. (2006) Ways to Improve the Dorsiflexion and Plantarflexion Action of the Foot.
- McGill, S. (2005). Hurdler Injuries.
- Birch, B. B. (2010). Power Yoga: The Total Strength and Flexibility Workout.
- Cleveland Clinic. (2015). 6 Reasons You Shouldn’t Assume Foot Pain Is a Heel Spur.
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