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Dr. Amol Saxena, DPM
Palo Alto Foundation
Medical Group
Dept. of Sports Medicine
3rd Floor, Clark Building
795 El Camino Real
Palo Alto, CA 94301
Office: 650-853-2943
Fax: 650-853-6094
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Dr. Amol Saxena, DPM

Foot Related Injuries & Treatments

Ankle Stretching, Rehabilitation & Taping

Foot Strengthening Exercises (PDF)

Stretching

Stretching

Stretching the Calf (not the actual Achilles Tendon)

Done barefoot (without bouncing) with toes pointed straight ahead, weight on front foot not on the back leg.

Hold for 15 seconds

Stretching **WARNING: Do NOT do this stretch if you have Achilles Tendon problems.**

Stretching of the calf AND Achilles Tendon can be done by balancing on one foot, then standing on your toes, ideally one legged.

Try to start with 3 sets of ten repetitions--progress to 5 sets of 25 reps.


Balance Exercises

Balance Exercises

Balance Strengthening Exercise:

Try to balance for 15 seconds on one foot on a pillow or piece of foam, ideally barefoot.

Balance Exercises Advanced Balance Strengthening Exercise:

While balancing wave a ball or weight. You can also bounce a ball against a wall while balancing.


Eccentric Strengthening

Eccentric Strengthening

Up with two, down with one: start on flat surface, 3 x 10 reps
Eventually add stairs and weight as in Second Image.


Inversion and Eversion Exercises

Inversion and Eversion Exercises INVERSION Strengthening Exercise

Move the towel by moving your foot only (try not to use your hip, knee or lower leg) dragging the weighted end towards your foot.

Repeat 19 times

Inversion and Eversion Exercises EVERSION Strengthening Exercise

Move the towel by moving your foot only (don't use the motion from your knee or hip) dragging the weighted end towards your foot.

Repeat 19 times.

 


Ankle Taping Stages - Standard Method

Ankle Taping Start with Elastic Tape from the medial aspect of the leg while keeping the foot at a right angle to the leg. Pull the tape and attach to the outside of the ankle.
Ankle Taping Next take either white athletic (Zonas) tape or pink Kinesio tape and do a "figure 8" around the foot starting with the outside of the ankle, go under the arch medially, pulling the foot laterally. This helps take tension off of the outer (lateral) ligaments.
Ankle Taping
Ankle Taping To add more support use white Zonas tape to create a medial to lateral "stirrup".
Ankle Taping For even more support add a "heel lock" to pull the heel in eversion, again pulling the foot laterally.
Ankle Taping
Ankle Taping You can anchor the tape straps by putting circumferential straps around the ankle

Ankle Taping Stages - Kinesio Method

Kinesio tape is a "low-bulk" (& less supportive) tape job. This may be better for less acute injuries, soccer players, dancers & runners.

Kinesio Method Start medially on the heel
Kinesio Method Finish laterally with the same strap.
Kinesio Method Start medially perpendicular to the 1st strap
Kinesio Method End laterally on the foot keeping the foot at neutral. You can repeat with more layers.

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