Dorsiflexion is the act of moving your toes and feet upward toward your shins, stretching the calves, plantar fascia and Achilles tendon and shortening the tibialis muscles in your shins. It is the opposite movement of plantarflexion, which is...
Plantar flexors and dorsiflexors provide the movement, strength and stability for your ankles. These muscles run up and down your calves and shins and allow you the motion to point your foot up and down. Ankle flexor muscles are important in...
The dorsiflexors are muscles that flex the foot which lie on the front of the shin and, when overused, are often responsible for conditions like shin splints. Weak dorsiflexor muscles can also lead to conditions like plantar fasciitis, where the...
Drop foot, also known as "foot drop" within the medical community, is defined by Texas Medical Center as the inability to raise the foot due to weakness in muscles of the ankle. Drop foot is most often caused by damage to the peroneal nerve, which...
Tendonitis is arguably one of the most common overuse injuries among the physically active. Also known as tendinitis, it can occur anywhere between a tendon's muscular origin and its bone insertion, often as a result of overuse injuries, workplace...
Foot drop is an occurrence that causes you to lose sensation and/or control in the foot, which causes you to have difficulty flexing the foot. Foot drop is actually a symptom, not a disease. People who experience foot drop may have an underlying...
Gait exercises help develop or maintain a functional walking pattern. According to a May 2003 "Clinical Rehabilitation" study led by Hiroyuki Shimada, M.D., of the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, performing gait exercises improved...
Using a treadmill is an excellent way to burn calories and tone lower-body muscles. A 200-lb. person can burn over 900 calories with an hour-long treadmill workout running at 6 mph, for example. When excess body fat lost, it allows the muscles it...
Shin and ankle pain may put a damper on your aerobic activities. Improper footwear, frequently wearing high heels and poor posture have an adverse effect on the lower leg anatomy. Physical therapists use the heel walking exercise as a diagnostic...
When you dorsiflex your ankle, you reduce the angle between your shin and foot. The muscles that accomplish this action -- the extensor digitorum longus, extensor hallux longus, peroneus tertius and tibialis anterior -- are located on the front of...
From the age of approximately 1 year, you move primarily by walking. Unless you suffer an injury or train intensively, you likely give very little attention to the walking process. Walking is biomechanically quite complex, involving numerous...
Muscle function testing is useful in determining the proper function, strength and endurance of muscles or muscle groups in the body. Often performed in medical or clinical settings, muscle function tests are generally performed on patients or...
Paralysis or weakness of the muscles used to lift the front of the foot causes the condition known as drop foot, or foot drop. Drop foot is a symptom of an injury or of a medical condition such as a nerve or muscular disorder. One treatment for...
The Ankle-Foot Orthoses (AFO) is a common orthotic used to brace the ankle for children with impaired ankle function. AFOs are typically used for children with difficulty standing or walking due to ankle strength or positioning, or for children...
The muscles on the front of the lower leg serve primarily to pull the toes toward the shin and control the foot when it hits the ground during walking, running, and jumping. The primary muscle--the tibialis anterior--can gain both muscle size and...
Skiing demands a series of complex interactions between your upper- and lower-body muscles and your central nervous system. Your muscle groups work in concert to perform the primary skiing movements designated by the Professional Ski Instructor's...
Backpedaling is a fitness technique that involves taking short, quick steps backwards while leaning the body forward. The hips are kept low and the feet are always under the body or in front of it. It is commonly used by boxers and football...
Knee manipulation exercises are common after knee replacement surgery. The muscles of the quadriceps are most affected by knee replacement surgery, though the hamstrings, calves and ankle dorsiflexors also should be strengthened. Static exercises...
Performing a vertical jump requires a significant energy output and your recruitment of many muscles, including your abdominal muscles, gluteal muscles and calf muscles. Other muscles, such as your quadriceps, hamstrings and ankle dorsiflexors,...
Strength training involves progressive overload on the muscles in order to adapt to stimulus. According to MayoClinic.com, strength training can offer several benefits. Strong bones, increased lean body mass and reduction of injury can all be...
Neuropathy is a fairly common disorder affecting approximately 20 million Americans, according to The Neuropathy Association. There are more than 100 types of this disorder of the peripheral nervous system with an estimated 30 percent of cases...
Foot drop is a condition in which you are unable to raise the front portion of your foot. The disorder develops due to weakness or paralysis of one or more of the muscles called "dorsiflexors" that help you perform this motion. Foot drop has...
The ankle joint is located where the bones of your lower legs and feet come together. There are three separate joints that make up your ankle. The tibiotalar joint, however, is most commonly thought of as the ankle joint. It allows you to flex...
Cerebral palsy is a disorder that affects movement, muscle coordination and muscle tone. The condition is caused by damage that occurs to a child's brain before, during or shortly after birth. Cerebral palsy side effects can range from mild to...
Pilates can be a great resource for overall strengthening and stabilization. The concepts focus on posture alignment, breath, movement and strengthening. A sample Pilate's routine, including three fundamental exercises to be performed on the...
A foot drop refers to a variety of conditions that lead to the inability to dorsiflex the foot and big toe. The term dorsiflex, in relation to ankle movement, refers to when the top of the foot is brought closer to the shin. The specific nerves...
