An ankle injury can really slow you down. And like many injuries, the site seems to act like a magnet to recurring injuries, especially if you lead an active lifestyle. Fortunately, pain and discomfort from injury or surgery to the ankle area can respond well to soft tissue treatment.

Talking about the ankle warrants a discussion of the foot as well, since the ankle exists to move the foot. But, you’ll have to tune in to the next newsletter for that story …

If asked to point to your ankle, you’d probably indicate the knobby bumps just above your feet. Anatomically, these are called malleoli (malleolus is singular) and they are simply the bottom part of the lower leg bones. These malleoli function like pulleys allowing muscles in the lower leg to move the foot.The ankle joint itself is the junction of three bones: the bottom of the fibula, the bottom of the tibia (shin bone) and the talus (a foot bone). The joint acts like a hinge – meaning it only moves up and down. The side to side motion you make is really a movement of the foot. Numerous ligaments bind the bones of the leg and foot together while allowing some movement.

By far the most common ankle injury is a sprain, in which a ligament is torn or overstretched. Other conditions in the neighborhood include shin splints and muscle cramps in the calves, both of which can respond well to massage treatment. A ruptured Achilles tendon is extremely painful and debilitating. After surgery and physical therapy, skilled massage can enhance the recovery.

Maintaining or regaining the function of your ankles allows you to safely propel yourself forward up Dog Mountain, take a jump shot, and pick up your (small) kids.

Originally published by Marsha Hansen, LMT in 2/06 newsletter.

I’ve recently discovered Yelp. It’s a neat website where you can post comments about businesses. Just the other day I set up a page so people can make comments about their massage experience.

With the dog days of summer behind us, fall brings the chance to regain the structure in our lives to turn toward maintenance.

Back to school & back to structure. It’s time to harvest the last of the garden, get in shape with fall sports, and plan for a winter vacation somewhere tropical.

What does all this have to do with massage? Plenty!

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• Returning to school means reading for hours and lugging around a ton of books. Massage is great for tense shoulders.
• Harvesting means the dirty work of of weeding and mulching. Massage can untweek the back, knees, and neck.
• Fall sports like soccer & marathon training mean lots of running. Massage is great for the athlete and the weekend warrior.
• Planning that tropical vacation may give you a headache. Be sure to get a massage before leaving so you can enjoy the sun and umbrella drinks without pain!