Why ankle mobility plays a major role in skating quality

Continued from Page 11 the MCL is located outside the joint capsule, unlike the ACL and PCL, it typically gets decent blood flow and heals fairly well. Recovery time usually ranges between two and eight weeks to a full recovery.

Initial management of these types of injuries include a short period of rest and ice to reduce any swelling or inflammation. Early range of motion exercises as soon 24-48 hours have shown to speed recovery and the rehab initially should be focused on regaining full motion of the knee, reduce swelling and regaining strength. As the ligament heals, the rehab should be focused on linear or straight forward movement which does not place any inward force on the knee.

The unfortunate thing here is that skating and shooting does place this type of force on the knee and will be one of the last phases of the rehab.

Once linear exercises and drills can be performed, lateral movement can be introduced. As these exercises and drills become pain free and there is no feeling of instability, the athlete can typically return to the ice and slowly integrate back into playing again.

When the athlete returns, he or she may benefit from wearing a hinged knee brace to provide extra support to the knee. Overall, though MCL sprains are pretty common in ice hockey, they heal fairly quickly and most fully recover without any longterm issues.

-- Chris Phillips

The importance of ankle mobility in skating

Have you ever heard a skating coach tell an athlete to get lower or get your knee over your toes? Sounds easy, but it may not always be the case.

These types of skaters may not physically be able to get lower due to either strength deficits or lack of mobility or flexibility. The end result is a tall skater who bends more at the waist or hips instead of getting low enough by bending the knees and the ankles to get a strong, powerful stride.

For this blog, we will look at the ankle joint and how a lack of mobility can affect skating.

In the last year, I have run into numerous professional and amateur hockey players who have injured their ankle and never regained the mobility which is affecting their stride and skating mechanics. The ankle does not have to be injured to lose mobility. Mobility in the ankle is the range of motion in the joint both weighted and unweighted and with the knee straight and bent. In healthy athletes, this mobility can be restricted by tight muscles in the calves. This can be due to recent growth spurts, an increase in intensity in office training such as running or jumping or just body type.

So how do you know if your ankle mobility is restricted?

A simple test is to place your foot flat on the ground and pointing forward with your toes approximately three inches from the wall. You should be able to squat down a bit, bending your ankle forward (dorsiflexion) and touch your knee to the wall without lifting your heel or your

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