​Ali

Today we looked at why you have pain through your ankle and whether this may be linked to your collapse.

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I always start with how the body is functioning through simple biomechanics movement and through doing your simple balancing exercise it showed that you pelvis wasn't moving in a functional pattern, your glutes were locked on and so when you lifted you knee this pulled your upper body backwards and into a collapse, we also looked at your hip flexors and how they functioned and they seemed to also be locked short.

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This means that you have a lot of extra pressure being placed on the surrounding joints as the pelvis sin't functioning correctly, because the brain wants the body to move from other joints, lower back, knees and ankles and keeps the pelvis stuck still this creates over use in these areas, but also a pulling action on these joints. I'm sure this is why you struggle with pain in these joints and muscles.

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The first task is to bring the hips support muscles "back online" so that your brain is using these in the correct way, this is where the simple exercises we did are key, as you do these you want to focus on core engagement and correct alignment of ribcage and pelvis, the brain needs to feel this alignment is correct for it to release the pelvic structure.

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Then do about 5 minutes morning and night, creating the correct movement within the hip structure, the exercises we did with you laying on your back will do this.

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• Simple thigh movement, drawing the thigh towards you and away from you, making sure you don't allow the movement to come from your spine or ribcage, about 5 times on each leg

• Thigh to hand engagement (where you push the thigh away and pull it towards you to feel the muscles of the hip activate, hold for 5 breaths and then relax and allow the thigh to draw towards you to release the glutes, relate 3 times on each leg, make sure on your bad knee you keep the angle of the knee joint open

• Using a belt, start to lengthen into the foot above without changing your back, pushing the heal away from you to lengthen the back of the legs.

• Still with the belt a few circles on each foot, not allowing the opposite pelvis to rock up

• Golf ball under the sole of the foot to release fascia 

• You can also try rolling out your claves and thighs, using either a foam roller or a rolling pin, see video below, this will help to release the fascia in this area and take the pressure off your knee and ankle.