ankle Archives

18Apr 2022 by Patrick Donovan

Gait Speed as the Sixth Vital Sign

Hello everyone Dr. Donovan here and today, we will be talking about travel speed as the sixth vital sign. The 5 commonly accepted vital signs are: Blood pressure, Heart rate, Oxygen saturation, Respiration, And temperature. One of the biggest things I have observed in my work is that any adult's walking or hiking behaviors are a marker of their health. You can also find greater control over your mental health and environmental control by improving your travel speed, and measuring the speed of movement according to the predicted health condition. There is something to be gained by improving your gait speed for everyone. For example, if you have a single gait speed, which is another name for walking speed, you can potentially increase it for an overall positive impact. There…

20Nov 2019 by Brigitte B

The Flexible, Stable Ankle and Fall Prevention

ankle, Health content, Treatment

If you’re over 65, you have likely heard that you need to make sure you don’t fall. However, many people don’t know how to do that; how can you make sure something doesn't happen? But since falls can limit mobility, well-being, and even lifespan, it’s important that you understand how to keep yourself safe and upright. The ankle is key to stability Dozens of factors contribute to falling in an older population, and ankle strength and flexibility are high on that list. When you think about what is keeping you upright, you may not consider your ankles. However, they are part of your solid foundation. You probably don’t even realize that you are unconsciously adjusting your ankles when you're standing. Automatic adjustments are something your body does by itself. For…

11Apr 2018 by Patrick Donovan

It’s Not Too Late to Fix Your Bunions

ankle, foot, Treatment

What is a Bunion? A frequent cause of disability from foot pain is the bunion. A bunion typically appears as A bony bump that forms on the base of the big toe. They affect some 35% of women over the age of 65. If left untreated and allowed to progress to its eventual end stage, the deformity can impair your ability to perform every day activities like walking or stair climbing. At this end stage surgery is the recommended treatment solution to resolve the deformity. But get this - up to 15% of bunions return following surgery. The reason for this is simple. It is because the underlying muscle weaknesses that lead to your original bunion formation still remain. Weak muscles directly contribute to the formation of your bunion but…

01Feb 2018 by Patrick Donovan

How To Avoid Your Next Ankle Sprain

ankle, Health content, Prevention

Ankle sprains, commonly called a “rolled” ankle, often occur while running, walking on uneven ground, or during sport-related activities. Typical treatment involves rest, elevation, ice, and an elastic wrap to reduce swelling. Although the pain and swelling usually improve quickly, up to 80% will sprain their ankles again. Imagine if your car broke down and there was an 80% chance that same problem were to occur again. Not Okay! The rate of ankle re-injury is so high because of two factors. This article breaks down these two missing pieces to put an end to sprained ankles, once and for all! The Brain to Ankle (Internet) Connection To best understand an ankle sprain we must first understand the basics of the central nervous system. Your central nervous system (brain) is like…