Normal Range of Motion

The usual range of motion for dorsiflexion is “0- 17 degree non-weight-bearing and 7-35 degrees weight-bearing”.  If motion limitation, it’s essential to improve dorsiflexion with exercises and stretches.

How to Test Mobility?

An easy way to test ankle dorsiflexion is a simple pass-fail test measuring how many inches away you can still touch the wall with the knee without the heel coming off the ground.

The knee should travel over the second toe to get an accurate measurement of dorsiflexion. The tip of the foot should be 5 inches from the wall, and anything less than 5 inches, a patient or athlete needs to improve ankle dorsiflexion with exercises.

What Causes Limited Ankle Motion?

Ankle dorsiflexion and general ankle flexibility will be limited after injuries such as:

•  Ankle sprain
•  Achilles’ injury
•  Gastrocnemius tear
•  ATFL tear
• Retrocalcaneal bursitis
• Any injury requires foot and ankle immobilization for some time.

Other causes include:

• Saphenous Nerve entrapment of medial ankle
• Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome
• Sural nerve entrapment
• Posterior tibial tendonitis
• Big toe pain
• Interosseous membrane injury from a high ankle sprain

Regardless of the cause of limited dorsiflexion, exercises and stretches are needed to improve ankle range of motion before the athlete returns to his sport.

Once ankle dorsiflexion is improved, exercises to increase ankle dorsiflexion strength in a dorsiflexed position are important to maintain the gained ankle dorsiflexion range of motion.

Dorsiflexed refers to a locked ankle position in dorsiflexion, such as walking on your heels.

Best Exercises to Improve Flexibility

• • IR dorsiflexion with Band
  • Plank Ankle Rockers

• Gastrocnemius myofascial stretching
• Soleus Myofascial stretching

Our editorial practices include evidence-based practices, interventions, and recommendations.