Written by: Melanie Talastas-Soriano BA-Kin, CAT(C), ISSA-CPT
Athletic Therapist, Personal Trainer
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Winter season can be very cold and very slippery. The combination of cold temperature and fluffy snowfall can cause slippery roads and sidewalks. Driving and walking can be affected when the ground is slippery. Few cases this winter we heard of people/clients who unfortunately had fallen and broke their ankles. Even if you are careful, accident happens however, dealing with the stress on the body can be tough on anyone. This is how we can help you.

Here are three points on what to do when you find out that you had fractured your ankle.

Number ONE: Seek medical help immediately.
If you know for sure that you broke a bone or bones after slipping and falling outside, go to the closest emergency hospital. Unbearable pain or unable to move your foot/lower leg is an indication that it might be broken. Also, if you heard snap crackle or pop at the time of the accident that means something is or could be broken. I mentioned hospital because they can give you pain medication whereas if you had gone to PanAm first, they may have just advised you to go to the hospital/emerge. To confirm fracture, an X-ray would be done. Of course, you’re going to need someone to drive you there.

Number TWO: Seek the help of an Athletic Therapist to help you get through your injury on your way to recovery. Fast forward to confirming a fracture and perhaps done with the surgery, your doctor would have cleared you to start rehabilitation to improve your ankle joint function.

What to expect when you see an Athletic Therapist?

- Your injured limb will be assessed, meaning you will be expected to move the joint that is affected (ankle joint, knee joint or foot).
- Modalities can be use like heat, ice or which modality is necessary.
- Expect that the Athletic Therapist will do hands on treatment like massage, soft tissue release techniques to flush residual swelling and create good environment around the injured area.
- Expect to have a home program.

Number THREE: Simple and effective rehabilitation exercises can also be called as “home program” can help with muscle atrophy. Small foot or ankle movement is better than no movement at all. Starting with beginner exercises using small intrinsic muscles of the foot can help with the overall goal. The goal should be, weight bearing with no pain and walking as normally as you can before you got injured.

Let’s start with these non-weight bearing exercises:
- Towel crunches
- Actively moving your toes (flex, extend and splay)
- Complete the alphabet using your ankle joint
- Calf stretch using a robe or a belt

The full exercise prescription / home program parameters can vary from person to person. It is also between you and your therapist on how often and how long you do these exercises. If you know someone that needs Athletic Therapy treatment, send them our way so we can help improve their quality life.
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We hope that you keep safe for the remaining of winter and enjoy the outdoors. For more exercise and rehab tips please visit our website at www.insahyu.com

Written by: Melanie Talastas-Soriano BA-Kin, CAT(C), ISSA-CPT
Athletic Therapist, Personal Trainer

Muscle strain can be bothersome to anyone that is active. The severity of a muscle strain is described as mild, moderate or severe depending on the muscle tear. Activities that can affect or injure the hip flexor muscles are running, dancing, jumping and sports that require lateral movements, explosiveness and twisting.

Hip flexor muscles are made of two individual muscles called psoas major and iliacus. Both crosses the (anterior) front portion of the hip joint. Iliacus is attached to the pelvis and down to the femur bone (greater tuberosity of the femur). The psoas major is attached to the lumbar vertebrae down to the femur bone as well.

When the hip flexor is strained, muscles around the area is also sore and sometimes achy. The body recognize changes or disruption to the muscle cells. The body protects itself by creating a splint (muscles tightening around the injured area). Pain, soreness, muscle tightness are all protective mechanism to help aid at the initial stage of the injury.

Here are the 8 steps to heal your hip flexor strain

Step 1. Rest your body from high intense activities. Do not stretch the hip flexor or lift your leg. Do your best to take a break for couple of days and listen to your body.

Step 2. Ice your injured hip to help decrease swelling to the area. Ice will also help decrease pain and soreness which assists to the healing process.

Step 3. Seek the help of an Athletic Therapist for in clinic care. After self-care, it is best to have a proper assessment of the injured area so that you can continue to rehab your hip flexor strain.

Step 4. To regain your flexibility, you can perform a light proposal stretch. Kneeling on one knee with the other bent at 90 degrees. Lean forward avoiding the hyperextension of your lower back, chest up and feel the stretch on the hip flexor. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds and repeat 3 times on each sides.

Step 5. To help release the tension on the hip flexor, perform a quadriceps stretch. Side lying or standing, bend the knee grabbing your ankle to feel the stretch on the quads. Hold he stretch for 30 seconds and repeat 3 times on each sides.


Step 6. Strengthening is key to prevent further injury so perform a plank. Don’t forget that the psoas major is a huge part of your core. When performing plank, focus on contracting your quads, glutes and core before lifting up to a plank. Hold each contractions for 10 seconds and repeat 10 times.


Step 7. Bridge is another strengthening exercise to do. While contracting the glutes to lift up to a bridge, you will also get a slight stretch on the hip flexor and quads. Simple and effective exercise to help the hip flexor. Hold the contraction for 10 seconds and repeat 10 times.


Step 8. After following these simple steps and when cleared by your doctor or your athletic therapist, you can slowly return to your activities. Controlled and sports specific exercise is the next step to a full recovery.


For more exercise and rehab tips, please visit our website at www,insahyu.com

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