7 Exercises To Do 3 Days After Spraining Your Ankle

A person can step wrong and twist an ankle, causing an ankle sprain that is painful and limits one’s mobility. The ankle can swell up quickly and be very painful to put any weight on. It is important to get to a doctor to examine the ankle injury and put a treatment plan in place. The first couple of days are for rest and icing the ankle. After approximately three days, it will be time to start ankle rehabilitation exercises.

What Is a Sprained Ankle?

Sprained ankles are caused by falling or misstepping that results in the ankle being twisted, rolled, or turned in a painful way. This accident can tear or stretch the strong bands of tissue or ligaments that hold the ankle bones together. These ligaments are joint stabilizers and prevent excessive movement of the ankle joint. When the ligaments are stretched too far, a sprained ankle results. The ligaments on the outer side of the ankle are the ones usually involved in sprained ankles.

Get Medical Help

Get medical help for any serious injury. Ankle sprains can be mild to serious depending on the extent of the stretching or tearing of the ligaments. It can range from a twisted ankle that can be rested, iced, and pampered for a while to a more serious injury that is painful to put any weight on and has considerable swelling and pain. The doctor may take X-rays to make sure no bones are broken.

A person with a sprain serious enough to require medical attention will see a doctor for initial treatment and then may be advised to see an orthopedic exercise specialist for treatment to ensure proper healing of the ankle. An ankle sprain can be serious enough to cause long-lasting problems, such as ongoing joint pain and weakness in the joint that leads to future ankle sprains and the development of arthritis in the joint.

Some symptoms of a sprained ankle that require medical attention include pain when weight is put on the ankle, tenderness to touch, swelling, bruising, limited range of motion, ankle instability, and a popping feeling or sound when the injury occurred.

The sprained ankle will need to be rested for a few days and should be iced every few hours for 10 to 15 minutes. The ice should not touch the skin but be in a pack. After approximately three days, most people can increase the use of the ankle and begin a treatment plan of home exercises or physical therapy.

Physical Therapy

The trained physical therapist or orthopedic exercise specialist will work with the patient to develop a program of exercises to help the ankle heal completely.

Some ankle exercises to help recovery include:

1. Range-of-motion exercises like the ankle alphabet, side to side knee motion, and towel scrunches
2. Ankle stretching exercises such as towel stretches, standing calf stretch, and the heel raise exercise
3. Ankle strengthening exercises including the elastic band push and elastic band pull using a resistance band
4. Ankle in and ankle out exercises with the resistance band
5. Sitting with the foot flat on the floor then pushing it outward against an immovable object or while sitting, put the feet together flat on the floor and push the injured foot inward against the other foot.
6. Balance control exercises include standing on the injured foot only with arms out to the side, then with arms across the chest with eyes open, and then repeating with eyes closed.
7. Do the balance exercises on a pillow with eyes open and then eyes closed. have some support handy to avoid falls

In addition to doing the exercises, the patient will be increasing the use of the ankle by walking carefully with or without an ankle brace or crutches. With the correct physical rehabilitation, a person can expect a good recovery.