An ankle sprain is painful. But, recovering from the same isn’t. A physiotherapist assesses the condition to detect the exact damaged muscles, tendons or ligaments. They prepare a treatment program to reduce the pain and discomfort as quickly as possible. The treatment program consists of a wide range of exercises that engage your ankle more, get it moving and help you recover.
The purpose of exercises is to regain normal movement in the ankle. You don’t have to rely on pain meds and yet find relief from the excruciating pain. It is recommended to practise the exercises under physiotherapy supervision to avoid further injuries.
You need to stretch the Achilles Tendon to ease the pain as much as you can. The Achilles Tendon connects the calf muscles to the bone at the bottom of the heel. Here are two common stretching exercises to help you recover from an ankle sprain:
Towel stretch
Heel raise
These help you restore your range of motion and flexibility in the ankle.
Knee motion
Sit on a chair and keep your foot flat on the floor.
Gently move your knee from side to side without lifting the foot.
Repeat for 3 minutes.
The alphabet
You can lie down or sit while doing this exercise. All you have to do is write all alphabets with the injured foot in the air. This helps the ankle move in all directions. Repeat twice.
The range of motion exercises enables your ankle to bear an optimum weight. Thus, you should start the strengthening exercises after completing the previous step.
Elastic band pull
Flex
Exercise works wonders when it comes to treating ankle sprains. It not only reduces pain but also prevents further injuries. Rest is important but you need to engage your ankle as well for quick recovery. But, you should know which exercises suit your condition before practising them. So, talk to a physiotherapist first to know when and how to exercise.