Practical Physical Therapy Techniques for the Ankle

Whether you injure your ankle playing sports or simply by accident, you will be better off with physical therapy to improve the healing process. Ankle injuries involve the stretching and breaking of ligaments and sometimes bones. Chronic ankle pain is often a result of poor rehabilitation after an injury. Take active steps if you want to avoid chronic pain and recurring ankle injuries. Some practical physical therapy techniques can be used to rehabilitate your ankle.

  1. Range of Motion Exercise

    • Your ankle may still be too weak for aggressive physical therapy, but you can begin the rehabilitation process with gentle range of motion exercises to stretch the injured ligaments and joints. The easiest exercise is alphabet writing. Sit down on a bench or bed with your leg elevated. Point your big toe and move the foot and ankle to write the alphabet in the air with your toe as if it were a pencil. Repeat this process daily, making bigger and smaller letters. You can also improve range of motion with Achilles stretches. Sit on a bed or flat bench with your leg extended straight ahead of you. Loop a towel around your toes and the ball of your foot. Grab both ends of the towel and pull slowly to raise your toes, gradually increasing the tension. You should feel a stretching sensation as you loosen the muscles and ligaments around your ankle joint and Achilles tendon.

    Balance Exercise

    • Work on balance. There are two simple physical therapy techniques for the ankles. Balance on the injured foot with your other foot raised and your hands extended to keep you steady. Hold the position for 20 seconds, and then rest for ten seconds. Repeat 10 times to complete a set. Start with three sets at first. Once your ankle is stronger, you can take your therapy a step further with a wobble board. Physical therapy facilities generally have wobble boards on hand, or you can purchase one to use at home. Stand on the board with your injured leg and lift your other leg up, bending at the knee. Keep your balance on your bad ankle for 10 seconds and then rest for 20 seconds. Repeat this process five times to start. The ball on the bottom of the wobble board forces you to use all the muscles in your ankle and the lower part of your leg in order to keep your balance.

    Strengthening Exercises

    • The final phase of your physical therapy for an ankle injury involves strengthening exercises the tendons and ligaments of your ankle and the surrounding muscles. Toe raises are effective and simple. Standing on a step or ledge, extending your heels over the edge. Push up with your ankles and calf muscles so that you are on tiptoes. Slowly lower your heels. Repeat the motion 10 to 20 times. Do at least four sets each day. Another strengthening technique is the foot push. Use an elastic physical therapy band. Sit down on a bed or a flat bench with your leg straight in front of you. Wrap the band around your foot and hold both ends with your hands. Pull the elastic band tight so that there is tension. Push your foot outward against the tension of the band to exercise the muscles in the outer part of the ankle. Hold the position for three seconds. The pull of the elastic band forces the muscles of the ankle to respond as you push against the tension. You can also push the foot inward to strengthen the muscles on the inner side of the ankle. Perform 20 repetitions for each set, alternating between outer and inner muscles for three sets.