Ankle Sprain Exercise

An ankle sprain is a common injury that occurs when you stretch or twist your ankle too far, usually in a forward direction. This puts sudden pressure on the ligaments around the joint, which respond by overextending and tearing. This type of sprain is also known as an inversion sprain. It’s common among footballers, basketball players, and anyone who plays sports with lots of running, stopping, and turning. Ankle sprains are graded from 1 to 3 depending on their severity. A grade 1 sprain won’t cause much trouble while a grade 3 sprain can take several weeks to heal properly. If you have suffered from an ankle sprain then you will be looking for ways to reduce your pain and increase your strength again to prevent it from re-occurring.

Email Question

I got an email from a reader who was looking for some ankle sprain exercises.

Hi Rick,

I am wondering if you have any ideas for a calf exercise for a person with an ankle injury. They are non- weight bearing and have very little ROM in the ankle (a few degrees of flex/ext). The Dr. would like him to continue strengthening the leg, in particular the gastrocs, however pain levels are quite high.

Any suggestions?

Thanks! I have really enjoyed your updates and the muscle imbalances revealed.

Nat

I have one exercise for Nat.

It focuses on a range of motion in the ankle and working the gastroc at a low level.

Here it is: