Accidental twisting or turning of the ankle leading to stretching or tear of ligaments is called an ankle sprain. It is one of the most common sports related injury and by far the commonest injury in foot and ankle region. While most of the people suffering from ankle sprain do not take a specialist consult and hope that it will heal by itself and with time, it can be a cause of persistent pain and debilitation for few. A severe ankle sprain  can be a career ending injury for a competitive athlete. While initial period of rest in the form of crepe bandage or even a plaster in severe cases is imperative in acute injuries, it is the subsequent rehabilitation that will decide your route to recovery and future participation in sports. Immediately after an injury, treatment in the form if RICE is needed which stands for Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. Once the pain is under control, a supervised rehabilitation is needed in most of the cases to have a quicker return to function and reduce the chances of successive sprain, persistent pain or ankle instability.

Hence, it is advised to take medical help from reputed foot and ankle specialist like Dr Anuj Chawla so as to plan your exercises regime on time.

According to the intensity, the treatment process for an ankle sprain is suggested. Exercise-based rehabilitation plan plays an important role in overall management of an ankle sprain. This plan may differ from patient to patient and it will be best judged by your specialist. Though the exercise regime should strictly be done under the supervision of a physiotherapist, many a times having treatment under supervision is not possible. Hence it is beneficial to know the exercises that can be done at home once you suffer from an acute ankle sprain. Let’s explore more on this front.

How can you categorize all the exercises for an ankle sprain?

All the exercises for foot pain or ankle sprain can be broadly divided into 4 different categories:

• Range of motions
• Stretching
• Strengthening
• Balance and control

Immediately after an ankle sprain once the pain settles down or after the plaster is removed, it is advisable to start range of motion and stretching exercises so as to combat the stiffness. Once the movement is regained back, strengthening exercises should be initiated which aims to improve the power of all the muscles around the ankle, with a specific emphasis on improving ankle eversion and dorsiflexion. Finally, the exercises to improve balance and control, called proprioception training exercises is needed that will help you in reducing the chances of retwisting and spraining your ankle again.

We will discuss simple exercises from each category to help you understand the difference.

Some easy ankle sprain exercises can be performed at home

• Ankle Alphabets to improve mobility

This is a simple foot exercise that can help you to improve the flexibility of the foot and ankle muscles. Sit on a chair. Lift one leg straight at 90 degrees or sit in cross legged position with the affected leg up . Now try to move your big toe to make different alphabets in air. If you feel comfortable, then you can repeat it 2-3 times. Afterwards, repeat the steps with the other leg.

• Towel Stretch to stretch tendons and muscles

This exercise can be considered in stretching category as we try to stretch Achilles tendon. For this exercise, you need to sit on the floor and stretch one leg in front of you. Take a towel and wrap it around the balls of your foot while holding towel’s ends. Now gently pull the ends of the towel toward yourself to stretch your muscles. Hold the posture for around 15 seconds to start with and then gradually increase to 45-60 seconds. Please note that you don’t have to over-stretch your muscles as it may worsen the pain. Also, maintain a good posture of your spine while performing this exercise.

• Elastic band push and pull for muscle strengthening

This exercise helps to strengthen the muscles around your ankle that can help to prevent ankle sprains to an extent. This will require a good quality resistant band and will be performed in 4 sets.

1. Plantarflexor strengthening: Sit straight on the floor, stretch out legs in front and place your ankle on rolled-up towel to give support. Now tie an elastic band around the balls of one foot and hold its ends. Push your foot downwards against resistance of the theraband. Repeat this movement for around 10 times. Keep your movements gentle.
2. Dorsiflexor strengthening: Tie the band to a heavy item like table away from the leg and then sit on the floor in the previous position. Tie the other end of the band around the toes and upper portion of the foot. Now gently try to pull your foot upwards against the resistance of the band. Repeat these movements 10 times.
3. Evertor strengthening: Tie the band to a heavy item on the side opposite to the affected ankle. Tie the other end of the band around the toes and upper portion of the foot. Now gently try to pull your foot outwards against the resistance of the band. Repeat these movements 10 times.
4. Invertor strengthening: Tie the band to a heavy item on the side of  the affected ankle. Tie the other end of the band around the toes and upper portion of the foot. Now gently try to pull your foot inwards against the resistance of the band. Repeat these movements 10 times.

• Simple exercises for balance and proprioception

This exercise helps to improve balancing and controlling skill. With your eyes open, simply stand on your injured foot and lift the other foot, according to your comfort. Then maintain the posture and try to balance on your single leg. For the initial period, you can use the support of a chair/ wall. Slowly and steadily increase the time duration to 30-45 seconds. Repeat the same exercises with the eyes closed.

So these were a few exercises for an ankle sprain. But please note that it is crucial to know when you are ready for which exercise. So before performing such exercises, kindly seek medical advice. You can also contact Dr. Anuj Chawla , foot and ankle doctor for ankle pain treatment in Gurgaon treatment and to know the exact do’s and don’ts. There are many patients who consult him for treating an ankle sprain, and before suggesting any exercise, he evaluates the severity of the injury and recommends the exercises accordingly.