Sometimes walking can turn out to be more dangerous than it seems. It is enough to step falsely to fall and cause an accident. However, this does not stop us from walking. This is an essential activity, as it allows us to move wherever we want.
Accidents are the order of the day. They can happen for anything, such as wearing inappropriate shoes, tripping over a stone, putting your foot in a hole, careless walking, etc.
When we fall, we may do it in a bad position and our ankle ends up being affected, causing a fracture or a sprain. This is a very common injury, especially for people who play certain sports that involve running or jumping.
A sprain occurs when the ankle is bent, twisted, or twisted in an unusual way, which can stretch or tear the ligaments that help hold the ankle bones together.
Its symptoms are different depending on the severity of the injury. These include: pain when touching the ankle, when supporting the weight of the body on the affected foot, swelling, bruising, limitation of movement, instability in the ankle, among others.
While it is true that there are ways to prevent it. Sometimes the situation gets out of hand. In such a case, it is advisable to know what exercises can be done for your recovery. Of course, everything must be done under the supervision of a doctor, since he is the best qualified to know what to do and what to avoid.
In this post I will be telling you what exercises you can do to recover from a sprained ankle, depending on the severity of the case. Performing them as soon as possible will help you recover faster and return to leading your life as before. Let’s see it.
Instructions
Depending on the damage caused by the sprain and under medical supervision, taking into account the fact that each patient is different, some of the exercises you can do to speed up the rehabilitation process are the following:
During the acute phase
That goes from the first to the third day of the injury, you will begin to present symptoms such as: pain, inflammation, edema, among others. In such a case, the best thing you can do is elevate the leg and apply ice for 7 to 10 minutes, without pain. Finally, you have compression with a bandage.
In the subacute phase
After the third day, you can perform the following exercises:
- Sitting on a chair and with your feet flat on the ground, press down on the ground for about 5 or 10 seconds. Rest another 5 before performing a new repetition. The idea is that you do 3 sets of 12 reps each.
- Starting from the same position as in the previous exercise, place the healthy foot on top of the affected one, apply pressure towards the healthy foot for 10 seconds. Rest about 5 seconds and continue. Do 3 sets of 12 repetitions.
- Place a pillow between the two ankles and press against the opposite foot. Then, cross your legs and repeat the procedure, but this time in the opposite direction.
What do you need
After a few days have elapsed since you started doing the above exercises, it will be time to start with joint mobility exercises. Some of them are:
- While in a semi-lying position, perform various ankle movements, but without resistance. For example, plantar flexion, dorsiflexion, inversion and eversion, etc.
- Being in the same position as in the previous exercise, write letters in the air. You can try with the alphabet or with the numbers from 1 to 30. This should be done 3 times a day.
- Since the ankle is a joint that is always under load, it is important that you perform exercises of this type. You can do this by putting on suitable sports shoes and walking on your toes, without exceeding 12 steps. Then walk on your heels. Similarly, you should not exceed 12 steps.
- Finally, try walking on unstable ground. To do this, avoid using the cell phone or having the company of someone else. It’s best to do it alone to avoid distractions that could cause poor support.
To perform this type of exercise you will not need too many elements. In fact, it will only be enough for you to have a pillow, a chair that allows you to have a straight back and form a 90º angle with your hips, a bandage or ankle brace and suitable sports shoes.
Tips
As much as you want to recover quickly and return to your normal life, the ideal is that you do not rush. The effort made could result in the injury worsening, which would make the rehabilitation process slower and more painful.
Also keep in mind that every patient is different and therefore you may not always recover as quickly or as slowly as others.
On the other hand, keep in mind that the exercises that I mentioned above are very general. Ideally, these are tailored to your needs and circumstances. Therefore, it is recommended that you visit a physical therapist.
He will also be in charge of determining when it will be the right time to stop doing one exercise and start doing another. Hence the importance of not skipping this step for anything.
In addition to the exercises that I have recommended, remember that you can always deal with the typical discomfort of a sprained ankle. For example, put ice or a cold compress on for about 10 minutes to reduce swelling. However, you should remove it if you notice that the level of pain begins to increase.
You can also take certain pain relievers, too, under the supervision of a health expert. He will help you determine which medication you can take, in what dosage, how often, and for how long.
If you take into account all these recommendations, which I have given you through this post, you can be sure that you will recover satisfactorily from your sprained ankle.