PHYSIOTHERAPY EXERCISE FOR ANKLE PAIN

Ankle pain can occur for many reasons which will affect your normal activities of daily living. The most common reason for ankle pain is due to ankle sprain injury accounting for about 40% of all sports injuries as reported by Jungmann, P. M., et.al in a 2023 study. It occurs during activities requiring rapid change in direction, especially if these take place on uneven surfaces.

According to Baxter, J. R. et.al., loading on the Achilles tendon will be 3.3 times of body weight, during walking. Considering that, when you have reduced mobility or muscle strength in the ankle joint, there is a high chance of getting pain or injury. In that case, the exercises mentioned below are helpful to improve your resilience and load tolerance.

12 PHYSIOTHERAPY EXERCISES FOR ANKLE PAIN

MOBILITY EXERCISES

Benefits:

  • It increases the range of motion of the ankle (dorsiflexion, plantarflexion, inversion, and eversion).
  • It relieves muscle tension while stretching.
  • It helps in injury prevention and improves performance in sports.

1. RUNNER CALF STRETCH

Step 1: To perform the stretch stand in front of the wall, stand in a lunge position with one foot forward and the other leg extended behind you.

Step 2: Keep your back leg straight and press your heel into the ground while bending your front knee.

Step 3: Hold the stretch for 10-20 seconds and switch the legs.

2. DOWNWARD FACING CALF STRETCH

Step 1: It is another variation of calf stretch.

Step 2: Be in the crawling position.

Step 3: Lift your hips toward the ceiling, straightening your legs and pressing your heels down.

Step 4: Keep your hands shoulder-width apart and feet hip-width apart

Step 5: First try to bring both legs down, to feel the stretch more start doing one side knee bent so that the other side will press the ground effectively hold it for 5-10 seconds and switch the legs.

3. ATG SPLIT SQUAT - ANKLE FOCUS

Step 1: To perform this, place one foot on a box or top of a weight plate.

Step 2: Step the other foot far back into a split-squat position, with your heel lifted.

Step 3: Keep your chest tall and back straight.

Step 4: Shift your weight forward, driving the front knee past the toes, while focusing on increasing ankle dorsiflexion.

Step 5: The depth of the squat can be altered by altering the leg width and height of the box.

4. TIBIALIS ANTERIOR STRETCH

Step 1: To perform this stretch, be in kneel sitting position touching your heel with the buttock and dorsum of the foot touching the ground.

Step 2: Now slowly raise one of your knees from the floor so that you can feel stretch over the front of your legs effectively.

Step 3: Hold the stretch for 5- 10 sec and switch the legs.

5.PLANTAR FASCIA STRETCH

Step 1: To perform this stretch, be in a chair-sitting position.

Step 2: Take one of your legs and place it above the knee as in the figure of four positions. (as shown in the picture)

Step 3: Hold the heel with one hand, and keep the other hand over the toes, now try to pull your toes toward the leg to feel a better stretch of plantar fascia.

Step 4: Hold the stretch for 5-10 sec and repeat.

STRENGTHENING EXERCISES FOR ANKLE PAIN

Benefits:

  • It will improve the strength of muscles surrounding the ankle joint.
  • It improves your sports performance which involves jumping, hopping, and running.
  • By doing the proper strengthening you can prevent the recurrence of injury.
  • Single-leg exercises help improve stability, balance, and proprioception.

1. CALF RAISE

Step 1: To perform the exercise, just stand in front of the wall, take hand support, and stand straight with your knees locked.

Step 2: Now gently raise your heel from the floor as much as possible and lower your leg down slowly.

(Progression: to progress the calf raise, take hand support in the wall and step away from the wall as much as possible so that your body is in an inclined position, and perform the same as mentioned above.)

(To progress further, we can do the calf raise with weights and then in a single leg.)

2. STANDING SHIN RAISE

Step 1: To perform the exercise, lean against the wall and take your leg forward a little bit away from the wall.

Step 2: Now gently raise your toes from the floor as much as possible and lower your leg down slowly.

3. BANDED INVERSION

Step 1: To perform the exercise be in a chair sitting position touching your foot on the ground.

Step 2: Take the TheraBand and tie one end to your foot and the other to any stable support or other foot.

Step 3: Now lift the foot slightly upward and rotate inward from the neutral position against the resistance of the band.

4. BANDED EVERSION

Step 1: To perform the exercise, be in a chair sitting position touching your foot on the ground.

Step 2: Take the thera band and tie one end to your foot and the other to any stable support or other foot.

Step 3: Now lift the foot slightly upward and rotate outward from a neutral position against the resistance of the band.

5. SINGLE LEG HEAD ROTATION

Step 1: To perform this exercise, stand on one leg, rotate your head slowly from left to right, and try to hold as long as possible.

Step 2: If you are unable to perform head rotation initially start with only standing on one leg.

6. STANDING BILATERAL HOPPING

 Step 1: To perform this stand with shoulder width apart and body upright.

Step 2: Push off the ground simultaneously with both legs, propel your body upward by swinging your arms to a moderate height, and try to land smoothly.

7. STANDING UNILATERAL HOPPING

Step 1: This is a progression of the abovementioned one

Step 2: Follow the same steps but hop only using one leg and try to land smoothly.

NOTES:

But the Majority of the time, ankle pain occurs just because of weakness in the leg muscles, loading the joint and muscle beyond your tolerance. So it is necessary to strengthen your lower limb muscles with much concentration on hip and knee musculature. To see the strengthening exercises for hip and knee muscles click here to watch.

DISCLAIMER:

The exercises mentioned above are designed to alleviate pain and improve strength and mobility. However, it is essential to consult a qualified physiotherapist before beginning any new exercise routine. A professional assessment will help determine the root cause of your pain and ensure that the exercises are appropriate and tailored to your specific needs, reducing the risk of further injury or complications.

At Exercise Prescriptor Clinic, our experienced physiotherapists are dedicated to guiding you toward effective pain management and improved mobility. Schedule a consultation today to take the first step toward a healthy and pain-free life.