Physical Therapy for Ankle Sprains
An ankle sprain is a common injury that occurs when the foot twists or turns beyond its normal range of movement, causing the ankle’s ligaments to overstretch or tear. Each day, over 20,000 Americans sprain their ankle. Ankle sprains account for 45% of all sports injuries in the United States. A physical therapist can help you recover from an ankle sprain more quickly, rehabilitate the ankle properly using a treatment program specifically designed to address your injury, and prevent recurrent ankle pain.
Ankle Sprains
A sprain injures the ligaments that connect the leg, ankle, and foot by over stretching or tearing them. Ankle sprains often occur when running, walking on uneven surfaces, jumping, and playing sports.
You usually feel pain immediately after the sprain where the ligament was stretched or torn. The ankle swells immediately, may bruise, and can be tender to touch. If you experience a severe sprain, you may hear a pop or snap as the ligament tears. A mild ankle sprain can take between two weeks to two months to heal. While it usually feels better within a few weeks, it may take months to regain full strength. A severe sprain can take up to 9 months to a year to heal fully.
Symptoms of an ankle sprain include:
Pain
Swelling
Inability to stand or walk on the affected foot
Throbbing sensation in ankle
Stiffness and weakness in ankle
Feeling of instability in your ankle joint
Ankle sprains are measured by three grades that indicate how severely the ligament was damaged. Grade 1 denotes a mild sprain in which the ligament is overstretched. Grade 2 signifies a moderate sprain in which the ligament is overstretched or partially torn. Lastly, Grade 3 indicates a severe sprain in which the ligament is completely torn.
Recurrent ankle sprains are common. Research shows that 73% of those who sprain an ankle once are likely to injury it again. Re-injury is more likely if you have not sufficiently restored muscle strength to the ankle and improved balance following your initial injury. Receiving proper treatment and rehabilitation after an ankle sprain is crucial to prevent recurrent ankle injuries.
Physical Therapy Treatment for Ankle Sprain
Physical therapy is the first line of treatment for ankle sprains. Physical therapy helps you recover from a sprain more quickly and allows your ankle to properly heal and return to its pre-injury strength and mobility.
Within 24 to 48 hours of an ankle sprain, rest, elevating the injured ankle, applying ice, and avoiding activity is recommended to decrease swelling and relieve pain. Your physical therapist will then evaluate the ankle sprain, discussing how the injury occurred, gently pressing on the ankle to test if it is painful to touch, and assessing ankle and foot strength, flexibility, and ability to move and walk. Based on the evaluation, the therapist designs a treatment plan tailored to your specific injury to help you return to activity as quickly and safely as possible.
Physical therapy for ankle sprains includes:
Management of Pain & Swelling: Your physical therapist may use ice, heat, ultrasound, or electrical stimulation to reduce pain and limit swelling.
Manual Therapy: This treatment uses soft tissue mobilization to reduce pain and improve mobility of foot and ankle.
Therapeutic Exercise: Exercise strengthens and conditions all the structures of the lower extremities, addressing weakness and dysfunction in the hip and lower back that may be contributing to ankle instability. Stretching exercises increase the flexibility of the foot and ankle muscles.
Range of Motion Exercises: The physical therapist guides you through normal movements of the ankle starting with passive motions that the PT gently performs on you. You then progress to active exercises and stretches to improve mobility.
Strengthening Exercises: The physical therapist teaches you strengthening exercises at each stage of your recovery to steadily restore your strength, using cuff weights, stretch bands, and weight-lifting equipment.
Balance Training: The physical therapist trains you to safely walk across uneven and unstable surfaces once your ankle is healed to teach your muscles to respond to changes in the environment.
Functional Training: Once you can walk and stand freely without pain, your physical therapist progresses you to safely engage in activities you did prior to your injury, such as jogging or modified running.
Receiving proper rehabilitation for an ankle sprain can prevent long-term issues from developing, such as decreased movement, chronic pain, and ankle joint instability. Physical therapy will help you minimize pain, restore strength, motion, and balance, and safely return you to your normal activities after an ankle sprain.
