Ankle injuries, from sprains to fractures, are among the most common musculoskeletal issues — and suffering an ankle injury puts you at greater risk of future ankle pain. In fact, about one in five people who sprain their ankles develop chronic ankle instability.
Even minor ankle injuries can compromise your strength, stability, and mobility, making everyday activities difficult and increasing your risk of further damage. The good news? Physical therapy can help you heal and avoid re-injury down the road.
Lisa Burson, DPM, Joe Aoun, DPM, Michael Rose, DPM, and our team at The Foot & Ankle Specialists offer comprehensive care for ankle injuries, and here’s how physical therapy helps patients regain function and prevent long-term complications.
Your ankle is a complex joint that connects your lower leg bones (tibia and fibula) to your foot through the talus bone. It both supports your body weight and enables movement through flexion, extension, and rotation.
An injury, like a sprain (damage to ligaments) or fracture (bone break), disrupts this intricate system that gives movement to your ankle. Common symptoms include pain, swelling, stiffness, and instability, which can persist without proper treatment.
Experiencing an ankle injury can also weaken surrounding muscles and ligaments, even if they aren’t directly involved. When this happens, you can develop further impaired function and an increased risk of chronic joint problems.
Physical therapy is a completely noninvasive treatment that involves personalized, structured exercises designed to address the specific needs of your injury. Your physical therapist assesses the condition of your ankle and develops a plan to rebuild strength, restore range of motion, and improve balance.
Therapy focuses on gradual improvement through exercise, while at the same time, avoiding stress that could delay healing. Key components include:
Your early physical therapy sessions focus on alleviating discomfort and inflammation. Depending on your injury, your therapist might use techniques like compression wraps, gentle movements to stimulate circulation, and ice therapy to minimize swelling.
As your body starts to heal, your therapist introduces range-of-motion exercises to help prevent stiffness and help you begin to regain flexibility. These exercises often include gentle, controlled stretches that target your ankle joint and surrounding muscles in your leg and foot.
Strength-building is a key component of physical therapy — and it’s an essential part of recovery to support your ankle joint and reduce your likelihood of re-injury. Activities like resistance band exercises or controlled weight-bearing tasks help rebuild muscle strength and joint stability, and your therapist tailors your exercises to meet your needs.
When you injure your ankle, it isn’t uncommon to lose proprioception, which is the ability to sense movement and position. Your physical therapy program might incorporate balance exercises to improve proprioception, like standing on one leg or using a wobble board to enhance your coordination and stability.
The ultimate goal of therapy is to get you back to your favorite activities — whether you enjoy walking, running, or playing sports. Your therapist increases the intensity of your exercises as you progress through physical therapy, and they can also guide you through sport-specific or daily-life movements to make sure your ankle can handle stress safely and comfortably.
Physical therapy doesn’t just promote short-term recovery. It sets you up for healing now, and it provides lasting benefits later on, too.
Strengthening your muscles and improving flexibility helps lower your risk of future injuries, and better mobility helps you resume your routines and your favorite activities confidently. Even after recovery, you can continue using the exercises you learned during therapy to maintain ankle health and prevent reinjury.
Physical therapy is a cornerstone of our approach at The Foot & Ankle Specialists, and it could be a key piece of your recovery plan. So if you’re dealing with an ankle injury, don’t wait — schedule a consultation today to start your recovery. Call our offices in Bay City, Caro, and Lapeer, Michigan, or book online now.
