Injured and sprained ankles are a common issue that we treat here at Healthy Life Chiropractic. Not only are ankle injuries annoying, but they often limit your ability to move around, accomplish day-to-day tasks, and maintain your health through exercise. Here’s what you need to know.
The Sprain
The most common ankle sprains are inversion ankle sprains, which is when you roll onto the outside edge of the ankle and the bottom of foot faces the other, instead of being planted on the ground. This causes injury to the ligaments on the outside of the foot and muscles on the outside of the leg. When the ankle is not able to properly heal, it becomes far more likely to suffer continued sprains, resulting in a chronic issue.
Regain Ankle Strength
One of the most challenging part of rehabbing a sprained ankle isn’t that the process itself is hard, just that it requires consistency. Here are our tips:
Practice Balance: Proprioception is your body’s ability to tell where it is in space. The receptors responsible for this process are injured in a sprain and need to be retrained. This is done through balance exercises. Try standing on one foot for 60-90 seconds at a time, two to three times on each foot at least two times per day. Start the exercises with your eyes open, then progress to closing them. Eventually you can practice balancing on uneven surfaces. You will know you’ve progressed when you can hold your balance steadily and strongly for the duration of the practice.
Stretch It Out: Give your calf muscles a good stretch. Start with one foot planted firmly on a step and place the ball of the other foot on the edge of the stair, then drop your heel down. Your heel should now be hanging off of the edge of the stair. Hold this for 45-75 seconds, two to three times on each side, one to two times per day.
Strengthen: Strengthening your muscles is an important part of recovery. You can strengthen the lateral muscles of your leg with an elastic exercise band. Start by flexing your ankle out and up, as if you were going to touch the outside of your knee with your little toe.
Schedule An Adjustment: Ankle injuries can cause improper joint range of motion. We can check to see if all the joints in your ankle are moving as they should and throughout their full range. Chiropractic adjustments can help restore proper range of motion and help prevent ankle sprains from happening again.
Whether your ankle sprains are chronic or a one-time accident, don’t let them slow you down! Our team of chiropractic professionals can help you heal and get back on your feet! Contact us to schedule your next chiropractic appointment, or for a consultation.