Three Easy Exercises for Rehabilitating Injured Ankles

Ankles may seem just like two hard bumps on each side of your feet, but they actually contribute a lot towards making the foot flexible, versatile, and above all else, useful. Without ankles, it would be very difficult for us to be able to walk, run, hop, dance, turn and perform other common actions throughout our days. However, if something happens to one of your ankles, pain and difficulty in moving is to be expected. Ankle pain can come from one of many different causes, and treatments can span from exercise and medication to availing ankle surgery in Houston. Most commonly, an injured ankle requires thorough rehabilitation in order for healing to take effect the fastest. This can also decrease the risk of the injury being further aggravated in the future. Here are some simple foot exercises that you can do to help rehabilitate an injured ankle. Dorsiflexion and Plantar Flexion These are simple exercises that you can do while either sitting in a chair or sitting or lying on a flat surface. If you wish to exercise on a flat surface, we encourage you to use an exercise mat for the following exercises. Dorsiflexion is the movement of your ankle so that your toes lean towards your shin bone. This movement will help strength the muscles found in your shin. Place your heel on the ground, and while only moving your ankle, direct your toes backwards while keeping your knees straight. Move your ankle as far as possible without feeling any pain. Hold this position for ten to fifteen seconds at a time. Plantar flexion is moving your ankle so that your toes lean outwards, rather than inwards. This movement will help strength the muscles found in your calf. After directing your toes inward with dorsiflexion, move your ankle to point them outwards. Move your ankle as far as possible without feeling any pain. Hold this position for ten to fifteen seconds at a time. For best results, alternate between dorsiflexion and plantar flexion five times per session. Toe Pickups To help your toes obtain better flexibility and movement following an ankle injury, you can try to pick up one or several small object using just your toes. Moving your toes involve a complex series of muscles that can also be limited due to an injury of the ankle. Small objects like wrapped hard candies, small stones, and erasers will allow you to pick them up with your toes using a moderate amount of effort. Move each object one at a time to the same spot and do this at least three times a day for a meaningful workout for your injured ankle. Towel Calf Stretch A towel of moderate to long length is required for this exercise, and you can do this exercise sitting on a flat surface or in a chair. While looping a towel around the foot, pull back until you feel your calf muscle stretching. Hold it there for about half a minute. Repeat this process about ten times per day. This exercise helps with plantar flexion and will invigorate your calf muscles. If both your ankles are injured, we discourage stretching both feet at the same time, and this can cause the muscles in your feet to splay outwards and aggravation of your injuries to be more likely. Then, ankle surgery in Houston would be warranted for foot and ankle recovery. While recovering from an ankle injury, try to also give the ankle as much of rest as possible between exercising sessions and times of activity, such as walking.