Picture it, I’m in the Pacific Northwest hiking on a beautiful trail inside of Mount Rainier National Park. My wonderful wife is right behind me as we round the corner of a gigantic pine tree. Our gaze is instantly grasped by an amazing view of Mount Rainier standing defiantly in front of us. I continue to walk forward, but my eyes are hypnotized by the majestic mountain. Within a tenth of a second, my ankle rolls over a loose rock and down I go slamming into the volcanic soil. I know that I have just sustained a significant foot and ankle injury and I instantly regret that I have not been performing my ankle sprain exercises to strengthen my ankles and improve my reactive balance to prevent the exact injury that I just sustained.
Unfortunately, I will now need several weeks of physical therapy exercises to get back to tip-top shape. Thankfully though, in this article, I will teach you the BEST ankle sprain exercises to ensure the fastest recovery possible from these common ankle injuries!
Table of Contents
Ankle Anatomy
The ankle joint is a hinge-type joint that is made up of the tibia, fibula, and talus bones.
Although, functionally it is not that simple. The talus bone then acts kind of like a roof that sits over the calcaneus bone (heel bone). This joint allows the ankle to tilt inwards and outwards.
In addition to those two joints, there are several mid-foot bones called your tarsal bones that help form the arch in your foot. Each of the smaller bones allows movement between one another that helps the foot and arch to collapse inward and roll outward.
Ankle Ligaments
Ligaments are short bands of fibrous connective tissue that connect bone to bone. They help to stabilize the joints, which helps to hold them together.
We have several ligaments located all throughout the foot and ankle. The illustration below shows the most common ankle ligaments that are injured.
What is an Ankle Sprain?
A sprain is an injury to a ligament. These ligaments can be injured if placed under quick, heavy loads of stress. An ankle sprain injury occurs from the ankle ligaments being aggressively stretched or torn in this manner.
As a result of the injury, there will be an inflammatory response from the body in order to try to help promote healing to the injured tissue. This response will lead to pain, swelling, and possibly bruising in the ankle.
Sprains occur commonly in the ankle as the ankle has to control not only our body weight but also the g forces that are caused by our body weight + gravity when we run, jump, hop, etc. Add in a loose surface such as sand or gravel and the likelihood of suffering an ankle sprain significantly increases.
What if My Pain is NOT Coming from the Inside or Outside of My Ankle?
If your pain is coming from the arch area on the bottom of the foot or towards the bottom of your heel bone, then you may be suffering from Plantar Fasciitis.
Alternatively, if your pain is coming from the backside of your ankle near the thick Achilles Tendon, then you’re likely dealing with Achilles Tendonitis/Tendonosis.
Types of Ankle Sprains
1. Lateral (Eversion) Ankle Sprain
- This is the most common type of ankle sprain that involves the ligaments on the outside of the ankle. This occurs when the ankle rolls towards the outside. It usually involves the Calcaneofibular ligament and/or the Anterior Talofibular ligament.
2. Medial (Inversion) Ankle Sprain
- This type of ankle sprain is rarer as it involves the Deltoid ligaments (4 ligaments that form a triangle on the inside of the ankle). It usually requires an external force hitting the lower leg from the outside in order to tilt the ankle inwards. Usually seen in contact sports.
3. High Ankle Sprain
- These sprains are often seen in rugby and American football as they require a lot of force in order to occur and combine twisting and rotation of the foot/ankle. This sprain injures the ligaments that hold the Tibia and Fibula bones together (Tibiofibular ligaments).
Severity Grades and Symptoms of Ankle Sprains
Ankle sprains can be graded based on the severity of injury to the ligament/s.
Grade 1
- Slight stretching or tearing of the ligament. Symptoms include mild tenderness, swelling, and pain. Able to walk with mild pain or discomfort.
Grade 2
- Incomplete tearing of the ligament. Symptoms include moderate tenderness, swelling, and pain. Mild to moderate bruising is present. Painful with walking and may require assistance using crutches or a cane.
- Incomplete tearing of the ligament. Symptoms include moderate tenderness, swelling, and pain. Mild to moderate bruising is present. Painful with walking and may require assistance using crutches or a cane.
Grade 3
- Complete tear of one or more of the ligaments. Symptoms include severe tenderness, swelling, bruising, and pain. Severe pain with walking. Will likely require x-rays to ensure no fractures have occurred. A walking boot, crutches, or a cane will be required.
- Complete tear of one or more of the ligaments. Symptoms include severe tenderness, swelling, bruising, and pain. Severe pain with walking. Will likely require x-rays to ensure no fractures have occurred. A walking boot, crutches, or a cane will be required.
Does Having Flat Feet Cause Ankle Sprains?
Having flat feet does not directly cause an ankle sprain, however, it could indirectly lead to a higher likelihood of suffering an ankle sprain at some point. Flat feet allow the ankle to roll inwards greater and cause increased instability in the foot.
These additional factors could cause the ankle to roll with greater ease resulting in an ankle sprain.
If you have flat feet, it is very important that you perform preventative ankle sprain exercises to strengthen the ankle supporting musculature. Also, I recommend performing balance exercises in both double leg and single leg stance to help improve your reactive balance.
Lastly, if you have flat feet, I would highly recommend getting a pair of quality after-market insoles for the shoes that you wear most often. The insoles that come standard with the shoes when you purchase them are complete junk. Have you ever removed one of them to look at it? If not, go ahead and check one out now.
You’ll notice that it is completely flimsy with no support whatsoever. For those who have flat feet, the support from the shoes is not sufficient. You should get a pair of after-market insoles such as Superfeet. Superfeet makes great insoles that have a polymer blend arch support and cushion heel cup. I have them in all of my shoes including my work shoes and my hiking boots.
- TRIM TO FIT
- SEMI-CUSTOM ORTHOTIC SUPPORT
- PREMIUM ARCH SUPPORT INSOLES
- MOISTUREWICK TOP COVER REDUCES ODORS
- HELPS STABILIZE THE FOOT
- QUALITY CONSTRUCTION
I Just Sprained My Ankle, NOW What?!
If you’ve recently suffered a Grade 1 or Grade 2 ankle sprain and you can still walk on the foot/ankle with only mild to moderate pain, then you should follow the RICE concept:
Rest
- Get off of your feet for a while. The ligaments need to rest to allow for the healing process to work without continually stressing the ligaments by walking and standing. If you continue to challenge the ligaments while they are trying to heal, it will only delay the timeframe of healing.
Ice
- Wrap a gel cold pack around the ankle. Ice will promote vasoconstriction in the capillaries to prevent excessive fluid from traveling to the ankle.
9.4- REUSABLE, SMALL SIZE
- LONG-LASTING GEL COLD PACK
- GREAT FOR SMALL BODY AREAS SUCH AS NECK, ELBOW, ETC.
- PROFESSIONAL QUALITY
- FILLED WITH NON-TOXIC SILICA GEL
Compression
- Wrap an elastic bandage or mild compression sock (15-20 mmHg) around the ankle to help prevent excessive swelling buildup in the ankle. This is especially important if you are planning to be standing or walking for any sustained amount of time.
8.9- 𝐌𝐀𝐃𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝟏𝟎𝟎% 𝐔𝐒𝐀-𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐂𝐎𝐓𝐓𝐎𝐍
- 𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐘 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐅𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐀𝐓 𝐁𝐎𝐓𝐇 𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒
- 𝐃𝐔𝐑𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄, 𝐌𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐑𝐄𝐔𝐒𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄
- 𝟒 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐒𝐈𝐙𝐄𝐒
- 𝟏𝟎𝟎% 𝐂𝐔𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐒𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍
9.3- MULTIPLE COLORS AVAILABLE
- STRENGTH GRADUATED COMPRESSION
- IMPROVES CIRCULATION FOR EXTENDED SITTING, STANDING, OR TRAVEL
- HELPS REDUCE SWELLING, VARICOSE VEINS, SPIDER VEINS, DVT BLOOD CLOTS
Elevation
- Elevate the foot and leg ABOVE heart level! Just remember, “toes above the nose.” Let gravity help you out with reducing the swelling as it draws the fluid out of the lower leg and leads it back toward the center of the body.
9.4- ELEVATED LEG PILLOW
- FIRM SUPPORTIVE FOAM WEDGE PILLOW KEEPS ITS SHAPE
- HELPS RELIEVE DISCOMFORT AND SWELLING
- PROVIDES COMFORTABLE RECOVERY AFTER SURGERY
- MACHINE WASHABLE COVER
What to Do After RICE Has Been Initiated?
You’ll want to keep the ankle moving through a gentle active range of motion. Performing small ankle circles and ankle pumps (think pressing down and letting off a gas pedal) should be done within a mostly pain-free zone. If you feel any sharp, stabbing pains while performing these movements, just reduce the total range of the motion until you find a tolerable zone for the ankle.
Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory oral drugs(NSAIDs) can be considered for short-term use after an ankle sprain. These can help reduce pain and inflammation, however, you should consult with your doctor prior to using any of these medications to ensure that they are safe for you to consume.
After a few days of following the above advice, the ankle should start to feel better and have a greater pain-free range of motion that you can move it through. If this is the case, then it is time for you to start the ankle sprain exercises below!
You’ll likely want to purchase an Ankle Stabilizing Orthosis that you can use to help transition you back to pain-free walking, standing, hiking, sports, etc. These braces usually have a lace-up or crossover velcro strap-type structure with a lateral support strut on each side. The ASOs help to reduce the work demand that is placed onto the injured ligaments in the ankle, so that they can continue to heal.
My favorite ASO is the McDavid ASO Lace-up Brace.
- COMFORTABLE PROTECTION
- SUPPORTIVE & BREATHABLE DESIGN
- DURABLE & MADE TO LAST
- MAXIMUM ANKLE SUPPORT
What if My Ankle Pain and Swelling are Not Improving?
If your ankle pain and swelling are not showing signs of improvement after one to two weeks, then it’s time to see your doctor. The doctor will have x-rays taken of the foot/ankle to assess if there were any fractures that also occurred.
Avulsion fractures occur when the sprain is severe enough that it pulls a small chunk of bone off of the attachment point. If an avulsion fracture did occur, healing will be slowed and you will be required to walk using a walking boot and crutches until the injury has healed for a few weeks.
You can purchase your own walking boot without having to go through insurance.
- USE FOR LOWER LEG INJURIES AND POST-OPERATIVE
- STREAMLINED, SEMI-RIGID SHELL
- LIGHTWEIGHT CONSTRUCTION
- MEDIAL/LATERAL AIR BLADDERS OFFER CUSTOMIZED COMPRESSION
- ROCKER SOLE TO PROMOTE NATURAL GAIT
The BEST Ankle Sprain Exercises for a Faster Recovery!
Ankle Plantarflexion Resistance Band Exercise
- Use this: Theraband Flat Resistance Band
- Perform: 3 sets x 10 reps (1x/day)
Ankle Inversion Resistance Band Exercise
- Use this: Theraband Flat Resistance Band
- Perform: 3 sets x 10 reps (1x/day)
Ankle Eversion Resistance Band Exercise
- Use this: Theraband Flat Resistance Band
- Perform: 3 sets x 10 reps (1x/day)
Ankle Dorsiflexion Resistance Band Exercise
- Use this: Theraband Flat Resistance Band
- Perform: 3 sets x 10 reps (1x/day)
Dual Leg Heel Raise Exercise
- Standing with both knees straight
- Perform: 3 sets x 10-15 reps (1x/day)
Single Leg Heel Raise Exercise
- Standing with knee straight
- Perform: 3 sets x 10-15 reps (1x/day)
Single Leg Romanian Deadlift Exercise
- Use this: Amazon Basics Hex Dumbbell (15-30 lbs)
- Perform: 3 sets x 10 reps (1x/day)
Single Leg Balance Exercise
- Budget Option: Use a firm pillow to stand on from home
Advanced Pro Option: Airex Foam Balance Pad- Perform: 3 sets x 30 seconds (1x/day)
