Physiotherapy Exercises for Ankle Pain
If you're struggling with ankle pain, gentle exercises and stretches can offer relief. While it's important to rest, focused home therapy has incredible benefits. Let's explore some simple physiotherapy techniques for ankle pain that you can do anywhere.
Why Do Ankle Stretches and Exercises?
Stretching your ankle and exercising these muscle groups relieve pain by loosening the soft tissue in the feet. These targeted efforts also provide other potential benefits:
- Prevents injury: Ankle exercises improve muscle and joint flexibility and strength, helping to prevent an ankle-related injury.
- Assists the healing process: After an ankle injury, gentle stretches and ankle exercises can help you regain joint strength and mobility, aiding the healing process.
- Improves balance: Strong muscles in and around your ankles improve your balance, which can enhance your overall athletic ability.
How to Stretch Your Ankles
The ankle is a natural wonder and its complexity can make it difficult to recover from ankle pain or injury. The ankle stretches and exercises below focus on strength, balance, flexibility and range of motion. They shouldn't cause discomfort, so stop if you're experiencing pain.
Heel Raise
- Place your hands on a wall or the back of a chair for balance.
- Lift your heels off the floor and balance on the balls of your feet.
- Hold this position for five seconds.
- Return to the start position.
- Repeat this stretch 10 times.
Ankle Flexion
- Sit toward the front of a chair with your right leg extended.
- Flex your right foot back toward your body.
- Hold this flex for 20 seconds.
- Relax the foot.
- Repeat this stretch 10 times with each foot.
Ankle Rotations
- Lie on your back on the floor or on a yoga mat.
- Raise your right leg slightly off the floor with your toes facing upward.
- Rotate your right foot to the right and hold for 10 seconds. Then, turn it to the left and hold for 10 seconds.
- Repeat 20 times for each foot.
Heel Slides
- Lie on your back on the floor or on a yoga mat.
- Slide your right heel toward your buttocks as far as comfortable.
- Slide your right heel back down to the starting position.
- Repeat 10 times for each leg.
Equipment-Assisted Ankle Stretch
- Sit toward the front of a chair with your back straight.
- Place a bungee-type resistance cord over your right foot toward the front but not at the tip of your toes.
- Extend your right leg and pull the cord until you achieve your desired resistance and difficulty.
- Point the toes of your right foot down toward the floor.
- Hold this position for five seconds.
- Repeat 20 times.
- Switch legs and repeat.
Find Relief From Ankle Pain at MyoDynamic Health
We want to help you find relief from ankle pain at MyoDynamic Health. Our experienced team specializes in targeted health therapy services and can find the best treatment option for your needs. Reach out to us today to learn more.