One of the most common ankle injuries is the lateral ankle sprain. Most often it occurs in basketball, volleyball or other sports when the athlete lands on another players foot and the ankle rolls giving way under the weight of the athlete. Outside of athletics it can also happen from stepping off a curb wrong, or when a woman’s heel gets stuck when walking.  Whatever the case may be there are certain things you can do to help speed your recovery.

Here are 5 things can do to help you recover from an ankle sprain:

1. R.I.C.E. – most people have heard this acronym but it stands for REST, ICE, COMPRESSION and ELEVATION.  Controlling the swelling initially after an ankle sprain will help shorten your recovery time.
2. Mobility – if it isn’t broken, then you want to keep it moving.  Pump your foot up and down and move it in circles.  This will probably be tender, so just do what you can – bump into the pain don’t plow through it.
3. Flexibility – different than general mobility, this is when you actually start stretching the area and trying to regain movement that your swelling took away.  This can typically be started a few days following your injury.  Start slowly and progress based on your symptoms.
4. Strength – you will never build strength in movement you don’t have so make sure that you continue to work on flexibility.  But as your symptoms calm down you will want to regain your strength so you can return to activity.  Work from general to specific (ie: recumbent bike to toe raises)
5. Balance – this is the final peice to the puzzle and one that is often neglected leading to recurring/chronic ankle sprains.  Practice standing on your injured foot/ankle.  You should be able to stand for at least 30 seconds without losing your balance.  Once you have mastered that try it with your eyes closed or while standing on a pillow.

Truly your best option for a speedy recovery is to come see me or a physical therapist that can help walk you through the steps and progress you as fast as possible.  Don’t let an ankle sprain keep you out of the game any longer than it needs to.  Good luck!

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