Best Exercises for Ankle Sprain Recovery.

After an ankle sprain, the goal of treatment is to restore pain free range of motion in the ankle joint, strengthen the muscles around it, improve your balance, and get you ready for your regular activities again.

Start With Range of Motion

After a sprain, you’ll likely notice joint stiffness and reduced range of motion in addition to pain. It’s important to start range of motion exercises within the first three days after injury. Once you can bear weight on your ankle without an increase in pain or swelling, you can move on to stretching, strength training, and balance work. Full healing can take several weeks and, in some cases, months. A trained physical therapist can help make sure you’re performing these exercises correctly.

Active plantar flexion and dorsiflexion:

• Sit on the floor
• Pull your foot up toward your shin as far as you can and hold for 2 to 3 seconds
• Point your toes down toward the ground as far as you can and hold for 2 to 3 seconds
• Alternate between the two to create a pumping motion
• Aim for 2 sets of 15 repetitions in each direction

Once the initial pain has eased, you can add lateral ankle movements, which stress the healing ligaments more directly. Let pain be your guide: if it increases significantly, stop these exercises for the time being.

Active eversion and inversion:

• Sit on the floor
• Turn your foot so the sole points outward and hold for 2 to 3 seconds
• Turn your foot so the sole points inward and hold for 2 to 3 seconds
• Keep alternating between the two movements
• Aim for 2 sets of 15 repetitions in each direction

Ankle circles:

• Sit on the floor
• Move your ankle slowly clockwise for 10 repetitions
• Then move it counterclockwise for 10 repetitions

Ankle alphabet:

• Use your ankle to “draw” each capital letter of the alphabet in the air
• Repeat the full alphabet 1 to 3 times

Try these range of motion exercises several times a day, and follow them with elevation and 10 to 15 minutes of ice.

Add Stretching

Gastrocnemius stretch using a wall:

• Face a wall with your injured ankle positioned behind you
• Lean forward slowly and place your hands against the wall
• Keep your injured heel in contact with the floor the whole time
• Hold for 20 to 30 seconds and repeat 3 times
• You should feel a stretch in the back of your lower leg; if not, move your leg further back

Gastrocnemius stretch using a step:

• Stand backward on the edge of a step
• Slowly drop your heel on the injured side toward the ground
• Hold for 20 to 30 seconds and repeat 3 times
• If you don’t feel a stretch in the back of your lower leg, drop your heel a little further

Soleus stretch with a wall:

• Stand with your injured leg positioned behind you
• Bend your back leg and lean forward against a wall, keeping your injured heel on the floor
• You should feel this stretch lower, closer to your ankle

Towel stretch:

• Sit with your injured leg straight out in front of you
• Loop a rolled towel under the ball of your foot and hold both ends
• Gently pull the towel to draw your foot toward you while keeping your knee straight
• Hold for 20 to 30 seconds and repeat 3 times

Build Strength and Balance

Isometric eversion:

• Sit in a chair next to a wall with your foot flat on the floor and against the wall
• Push the outside of your foot into the wall and hold for 2 to 3 seconds
• Slowly release and repeat for 3 sets of 15

Isometric inversion:

• Sit with both feet flat on the floor
• Push the insides of your feet together and hold for 2 to 3 seconds
• Slowly release and repeat for 3 sets of 15

Isometric dorsiflexion:

• Sit with your injured foot flat on the floor
• Rest the heel of your other foot on top of it
• Push down with your top heel while pushing up with your injured foot, and hold for 2 to 3 seconds
• Slowly release and repeat for 3 sets of 15

For balance, start with a single leg stand on your injured foot, arms out to the side, holding as long as you can, up to 60 seconds. Once that feels manageable, progress to standing with your arms crossed over your chest, then with your eyes closed, and finally standing on a pillow for an extra challenge.

When to Expect Results

Ankle sprains are common, but they can lead to lasting problems if they aren’t rehabilitated properly. Working through range of motion, stretching, strengthening, and balance exercises in order, and letting pain guide your pace, gives the ankle the best chance to heal fully. A physical therapist can guide you through the process and help lower your risk of ongoing ankle issues.