Ankle Sprain Rehabilitation: Rehabilitation Protocols for Faster Recovery
- posted: Apr. 11, 2024
Suffering from an ankle sprain? Let the sports medicine team at Rehabilitation Physicians in Novi and Howell, MI, help you recover and get back to your life more quickly.
Ankle Sprain Rehabilitation
Ankle sprains are a common and painful injury. They are also incredibly disruptive to daily life. If you experience one, you desperately want to heal as quickly as you possibly can. In this guide, the team at Rehabilitation Physicians of Novi and Howell, MI, share how the right care at home and a sports medicine rehabilitation specialist can help you not only heal quickly, but fully.
Understanding Ankle Sprains
Your ankle contains ligaments that help keep the joints stable. They also keep your joints from moving too far. Sometimes, though, forceful or sudden pressure – such as with a fall – can make a ligament stretch too far or even tear.
This injury is known as an ankle sprain. Sprains are categorized into three separate grades. Grade I is mild and typically takes less than a month to recover from with proper care. Grade II is moderate and typically takes about two months. Grade III is severe, usually meaning that the ligament is torn, which means it can take three months or longer to recover from.
Ankle Sprain Recovery
One of the first steps to take with an ankle sprain is to employ the RICE Method. You need to rest, ice, and elevate your feet, as well as use light compression. However, resting too long can lead to stiffness, so be sure that you are moving your ankle gently.
It’s also a wise idea to work with a rehabilitation specialist who can develop a recovery plan with the most effective exercises for your injury and needs. Though the specific exercises depend on the location and severity of the ankle sprain, they fall into the following categories.
- Balance exercises to help you get back to functioning and moving well through your daily activities
- Strengthening exercises to improve the muscle support for your ankle
- Range-of-motion exercises to improve joint mobility, flexibility, and function
- Stretching exercises to help prevent stiffness, especially in the Achilles tendon, while healing of the ankle occurs
As you heal, you’ll be able to return to daily activities. However, it’s important that you listen to your body and to your rehab specialist, as you don’t want to impede your healing. A slow and progressive return to normalcy can be critical for faster and lasting recovery.
Don’t let an ankle sprain keep you down. Schedule a sports medicine appointment with the team at Rehabilitation Physicians in Novi and Howell, MI, by calling (248) 893-3200 today.
- posted: Apr. 11, 2024
Suffering from an ankle sprain? Let the sports medicine team at Rehabilitation Physicians in Novi and Howell, MI, help you recover and get back to your life more quickly.
Ankle Sprain Rehabilitation
Ankle sprains are a common and painful injury. They are also incredibly disruptive to daily life. If you experience one, you desperately want to heal as quickly as you possibly can. In this guide, the team at Rehabilitation Physicians of Novi and Howell, MI, share how the right care at home and a sports medicine rehabilitation specialist can help you not only heal quickly, but fully.
Understanding Ankle Sprains
Your ankle contains ligaments that help keep the joints stable. They also keep your joints from moving too far. Sometimes, though, forceful or sudden pressure – such as with a fall – can make a ligament stretch too far or even tear.
This injury is known as an ankle sprain. Sprains are categorized into three separate grades. Grade I is mild and typically takes less than a month to recover from with proper care. Grade II is moderate and typically takes about two months. Grade III is severe, usually meaning that the ligament is torn, which means it can take three months or longer to recover from.
Ankle Sprain Recovery
One of the first steps to take with an ankle sprain is to employ the RICE Method. You need to rest, ice, and elevate your feet, as well as use light compression. However, resting too long can lead to stiffness, so be sure that you are moving your ankle gently.
It’s also a wise idea to work with a rehabilitation specialist who can develop a recovery plan with the most effective exercises for your injury and needs. Though the specific exercises depend on the location and severity of the ankle sprain, they fall into the following categories.
- Balance exercises to help you get back to functioning and moving well through your daily activities
- Strengthening exercises to improve the muscle support for your ankle
- Range-of-motion exercises to improve joint mobility, flexibility, and function
- Stretching exercises to help prevent stiffness, especially in the Achilles tendon, while healing of the ankle occurs
As you heal, you’ll be able to return to daily activities. However, it’s important that you listen to your body and to your rehab specialist, as you don’t want to impede your healing. A slow and progressive return to normalcy can be critical for faster and lasting recovery.
Don’t let an ankle sprain keep you down. Schedule a sports medicine appointment with the team at Rehabilitation Physicians in Novi and Howell, MI, by calling (248) 893-3200 today.