Your ankles are very important joints that support most of your body weight and must remain flexible enough to bend for walking, running and jumping. Because the ankles deal with so much, it’s common to injure them during physical activities like sports or manual labor.
The three most common ways people injure their ankles are:
- Tendon injuries
- Ligament injuries
- Fractures
If you’ve hurt your ankle in one (or more than one) of these ways, a physical therapist can help. Take a look below to learn more about how physical therapists help you recover from ankle injuries.
Physical therapy for ankle tendon injuries
Tendon injuries like Achilles tendinitis or a ruptured tendon can be painful and limit your range of motion. Physical therapists can use exercises for improving the strength and flexibility of the muscles in your ankle to help reduce pressure and strain off the injured tendon. As your tendon recovers, these exercises help strengthen and stretch it too to further help reduce pain and prevent future injuries of a similar sort.
Physical therapy for ankle ligament injuries
A torn or stretched ligament in the ankle is known as a sprained ankle. Ankle sprains vary in severity for minor stretches to total tears. Regardless of severity, physical therapists can help.
With minor strains and partial tears, physical therapists can guide you through exercises and stretches to help reduce pain and provide stability.
With total tears of the ligament, surgery may be necessary. Physical therapists still help if this is the case. They will guide you through your recovery to help reduce pain and assist you in regaining the use of your ankle for your daily life.
Physical therapy for ankle fractures
If you have broken a bone in your ankle, you may either need a brace or surgery. In either case, physical therapy still helps. Physical therapists can help improve the condition of the muscles and soft tissue around the injured area to help reduce pressure, and they can help you recover after surgery for a fracture.
Visit Border Therapy Services in Horizon City, TX, for ankle injury treatment
Have you suffered a sudden ankle injury that is affecting your ability to use your foot and ankle? Our team at Border Therapy Services in Horizon City, Texas, can treat many types of ankle injuries with physical therapy. Contact us today to talk to our team about ankle injury treatment or to schedule an initial appointment.