Ankle pain is a common issue, and this is especially true if you’re an athlete. For instance, many sports players are at risk of falls that can lead to an ankle sprain. Contact with other players in sports like football, rugby and soccer can also cause an ankle sprain. In either of these cases, ankle sprains tend to cause pain, swelling and inflammation, and there are two top physical therapy methods that are used in ankle pain treatment plans.
1. Range-of-motion exercises
One concern that ankle issues commonly cause is decreased range of motion. Range of motion is the ways you move a joint under normal circumstances. However, injuries can make it harder to move your ankle, and this lack of movement can actually increase your pain.
Using range-of-motion exercise routines from an experienced physical therapist can help reduce your ankle pain. In fact, an article from the University of Michigan urges patients to begin using these exercises within 72 hours of their injury. These exercises can help improve blood flow to your ankle and gently stretch sore tissue. In turn, these benefits may help reduce pain.
2. Strengthening exercises
Ankle injuries often leave muscles, tendons and ligaments weakened, and this weakening leads to a loss of ankle stability that may increase your chances of another ankle injury. However, having strengthening exercises in your ankle pain treatment program can help improve your ankle stability.
There are three types of muscles that help stabilize your ankle. The first is the peroneals, and these muscles start in the arch of your foot and wrap around the ankle. The calf muscles are a second type of muscle that’s important for ankle stability. Their job is to support the back of your ankle. The third muscle type that’s vital to the ankle is the posterior tibialis, and this muscle supports the inside of your ankle.
When you injure your ankle, any of these muscles can be damaged and weakened. But, targeted physical therapy exercises can be used to strengthen them and promote their healing. Such exercises can also ensure that your ankle is returned to normal levels of stability.
Find the ankle pain treatment you need at Border Therapy Services
If you’re dealing with ankle pain in El Paso or Horizon City, Texas, or Las Cruces, New Mexico, Border Therapy Services has a clinic nearby that can help. Our physical therapists are highly trained and experienced, and this means we can help you design an effective ankle pain treatment plan. Our plan will be personalized to you, and it may include therapy methods such as:
- Manual therapy
- Balance training
- Range-of-motion exercises
- Therapeutic stretches
- Targeted strengthening exercises
- Electrical stimulation
Take the next step to find relief from your ankle pain. Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.