How Does A Wobble Board Strengthen The Ankles?

Utilize the wobble board to develop ankle and foot strength, proprioception, and balance. The unstable surface of the wobble board forces the smaller muscles, tendons, and ligaments to control the board's movements. You can use the wobble board for injury rehabilitation, injury prevention, balance training and sports specific training. Wobble board exercises should never elicit pain and should be worked into your training regime gradually and increased in gradual increments.

Anatomy

The ankle's ligaments attach the lower leg bones to the foot bones. According to the authors of "Knee Pain: The Self-Help Guide," John Garrett MD and Bob Resnik MBA, ligaments are made of tough collagen fibers. Ligaments provide support and stabilize joints by preventing excess motion. Movement exercises on the wobble board will increase ligaments strength and help stabilize the ankle joint.

Injuries

According to Dr. Jens Urlik Wester and colleagues, writing in the "Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, "Ankle sprains are amongst the most common sports injuries." Most ankle sprains occur on the outside of the ankle, when you land with you foot and ankle turned inward. This damages the ligaments that attach the bone on the outside of the lower leg to the foot. The ligaments that attach the inner lower leg to the foot may be injured with excessive forceful outward turning of the foot and ankle. Implementing wobble board training after an ankle ligamentous sprain may speed recovery time and prevent future injuries.

Ankle Rehabilitation

In his book, "Beating Sports Injuries," author Andrew Pallus writes, "Ligaments have poor blood supply and so they heal slowly." Improper ligament healing can be a source of ankle stability and weakness. You can utilize the wobble board to rehabilitate new and old ankle injuries. Start at an appropriate level for you and increase your intensity and volume gradually. You may need to start with an instrument that moves in only one plane called a rocker board and graduate to the wobble board.

Wobble Board Basics

Depending on the severity of your injury, you may need to start in a seated position before progressing to a standing position. Seated or standing you will strengthen the ligaments, strengthen the peroneal muscles of the lateral lower leg, and increase proprioception. Doctor of chiropractic Manuel Duarte defines proprioception as "Position sense or knowing where the body is in space." Increasing ligament strength, muscle strength and developing greater proprioception will help stabilize the ankle joint.

Advanced Wobble Board

During advanced phases of injury rehabilitation or during injury prevention training, you can progress from the seated to the standing position. Executing ankle range of motion exercises in all planes and in circular motions will strengthen your entire ankle. You can balance yourself on the board and close your eyes or you may want to play catch with a ball while balancing yourself. In very advanced stages, you have the option of performing squats or partial squats on the wobble board.