Rehab Exercises For The Ankle & Foot

Ankle and foot injuries are very common. Their initial treatment centers on stabilization of any broken bones and minimization of swelling. However, in order to return to full function, some rehabilitation exercises will likely be needed. Depending on the nature of your injury, these might involve strengthening exercises or stretching exercises. It's important to be optimistic when thinking about recovery from your injury. However, it's also important to be aware that rehabilitation does not necessarily mean return to full function.

Importance of Rehabilitation

Injuries to the foot and ankle are very common, with ankle sprains, in particular, being the most common musculoskeletal injury handled by emergency physicians, as noted by Dr. Neha Raukar and colleagues in "The Atlas of Emergency Medicine." Rehabilitation exercises help foot and ankle injuries heal faster and stronger, and make you less likely to re-injure the same site.

Ankle Exercises

Dr. Brett Sanders, of the Center for Sports Medicine and Orthopaedics in Chattanooga, Tennessee, recommends beginning exercises for ankle rehabilitation as soon as it is comfortable to do so -- usually within a couple of days of the injury. To maintain ankle range of motion, you can trace the alphabet in the air with the foot of the injured ankle. To improve the strength of your ankle muscles, which is an important step in preventing future injuries, you can do "toe raises" by raising yourself up on your tip-toes 20 to 30 times, and, as your ankle gets stronger, you can try balancing on that leg for several minutes with your other leg in the air.

Foot Exercises

The most common "foot" injuries that doctors treat are actually the result of a condition known as "plantar fasciitis," which is inflammation of the connective tissue on the sole of the foot, and Achilles tendonitis, which is inflammation of the tendon that connects your heel to your calf muscle. These conditions result from overuse -- for example, excessive jumping, running or walking can cause them. Rehabilitation exercises for these conditions consist of gentle stretching. For example, according to the Cleveland Clinic, performing seated heel-stretches can be enormously beneficial for both of these conditions. These are performed by sitting on the floor with the injured foot fully extended in front of you, wrapping a towel around that foot, and slowly pulling your toes back toward your body, so that you feel a stretch in the bottom of your foot and in the Achilles area. This position should be held for 30 seconds and repeated at least five times.

Duration of Rehabilitation

The duration of a rehabilitation program is a difficult thing to quantify. For some people -- for example, those who did little damage to themselves or who heal quickly -- rehab may only take a couple of weeks. For others -- for example, older people, or those who did significant damage -- rehab may take significantly longer, and, in fact, may be a lifelong undertaking. It's best to talk to your doctor or physical therapist about what duration of rehab is appropriate for your situation.

Outcomes

Outcomes from rehabilitation programs will depend on a couple of things. First, how severe was your injury? The more severe, the more difficult rehabilitation will be. Second, how dedicated are you to following your rehab program to the letter? If you deviate from the plan -- for example, by returning to full activity before you are healed -- you will jeopardize your chances at full rehabilitation. You can maximize your chances of full recovery by consulting with a doctor or a physical therapist, who can give you detailed, monitored instruction in performing specific rehabilitation exercises. Despite this, in some cases full rehabilitation may not be possible, and you may need to gradually adjust your lifestyle to accommodate a slightly declined level of functioning.