A sprain occurs when any of the ligaments in your body stretch or tear due to an acute force or chronic stress. Common injury sites include the ankle, elbow, knee, shoulder and wrist. Regardless of the severity of the sprain, performing exercises to strengthen the affected joint is a key component of the rehabilitation process. Consult a physical therapist to develop an exercise program that's tailored to your specific needs.
Ankle-Sprain Exercises
The ankle is the most common site for a ligament-sprain injury, which may be caused by landing in an awkward position or moving on an uneven surface. A rehabilitation program for an ankle sprain should include exercises that strengthen your lower-leg muscles, such as heel raises, which target the calf muscles on the back of your lower leg. You can also use an elastic band to provide resistance as you flex your ankle and turn it inward and outward repeatedly from a flexed position.
Elbow-Sprain Exercises
Exercises for an elbow sprain should strengthen the muscles on the front and back of your upper arm, which facilitate flexion and extension, respectively, and the forearm muscles, which also help stabilize the joint. Biceps curls, the triceps pressdown, and wrist curls and extensions are examples of such exercises. Respectively, the first of these targets the elbow flexors, the second the elbow extensors, and the third and fourth work on the appropriate forearm muscles.
Knee-Sprain Exercises
The knee is surrounded by four ligaments -- the anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL; the lateral collateral ligament, or LCL; the medial collateral ligament, or MCL; and the posterior cruciate ligament, or PCL. Strengthening exercises for a knee-sprain injury should target the muscles within your lower legs and the hamstrings and quadriceps muscle groups in your thighs. Heel raises, resisted ankle flexion, hamstring curls, leg extensions, partial to full squats, and stepups are examples of appropriate exercises.
Shoulder-Sprain Exercises
A variety of muscles act on and surround your shoulder joint, enabling abduction, adduction, extension, flexion and rotation ranges of motion. Strengthening exercises for a shoulder sprain should target the muscles that produce each of these specific movements. Lifting dumbbells forward and sideways from your hip, for instance, strengthens the muscles that flex and abduct your shoulder, respectively. The bench press, military press, reverse fly, and external and internal rotation exercises are other examples.
Wrist-Sprain Exercises
The forearm exercises mentioned previously -- wrist curls and extensions -- are also appropriate for strengthening the wrist joints after suffering a wrist-sprain injury. These barbell exercises involve placing your forearms over a padded bench with your hands and wrists extended over the opposite edge, and repeatedly flexing and extending your wrists with your palms facing upward and downward, respectively. Squeezing a small rubber ball, such as a racquetball or a tennis ball, for a minute or more several times a day may also help.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Sprains and Strains; October 2009
- FamilyDoctor.org; Ankle Sprains: Healing and Preventing Injury; December 2010
- American Chiropractic Association Rehab Council; Rehabilitation of Elbow Injuries; Kim Christensen; 2003
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons; Knee Exercises; February 2009
- Aurora Health Care; Shoulder Sprain; Laurie LaRusso; October 2010
- Summit Medical Group; Wrist Sprain Rehabilitation Exercises; Tammy White and Phyllis Clapis; 2009
