Exercise for ankle sprains — can it help strengthen and restabilize your muscles? When you sprain your ankle for the first time, it might seem like the injury will never go away. You often feel week, as if your ankle cannot support your body weight. Studies show that exercising can help the process of healing after an ankle injury.
Study on Exercise for Ankle Sprains
Eccentric exercise restored the strength of the injured evertor muscles in study participants with their 1st ankle sprain while engaged in sports activity, say authors of an article published in Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports. These results show the value of the exercise, especially as the weakness of these muscles after sprains is one of the main risk factors contributing to instability and the recurrence of sprains, they add.
18 participants were studied to receive physical therapy, including concentric or eccentric strengthening of the evertor ankle muscles. At the end of the physical therapy, the strength of the evertor muscles was tested. After the concentric training, there was both a significant concentric and eccentric strength deficit in comparison with the healthy side. After the eccentric strengthening, the muscle strength was significantly greater during concentric movements as well.
How to Strengthen Your Ankle Muscles
Your ankles support your entire body. Ankle Injuries can affect not only your athletic ability, but also the overall quality of your life if not properly handled.
Contact ECRC Physical Therapy to help you recover from an ankle sprain.
