rehabilitation aims to return the sprained ankle to pre-injury and action!
- progressive mobilisation
- GRADUATED exercise
- training
- heat and cold
Progressive Mobilisation with your second degree ankle sprain
Progressive Mobilisation is important to gradually introduce movement to the torn ligaments in the ankle. Gradually moving the injured area using light stretches and rotations will reduce the build-up of scar tissue and allow greater flexibility at the sprained ankle and the injured athlete must gradually increase range of motion and continue until the injured ankle is fully functional. You will benefit from slight plantar flexion stretch to reduce the seizing up of the joint and surrounding muscles.
Progressive Mobilisation is important to gradually introduce movement to the torn ligaments in the ankle. Gradually moving the injured area using light stretches and rotations will reduce the build-up of scar tissue and allow greater flexibility at the sprained ankle and the injured athlete must gradually increase range of motion and continue until the injured ankle is fully functional. You will benefit from slight plantar flexion stretch to reduce the seizing up of the joint and surrounding muscles.
Graduated Exercise Involves stretching, conditioning and achieving total body fitness and is vital in order to return to play. For a second degree sprain, graduated exercise should be applied 5-7 days after injury incurrence.
ANKLE REHABILITATION STRETCHES & STRATEGIES
- should be pain free & held for up to 30 seconds
- allows muscles to regain elasticity
- vital part of the rehabilitation process
PNF (Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation) stretching is an effective stretching method and involves a series of static stretches and muscle contractions or isometric activations. PNF uses this muscle activity to exploit certain neuromuscular traits and facilitate a greater stretch.
Incorporate the following PNF stretches to continue your journey to full ankle recovery
Plantar Flexion Hold one end of the elastic band with your hands and loop the other end around the ball of your foot. While pulling on the band, push the ball of your foot away from your body. Hold for three seconds & repeat.
ANKLE REHABILITATION STRETCHES & STRATEGIES
- should be pain free & held for up to 30 seconds
- allows muscles to regain elasticity
- vital part of the rehabilitation process
PNF (Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation) stretching is an effective stretching method and involves a series of static stretches and muscle contractions or isometric activations. PNF uses this muscle activity to exploit certain neuromuscular traits and facilitate a greater stretch.
Incorporate the following PNF stretches to continue your journey to full ankle recovery
Plantar Flexion Hold one end of the elastic band with your hands and loop the other end around the ball of your foot. While pulling on the band, push the ball of your foot away from your body. Hold for three seconds & repeat.
Dorsiflexion. Loop one end of the band around a secure object, such as the leg of a table, and the other end around your foot. Pull the upper half of your foot backward towards your body. Hold for three seconds.
Inversion With the band looped around a secure object, sit in a chair. Keeping your heel on the floor, swing your foot inward. Hold for three seconds.
Eversion Starting from the same position as in the inversion exercise, but with the elastic band in the reverse direction, swing your foot outward. Hold for three seconds & repeat
CONDITIONING
*THIS STAGE MUST BE PAIN FREE, DO NOT PARTAKE IN ANY ACITIVITY THAT HURTS YOUR ANKLE*
Conditioning is a vital part of the recovery process for a second degree ankle sprain and numerous strategies must be applied in order for your recovery to progress. During the conditioning phase you must aim to be as active as possible to strengthen your ankle into normal condition. Choose conditioning that is SPECIFIC to your ankle injury such as walking in short intervals. You wouldn't choose an arm exercise to get yourself into shape during the conditioning phase as your ankle is not being strengthened and restored by doing so. Furthermore, as you progressively notice the improvement in your flexibility, strength, power, muscular endurance, balance, and co-ordination of your sprained ankle, applying the principle of PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD meaning to progressively increase the frequency, intensity, time and type of ankle exercise applied to your ankle, so that it can gradually regain full stability complete the process of stretching & conditioning.
Examples include:
- Start with simple balancing exercises like walking along a straight line, or balancing on a beam. Progress to one-leg exercises like balancing on one foot, and then try the same exercises with your eyes closed.
- Progressively, try Wobble or Rocker boards, Swiss balls, Stability cushions and Foam rollers which will strengthen your ankle
*THIS STAGE MUST BE PAIN FREE, DO NOT PARTAKE IN ANY ACITIVITY THAT HURTS YOUR ANKLE*
Conditioning is a vital part of the recovery process for a second degree ankle sprain and numerous strategies must be applied in order for your recovery to progress. During the conditioning phase you must aim to be as active as possible to strengthen your ankle into normal condition. Choose conditioning that is SPECIFIC to your ankle injury such as walking in short intervals. You wouldn't choose an arm exercise to get yourself into shape during the conditioning phase as your ankle is not being strengthened and restored by doing so. Furthermore, as you progressively notice the improvement in your flexibility, strength, power, muscular endurance, balance, and co-ordination of your sprained ankle, applying the principle of PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD meaning to progressively increase the frequency, intensity, time and type of ankle exercise applied to your ankle, so that it can gradually regain full stability complete the process of stretching & conditioning.
Examples include:
- Start with simple balancing exercises like walking along a straight line, or balancing on a beam. Progress to one-leg exercises like balancing on one foot, and then try the same exercises with your eyes closed.
- Progressively, try Wobble or Rocker boards, Swiss balls, Stability cushions and Foam rollers which will strengthen your ankle
ACHIEVING TOTAL BODY FITNESS
This is the process by which you regain a level of mental and physical fitness equivalent to pre-injury by mainitaining full body fitness specific to your sport through flexibility, strength and endurance before returning to train and play.
For Soccer Specifically...
Soccer players must maintain their aerobic and anaerobic body fitness so that they do not undergo reversibility and lose fitness over their recovery period.
HOW?
The injured soccer player may go slow jogging, working at a max HR of approximately 45VO2, approximately twice-three times a week. To maintain anaerobic activities during the recovery period, the athlete may partake in various anaerobic exercises in relation to soccer such as agility tests, sprints and specific fast soccer drills to ensure they do not undergo reversibility during the recovery period.
This is the process by which you regain a level of mental and physical fitness equivalent to pre-injury by mainitaining full body fitness specific to your sport through flexibility, strength and endurance before returning to train and play.
For Soccer Specifically...
Soccer players must maintain their aerobic and anaerobic body fitness so that they do not undergo reversibility and lose fitness over their recovery period.
HOW?
The injured soccer player may go slow jogging, working at a max HR of approximately 45VO2, approximately twice-three times a week. To maintain anaerobic activities during the recovery period, the athlete may partake in various anaerobic exercises in relation to soccer such as agility tests, sprints and specific fast soccer drills to ensure they do not undergo reversibility during the recovery period.
Training
Full training should be limited throughout the rehabilitation process. The athlete should return to play only when completely pain free and having full range of mobility of the injured area.
For soccer, easing slowly into training will be the most effective way to ensure that you do not re-sprain your ankle. After mastering the basic skills and drills during short training sessions, choose specific exercises that target your ankle relative to the game. Plyometric exercises during training should be progressively worked up to, as they are explosive movements that both lengthen and contract a muscle at the same time. These are called eccentric muscle contractions, and involve movements like jumping, bounding and skipping.
e.g.
- Practicing jumping to head the ball and land effectively land without re-injuring.
- Agility Poles and Testing
Participating in specific training will allow your ankle to strengthen, and therefore help to ease into regular training patterns.
Full training should be limited throughout the rehabilitation process. The athlete should return to play only when completely pain free and having full range of mobility of the injured area.
For soccer, easing slowly into training will be the most effective way to ensure that you do not re-sprain your ankle. After mastering the basic skills and drills during short training sessions, choose specific exercises that target your ankle relative to the game. Plyometric exercises during training should be progressively worked up to, as they are explosive movements that both lengthen and contract a muscle at the same time. These are called eccentric muscle contractions, and involve movements like jumping, bounding and skipping.
e.g.
- Practicing jumping to head the ball and land effectively land without re-injuring.
- Agility Poles and Testing
Participating in specific training will allow your ankle to strengthen, and therefore help to ease into regular training patterns.
Heat and Cold
The application of heat and cold is a vital component in the recovery process. COLD is used for immediate injury management and it prevents swelling due to internal bleeding and can be applied for anything up to 4 days after incurring your ankle sprain. Cold will be useful after training and graduated exercise procedures and it will reduced any site of inflammatory rapidly. However, the application of HEAT is not generally used until approximately 4 days after injury as bleeding is still occurring but during the rehabilitation process throughout the Progressive Mobilisation, Graduated Exercise and Training process, heat will promote the movement of blood flow and relax the muscles in the ankle, gradually completely healing the sprain.
E.g. A heat/cold pack can either be heated, or frozen and can be used in either way depending on what is required.
The application of heat and cold is a vital component in the recovery process. COLD is used for immediate injury management and it prevents swelling due to internal bleeding and can be applied for anything up to 4 days after incurring your ankle sprain. Cold will be useful after training and graduated exercise procedures and it will reduced any site of inflammatory rapidly. However, the application of HEAT is not generally used until approximately 4 days after injury as bleeding is still occurring but during the rehabilitation process throughout the Progressive Mobilisation, Graduated Exercise and Training process, heat will promote the movement of blood flow and relax the muscles in the ankle, gradually completely healing the sprain.
E.g. A heat/cold pack can either be heated, or frozen and can be used in either way depending on what is required.