Sprained Your Ankle? Try Physical Therapy!
Sprained Your Ankle? Try Physical Therapy!
If you’ve never sprained your ankle yourself, you almost certainly know someone who has: ankle sprains are one of the most common orthopedic injuries, accounting for 15% of all sports injuries.
While most people see ankle sprains as minor injuries (think about all those movies where someone’s relieved an injury is an ankle sprain, not a broken bone), they still require care. Physical therapy is essential in creating the right environment for your ankle to heal, which can facilitate the process and help prevent future injuries.
Today, we want to share the story of one of our patients, a lifelong athlete we’ll call Jason. Jason sprained his ankle on the football field and sought treatment at King Physical Therapy to help him return to the game as quickly and safely as possible.
Keep reading to learn more about Jason’s injury and what our physical therapists did to help him. Or, if you’d like more personalized guidance, give us a call to speak to our friendly staff!
A Bad Fall and a Moderate Injury
Football players like Jason are at a high risk of ankle sprains because their sport requires them to run and quickly pivot across the field as they dodge opponents. Jason was in the middle of a scrimmage when he rolled his ankle, forcing the joint beyond its normal range of motion.
Jason knew immediately that something was wrong. He felt an intense, throbbing pain in his ankle, and when he tried to stand up, his ankle felt weak and unstable. The athletic trainer dressed his injury, correctly identified it as a sprain, and suggested he visit a physical therapist.
Jason came to see us a few days later. We determined that Jason had suffered a Grade 2 (moderate) sprain. Ankle sprains occur because the ligaments in the joint either overstretch or tear. The worse the damage to the ligaments, the worse the injury–and the longer the recovery time.
A Grade 2 sprain like Jason’s typically takes up to 6-8 weeks to heal and can take another several weeks to fully rehabilitate. We got him started on the process immediately.
A Personalized Approach to Recovery
Because Jason’s injury was so recent, we started with guidance on how to protect his ankle while staying as active as possible. Physical activity and movement ensure good outcomes after an ankle sprain.
But as he started to improve, we began work on his rehabilitation, guiding him through the recovery process:
- Step 1: Pain Management and Mobility. We offer several all-natural alternatives to pain medication, including pain-relieving modalities and manual therapy. Manual therapy also helped Jason begin to work on his ankle’s mobility by gently guiding his ankle through its range of motion.
- Step 2: Active Mobility. Eventually, Jason graduated to more active mobility exercises. We showed him stretches and other exercises to restore his ankle’s range of motion. We also helped him stretch out his calf muscles.
- Step 3: Strength and Endurance. It was important for Jason to work on restoring and improving strength–not only in his ankle but throughout his leg.
- Step 4: Functional Training. It wasn’t enough for Jason to restore strength. He also needed to retrain in various functional movements, including his agility and sense of balance. We also worked with him on football-specific movements.
- Step 5: Return to Sport. Although Jason felt fully rehabilitated, he needed to ease back into football. We provided him with a personalized return-to-sport program that allowed him to start training in a way that would risk re-injury.
Jason’s treatment plan consisted of both in-clinic sessions guided by his physical therapist and an at-home exercise program to help boost his recovery.
When It Comes to Ankle Sprains, Don’t Skip PT
Ankle sprains rarely require surgery–but physical therapy is essential if you want to fully rehabilitate.
Why? Because someone who suffers one ankle sprain is likely to suffer another, and that’s especially true if they don’t go through rehabilitation. Because Jason took rehab seriously and worked hard to strengthen his ankle and leg muscles, he reduced his risk of future injuries. His efforts during rehab will help protect his ankle in the future.
Call King Physical Therapy to learn how we can help you with your sprained ankle.
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Our Patients Get Great Results
“I’m 45 and chose King for my 2nd knee replacement. I am glad I did. The type of physical therapy I have received is outstanding. They are more hands-on, which was very beneficial for my healing and movement. I wish I had gone to them for my 1st one. They really do care about getting you back to yourself. Suzanne and Kevin, you all rock.“
-Rhonda R.
Exercise of the Month
ANKLE ALPHABETS
Sit comfortably with your leg extended. Use your ankle to “write” the letters of the alphabet in the air, moving only your foot. Keep the motion smooth and controlled to improve ankle mobility and strength.
Summer weekends at the beach, backyard barbecues, and outdoor dinners are finally here, but these gatherings are often loaded with high-calorie pasta salads, chips, ice cream, cocktails, and beers. Enjoy your warm-weather favorites while keeping your nutrition in check with the tips below.
1. Drink green tea instead of sweet tea. Green tea has a natural component that helps speed up your metabolism. Skip the box tea and opt for the brew-it-yourself with boiling water and a tea bag-type tea.
2. Serve seafood. Summer is the ideal time to get the freshest catch from your local grocer. Grill salmon, tuna, lobster, steamer clams, and calamari for a low-calorie, protein-packed lunch or dinner.
3. Don’t skip breakfast. When you wake up in the morning, your body is running on fumes. Eating a breakfast with protein, carbs, and healthy fat kicks your metabolism into high gear and provides energy for the day.
4. Enjoy summer fruits and veggies. It’s easy to sink into a vegetable rut, eating the same boring veggies week after week, but with summer comes fresh choices. Including a mix of in-season colorful veggies in your meals gives your body a nutrient kick.
5. Snack at work. Bring snacks to work and graze throughout the day. When you eat more often—five to six times per day—you’re far less likely to overeat and more likely to stay energized.
6. Hydrate often. The summer heat makes you more susceptible to dehydration. Start off your day by drinking two glasses of water and keep drinking at each meal, as well as before and after your workout, to stay hydrated. Carry a water bottle with you as a reminder to stay hydrated.
7. Recover with a post-workout shake.. After exercising, blend your favorite summer fruits and a scoop of whey protein into a shake to kickstart the muscle-building process, help your body recover from training, and boost your energy levels.
8. Pre-plan your meals. You plan your weekend getaways and activities for summer. Why not your meals? Make it easy by preparing all of your food on Sunday so that you have enough meals for the week. The best part: You’ll save money.
July Word Scramble
cemarai
elidtrncoaa
orkrfsiwe
ddieceenpenn
uraeecbb
beiyltr
Answer Key
america
declaration
fireworks
independence
barbecue
liberty
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Beat the heat with this crisp and refreshing Summer Watermelon Feta Salad, the perfect balance of sweet, salty, and tangy flavors. It’s a light, vibrant dish that’s sure to steal the show at any summer gathering.
Enjoy This Seasonal Healthy Recipe!
Summer Watermelon Feta Salad
- 4 cups watermelon, cubed and chilled
- 1 cup cucumber, thinly sliced
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ¼ cup red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Optional Add-ins: - Avocado slices for healthy fats
In a large bowl, combine watermelon, cucumber, red onion, and mint. Drizzle with lime juice and olive oil. Toss gently to combine. Top with crumbled feta. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Chill for 10–15 minutes before serving.
Meet Our Team
Karla King
PT, MPT, Cert. MDT
Suzanne Gregory
PT, MPT
Monique Mangram
Office Staff
