by Steve Elton
If you train long enough and hard enough and you will likely have to deal with an injury at some point. Some of the most common overuse injuries I see in my clinic are those of the foot and ankle. Most sprains and strains can first be treated with RICE-rest, ice, compression (in the form of an over the counter brace or compressive garment), and keeping the foot elevated as much as possible. Once the swelling and pain are decreased, early controlled movement has been shown to improve healing and put you back on the road quickly. You should continue to wear the compressive garment or brace to increase stability until the injury is fully healed. Exercises can not only improve muscle strength and joint range of motion, but also retrain the balance component that is inevitably lost in lower leg injuries.
There is an extensive library of foot and ankle exercises to choose from, but my top five for rehabilitating foot and ankle follow.
1. Single leg ball toss- Stand 6-10 feet from a wall with a tennis ball, toss ball 10-15 times, repeat.
2. Towel curls- Place a towel on the floor and using a spray bottle slightly wet the towel. Using your toes scrunch the towel up under your toes till you reach the end. Repeat.
3. Wobble board - Use a commercial wobble board, stand in front of a wall with the one leg on the board, using your ankle move the board front/back, side/side and clockwise/counter clockwise 10 times each. Repeat.
4. BOSU balance - Stand in front of a wall with the bosu round side up, balance on one leg for 10-15 seconds. Repeat.
5. Theraband - Have someone hold a commercial resistance band around your foot, do 10-15 repeats in all planes up/down/in/out. Repeat.
Consistent performance of these exercises is the key to increasing strength and range of motion of the foot and ankle. These basic five exercises can do wonders for minor to moderate injuries. Once the injury is healed you may want to include them in your strength routine regularly. Although the injury is healed, you may have a “weak spot” that requires continued attention in order to perform the activities you enjoy. Athletes in particular must be careful, as their bodies are under significantly more stress than the average person. Even a healthy ankle can benefit from these exercises. For more severe injuries seek the help of a medical professional.
Steve Elton is a physical therapist, strength and conditioning specialist and triathlete. He received his MS from the
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