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To Know and Help with Your Ankle Pain

[Sponsored Article] Ankle is an important lower limb joint of human body. It is stable with mobility to accomplish standing, walking, running, jumping and basic human body movements. It is one of the joints that most easily injured due to the fact that it is located at the end of human lower limb and the kinetic chain...

[Sponsored Article] 

Ankle is an important lower limb joint of human body. It is stable with mobility to accomplish standing, walking, running, jumping and basic human body movements. It is one of the joints that most easily injured due to the fact that it is located at the end of human lower limb and the kinetic chain, and it involves most of the daily activities and sports movements. Injury without proper therapy and training may cause ankle joint to become unstable and increase the chance of repeat injury or may even cause over-use of other joints. This article introduces some balance exercises to help readers gain a better understanding on prevention of ankle sprain and provide a significant reference for post-rehabilitation training.

Ankle sprain’s prevention and post-rehabilitation trainings

Regular footcare routine can help to keep problem to a minimum and exercises on the ankle joint’s lateral muscles, peroneus muscles, and proprioception trainings are crucial for injury prevention and post-rehabilitation training.

The functions of peroneus muscles are ankle eversion, assisting plantar flexion and maintaining the plantar arch. To train this muscle, you can use the elastic band ankle eversion exercise (Figure 1). During the training, the elastic band is wrapped around the feet with another side of the elastic band is being fixed. Then you can do an ankle eversion movement to work against the resistance of the elastic band. Due to the small range of movement (ROM) of ankle joint, you will tend to do a dorsi flexion movement. This should be avoided during the ankle eversion exercise.

Figure 1: Elastic band ankle eversion exercise

In order to protect the ankle joint position, proprioception and balance during static state and movement can help prevent further injuries.

At beginner level’s training, standing on one foot and then on top introducing head turning, arm swings and eye-closed movement can increase the difficulties. If you can keep the balance, then try to stand on a balance disc or rocker board (Figure 2). As most of the ankle injuries happen during moving, dynamic stability training in addition to static stability training is crucial. For example, single leg bent-over touching toes (Figure 3) and single leg searching right and left (Figure 4). Complete these exercises in squatting position, with hip and knee flexion, and avoid bending and arching. During squatting up and down, one needs to complete this movement slowly and steadily without any momentum.

Figure 2: Single leg standing on rocker board

Figure 3: Single leg bent over touching toes
Figure 4: Single leg searching right and left

Jumping can increase difficulties as it requires good balance and stability of the ankle joint. You can start from jumping with both legs and then progress to jumping on one leg (Figure 5). To have proper lower limb alignment when landing, toes should pointing straight ahead or slightly outward (toes should point to 12 to 1 o’clock direction). Knees point to the toes direction without turning in or out and should land lightly with buffer.

Figure 5: Jumping on one leg

Besides the exercises introduced above, mobility and calf stretching exercises can also facilitate the rehabilitation of the ankle joint. It is definite that all of the trainings should be introduced only after recovery without redness, swollen, hot or pain of the injury area. It is also advised to complete the recovery training with the supervision of physiotherapists or post-rehabilitation trainers.

 

Content sponsored by Asian Academy For Sports & Fitness Professionals.

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