Three physical therapy techniques that can help your side of ankle pain

Feeling pain in the side of your ankle might not seem like a huge issue. But the reality of dealing with this pain as you go through your daily routine can be more problematic. Fortunately, physical therapists can help you find ways to treat painful ankles. 

Ankle sprains are by far the most common source of ankle pain. It’s estimated that more than 23,000 people per day seek medical help for ankle sprains in the U.S. Dealing with an ankle sprain can be tough to do on your own, but physical therapists can help you find ways to reduce the side of ankle pain you’re experiencing. 

Three techniques physical therapists can use to address side of ankle pain

An ankle sprain is most likely to cause pain in the side of your ankle, but there are several therapy techniques that can help address the pain and other symptoms of an ankle sprain. Some techniques that physical therapists commonly use to treat this injury include: 

1. Therapeutic exercises — Completely immobilizing your ankle can cause it to become weak, and it can also increase your recovery time. That’s why physical therapists will often use therapeutic exercises to treat ankle sprains. 

These exercises are designed to stretch and strengthen the soft tissue in the affected ankle. A study of therapeutic exercises shows that combining them with other therapy methods helped reduce ankle sprain pain by 70% in just four weeks.  

2. McKenzie Method® — This therapy method can also help people address ankle pain. The McKenzie Method involves therapists helping you learn as much as possible about the cause of your pain. In addition, this technique is effective for decreasing ankle pain. One study found that the McKenzie Method helped reduce pain and return patients to pre-injury function levels in six sessions on average. 

3. Joint mobilization — Another therapy method that can help people with their ankle pain is joint mobilization. Physical therapists perform this technique with their hands; it involves moving the joint through its normal range of motion (ROM). The goal of these movements is to improve flexibility in the soft tissue around the joint and the joint itself. A study of joint mobilization for ankle sprain patients reveals that it helped significantly reduce ankle pain as soon as 24 hours after treatment. 

Advent Physical Therapy offers treatment for side of ankle pain

Tired of living with pain in the side of your ankle? Our therapy experts at Advent PT are primed to help you find effective treatment for your pain. We offer free screenings that can help pinpoint the source of your pain. Additionally, our physical therapists excel at creating personalized therapy plans designed to offer benefits like: 

• Reducing pain.
• Improving ankle function.
• Increasing your ability to walk and do other normal daily activities. 
• Decreasing your risk of future ankle injuries.

We can even help you get treatment from home if you use our at-home care or virtual therapy services. 

Contact our team today for more information about how we can help with your ankle pain or to schedule an initial appointment.