Four ankle sprain rehab elements in Grand Rapids, MI

Depending on how serious they are, ankle sprains can take some time to heal. However, there are elements you can include in your ankle sprain rehabilitation process that can help speed up your recovery. Here are four elements that should be in every ankle sprain recovery plan in Grand Rapids, Michigan: 

1.   Rest

When your body is resting, it can focus more energy on things like injury repair. This is why the first element in your ankle sprain rehab plan should be to rest the injured ankle. The amount of time you should rest the ankle will depend on how seriously it’s been sprained, but for a minor sprain, the rest period could be as short as one or two days. It’s also important that you don’t rest your ankle for too long. This is because a lack of movement can lead to decreased blood flow, muscle weakness and other issues that could prolong your recovery. 

2.   Moving around

After your ankle has rested and started healing, getting up and moving around is usually the next step in the rehab process. At first, moving around should include using crutches or other assistance devices, and this is because these devices help prevent you from placing too much stress on the injured ankle. The movements you do should include low-impact options like walking. For example, you can use crutches to walk around your home for a few minutes at a time. As your healing progresses, you can take longer walks, and eventually, you should be able to walk without crutches. 

3.   Range of motion exercises

In addition to moving around, range-of-motion exercises should also be a part of your ankle sprain rehabilitation. Range of motion is how much you can move a body part, and the stiffness and pain of an ankle sprain can reduce this in your ankle. These exercises don’t have to be hard to do, and there are many that you can do while sitting down. For example, you can trace the alphabet with your big toe while your leg is elevated. This will move the ankle through its entire range of motion, but you’ll want to focus on only moving your foot from the ankle for best results. 

4.   Physical therapy

Physical therapy can also be a very effective element of ankle sprain rehab, and Advent Physical Therapy in Grand Rapids can help you get the treatment you need. Our team will start by doing a free screening of your ankle. Then, we’ll build you an individualized treatment plan, and the design of your plan could include therapy techniques like: 

• Manual therapy
• Kinesiology taping
• McKenzie Method

Don’t wait to get our help with your ankle sprain recovery. Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.