Ankle Rehabilitation

Flexibility

TOE CURLS

While sitting, place your feet on a towel in front of you. Curl your toes and slowly draw the towel toward you. Use a weight on the towel for resistance when appropriate.

ACTIVE RANGE OF MOTION

In six different positions, with the knee straight:

• Pull foot up towards yourself and hold this position for a few seconds.
• Push foot down and away and hold this position for a few seconds.
• Pull foot up, turn in and hold this position for a few seconds.
• Pull foot up, turn out and hold this position for a few seconds.
• Make big circles with foot in clockwise and counter clockwise directions.
• Make large figure of eights in both directions.

HEEL CORD STRETCH

• With a towel wrapped around the foot, pull foot up and hold for a six count – ten reps (knee straight) and ten reps (knee bent).
• Stand at arms length away from the wall, with feet pointing straight ahead, placing injured foot behind your body. Lean into the wall and support yourself with your hands. Keeping your heels on the ground, lean forward and stretch the injured leg. Hold for a ten count – ten reps (knee straight) and ten reps (knee bent).
• Standing holding onto a counter, place injured ankle with toes, feet flat on the floor. Maintain the leg in a straight position and lean backwards keeping the injured foot flat on the floor. You should feel the stretch in the front of your ankle. Hold for ten seconds. Repeat ten times.

Strength

ISOMETRICS

All directions: Hold for a six count.

• With foot against immovable object or towel, pull foot up as far as possible.
• With towel wrapped around the ball of the foot, push foot into a towel not allowing any motion.
• With foot against immovable object / towel, pull foot up / in.
• With foot against immovable object / towel, pull foot up / out.

ELASTIC BAND

Same as above, but allow foot to move from starting position to end of range. Ten reps. Three sets.

TOE RAISES

• Standing with both feet flat on the ground, raise up on toes lifting heels off the floor as far as possible. Hold this position for a few seconds then return to starting position. Ten reps. Three sets.
• Progress to single toe raises.
• Progress to standing on edge of step.