Lateral ankle sprain treatment & rehabilitation exercises video

This is an instructional video to guide you through the process of recovery from a sprained ankle. It gives advice and exercises to perform to rehabilitate your Lateral ankle sprain.

The content in this video is provided for general information purposes only and is not meant to replace a physiotherapy or medical consultation.

Step by Step

  1. This video’s aim is to help you if you are suffering with a lateral ankle sprain
  2. Lateral Ankle Sprain:
  3. A lateral ligament sprain of the ankle can occur when you invert (“roll” or “go over on”) your ankle.
  4. Pain is usually felt on the outside of your ankle around the bony lump of your ankle joint.
  5. Swelling can occur immediately and you may not feel like you can put weight through your foot.
  6. What are the symptoms?
  7. Pain on the outside of your ankle
  8. Swelling on the outside or all around your ankle
  9. Inability to put weight through your foot
  10. Restricted range of movement of the ankle
  11. Heat around the ankle
  12. Bruising
  13. A lateral ligament sprain can be diagnosed by your GP or physiotherapist from the presentation of your symptoms
  14. Occasionally an x-ray is needed to rule out a fracture (break) of the bone.
  15. Sprains are graded in relation to their severity:
  16. -Grade I - mild stretching of the ligament without causing joint instability
  17. -Grade II - partial rupture (tear) of the ligament but without causing joint instability
  18. -Grade III - complete rupture (tear) of the ligament causing joint instability
  19. Only grade I sprains will heal by themselves in a few weeks if you follow the PRICE guidelines below.
  20. Most grade II sprains should settle completely with intervention from a physiotherapist.
  21. Grade III sprains will need medical attention so you must go to A&E.
  22. How can you help yourself?
  23. Immediately follow the PRICE guidelines:
  24. -Protect the ankle
  25. -Rest the ankle, i.e. do not continue to play sport on it, consider use of crutches
  26. -Ice the ankle. Apply ice for no longer than 15 minutes at a time and always wrap the ice in a towel to avoid damage to the skin
  27. -Compression of the area will help to limit swelling. This should not stop blood flow.
  28. -Elevate the foot to help limit swelling
  29. For the first 72 hours you should also avoid:
  30. -Heat
  31. -Alcohol
  32. -Running
  33. -Massage to the area.
  34. If the pain in your ankle is too severe to walk on, or you have severe pain over a bone or you suspect a fracture you must go to A&E. If the pain does not ease after a few days, consult your GP
  35. What is the treatment if the pain persists?
  36. Physiotherapists are trained to treat lateral ankle ligament sprains.
  37. In the early stages we will use treatments to help to reduce the inflammation, pain and aid healing.
  38. Following on from this, we will also tailor a rehabilitation program to strengthen the muscles and ensure stability of the ankle joint. This will help to prevent recurrence of the injury.
  39. Early on your Calf and Achilles can shorten so you need to stretch them. You should start these after 72 hours and gradually push them harder as the injury tolerates and heals:
  40. Calf stretch (Gastrocnemius)
  41. To stretch the right leg
  42. Take a long stride forwards with your left leg, keep both of your feet pointing forwards. Now while keeping your back knee straight and your back heel in contact with the floor start to bend your front knee and lean your body forwards until you feel a stretch in your back leg’s calf.
  43. Hold for 30 secs and then repeat for the other leg if needed
  44. Calf stretch (soleus)
  45. Take a long stride forwards with your left leg, keep both of your feet pointing forwards. Now while keeping your back heel in contact with the floor start to bend both knees and lean your body forwards until you feel a stretch in your back leg’s calf.
  46. Hold for 30 secs and then repeat for the other leg if needed
  47. The ankle itself also needs stretching:
  48. Dorsi flexion:
  49. Sitting in a chair, prop your foot up on your opposite knee. Now take hold of your foot with both hands and pull the foot and toes up towards your shin and hold for 10 secs.
  50. Repeat twice and swap legs if required.
  51. Plantar flexion:
  52. Sitting in a chair, prop your foot up on your opposite knee. Now take hold of your foot with both hands and pull the foot and toes down so that they are pointed and hold for 10 secs.
  53. Repeat twice and swap legs if required.
  54. Inversion:
  55. Sitting in a chair, prop your foot up on your opposite knee. Now take hold of your foot with both hands and pull the foot around so that the sole is turning up towards the ceiling and hold for 10 secs.
  56. Repeat twice and swap legs if required.
  57. Eversion:
  58. Sitting in a chair, prop your foot up on your opposite knee. Now take hold of your foot with both hands and pull the foot around so that the sole is turning down towards the floor and hold for 10 secs. Repeat twice and swap legs if required.
  59. Next you need to stretch the lateral ligaments:
  60. Sitting in a chair, prop your foot up on your opposite knee. Now take hold of your foot with both hands and pull the foot around so that the sole is turning up towards the ceiling and at the same time pull the foot into a pointed position and hold for 10 secs.
  61. Repeat twice and swap legs if required.
  62. If you get worsening symptoms or are unsure, then initially reduce the push into the discomfort and if this isn’t enough then stop altogether and consult your Physiotherapist.
  63. After several days you should hopefully notice increased flexibility and possibly reduced pain generally.
  64. When things are improving after a couple of weeks you can start to train the peroneal muscles.
  65. Manual resisted eversion:
  66. Sitting in a chair, prop your foot up on your opposite knee. Now take hold of your foot with both hands so that you can apply pressure on the outside of your foot.
  67. Start with your foot in the position with the sole facing towards the ceiling. Now turn your foot so that the sole of your foot is facing down towards the floor.
  68. Keep the pressure on the outside of your foot in the opposite direction of the movement. Now reverse the direction of the foot but maintaining some pressure on the outside of the foot.
  69. Repeat 10 times and swap legs if required.
  70. After 3 weeks you can start training you proprioception:
  71. Single leg balance:
  72. Stand on 1 leg with you knee unlocked. Try to hold this position for 1 minute and count how many times you need to but your leg back down. If you can do it for the whole minute then make it harder by doing it while throwing and catching a ball and harder again when required by closing your eyes.
  73. Repeat for each leg if required.
  74. When you symptoms are settling on a day to day basis and you have improved with these exercises your need to progress into pain free resistance training.
  75. For example: Squats, lunges, calf raises.
  76. Start with body weight and gradually advance the resistance level.
  77. The next Phase on is light plyometrics and then into a little running.
  78. As long as there is no pain during and after then you are training it at the correct level. If you feel any pain, then drop back to the previous progression.
  79. After 12 weeks you should hopefully be getting back into normal sporting activities.
  80. Remember injuries take time to recover and do so gradually so be patient there are no miracle cures.
  81. Physiotherapists are trained to treat a lateral ankle sprain. They use evidence based techniques such as deep tissue friction massage, ultrasound, acupuncture and an exercise program which can help to settle symptoms and aid the healing process.

Subscribe to our mailing list

Get tips, offers, new articles & exercises straight to your inbox!

Enquire

By clicking subscribe you are confirming that you have read and agree to our Privacy Policy.

Enquire

Online Physiotherapy

Put simply this is Physio done via either telephone or video over the internet. Skype and facetime are examples of this.

Contrary to popular belief online physiotherapy can be very effective and it can help the same injuries that face to face physio can help. I have helped many people with injuries such as disc prolapses, tennis elbow, neck pain and much more).