How To Treat An Ankle Sprain At Home (Fast Recovery)

This blog post is a comprehensive guide which contains the best treatment (including exercises, stretches and strategies) to help fix an ankle sprain at home.

Possible structures that can be injured (but not limited to):

• Anterior Talofibular Ligament (ATFL)
• Calcaneofibular Ligament (CFL)
• Posterior Talofibular Ligament (PTFL)
• Anterior Inferior Tibiofibular Ligament (AITFL)
• Peroneal tendinopathy
• Deltoid Ligament
• Joints of the ankle/foot
• Fracture *

(* Note: If you can not place your full body weight on your injured ankle and suspect that you may have a fracture, I strongly advise you to get reviewed by your Primary Care Provider. Poor management of a fracture may lead to permanent issues in your ankle!)

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Ankle Sprain Treatment (At Home)

STEP 1: Reduce Pressure On Ankle
STEP 2: Reduce Swelling
STEP 3: Ankle Support
STEP 4: Gentle Movements
STEP 5: Ankle Stretches
STEP 6: Perform Releases
STEP 7: Isometric Exercises
STEP 8: Gentle Ankle Strengthening Exercises
STEP 9: Balance Exercises
STEP 10: Weight Bear Ankle Strengthening Exercises
STEP 11: Advanced Exercises
STEP 12: Joint Mobilization
STEP 13: Over Pressures

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STEP 1: Reduce Pressure On Ankle

In the early days following your ankle sprain, it is recommended to reduce the amount of pressure on the ankle.

This is to avoid aggravating your symptoms.

a) Reduce the amount walking

As there may be a significant amount of pain following an ankle sprain, you will need to minimize the amount of walking.

It is likely that your ankle will not tolerate the usual amount of walking that you do and may aggravate if you over do it.

(BUT – This does not mean that you should completely rest your ankle and not walk at all!)

As a general guide line: Walk as much as you can comfortably tolerate without causing more symptoms. As your ankle improves, start to increase the amount of walking that you do.

b) Walk With Crutches

If you are not able to place your full body weight onto your ankle without significant pain, you may need to consider using crutches for a short period of time.

Generally speaking – I would not recommend using the crutches for more than a week … unless specifically instructed to by your health care professional.

c) Wear a CAM Boot

A CAM (or Controlled Ankle Motion) boot is a device that is worn to immobilize and stabilize the injured ankle.

As the CAM boot restricts the movement in the ankle, this may help reduce the pain associated with walking.

As a general guideline: These CAM boots are usually prescribed to those with a substantial tear to the ankle ligaments.

STEP 2: Reduce Swelling

An excessive amount of swelling present in the ankle may make it difficult to perform the suggested exercises on this blog post effectively.

Here are a few ways to reduce the swelling:

a) Cold Therapy

Apply a cold pack over the injured region for 10-15 minutes, 3-5 times per day.

I recommend applying cold therapy for 2-3 days following the day of the injury.

Note: Do not apply ice directly onto the skin as you can get a ice burn.

b) Compression Sock

Wear a compression sock on your ankle to minimize the build up of swelling.

Make sure that the compression sock is not too tight as this can cut off circulation to your foot.

c) Elevation

Place your foot in an elevated position for 30 minutes, 3-5 times per day.

Do this for 2-3 days following your ankle sprain.

d) Gentle Swelling Massage

Instructions:

• Sit down on a chair.
• Place your ankle on top of your other knee.
• Firmly grasp onto the bottom of your ankle.
• Whilst maintaining a firm grasp, perform an upward stroke towards your shin bone.
• Perform 30 repetitions.

STEP 3: Ankle Support

a) Ankle Tape

Taping can provide some support to the ankle.

This can help take some pressure off the injured structures in the ankle.

As I don’t have a video for this yet, it is best that you look up “How To Tape An Ankle Sprain” on Google.

b) Ankle Brace

An ankle brace is an external support that is worn to help immobilize and support the ankle following an injury.

(This can be very useful in the beginning stages of your rehabilitation!)

Note: If you decide to wear an ankle brace, make sure that it fits your foot properly! A poorly fitted ankle brace will not be as effective.

STEP 4: Gentle Ankle movements

It is important to keep your ankle moving as much as possible whilst it is recovering.

This will help reduce swelling, reduce strength loss and improve circulation.

Note: Make sure that there is no pain with the following exercises.

a) Ankle Circles

Instructions:

• Draw a large circle with your ankle.
• Aim to draw as big of a circle as possible.
• Perform 30 repetitions.
• Repeat in other direction.

b) Ankle Dorsiflexion/Plantarflexion

Instructions:

• Point your foot as far as possible.
• Bend your foot backwards as far as possible.
• Perform 30 repetitions.

c) Ankle Inversion/Eversion

Instructions:

• Turn your foot outwards/inwards
• Move your foot as far as possible without causing any pain in the ankle.
• Perform 30 repetitions.

STEP 5: Ankle Stretches

The Calf muscles (Gastrocnemius and Soleus) tend to get tight following an ankle sprain.

This is usually associated with the altered walking pattern adopted when having pain in the ankle or from using a CAM boot.

a) Gastrocnemius Stretch

Instructions:

• Stand on the edge of a step.
• (You can hold onto something for balance.)
• Keep your knees completely straight throughout this exercise.
• Lower your heels as far as possible.
• Aim to feel a stretch in the back of the calf.
• Hold for 30 seconds.

For more Gastrocnemius stretches, check out this blog post:

See Post: Gastrocnemius Stretches

b) Soleus Stretch

Instructions:

• Sit down on a chair.
• Slide your heel all the way backwards.
• Make sure to keep this foot completely flat on the floor.
• Shift your bodyweight onto this leg.
• Move your knee forwards.
• Hold for at least 30 seconds.

For more Soleus stretches, check out this blog post:

See Post: Soleus Stretches

STEP 6: Perform Releases

The following release technique is aimed to increased circulation to the injured area.

You will need to know the exact area of your injured structure.

Instructions:

• Identify the area of pain.
• Use your finger tips to apply a firm pressure over the area.
• Perform a circular motion with your finger.
• Continue for 1 minute.

Note: You do not need to apply a significant amount of pressure as this may aggravate the injured structure.

STEP 7: Isometric Strengthening Exercises

An isometric contraction involves generating a contraction in the muscle without moving the joint.

This is a gentle way to introduce strengthening exercises to an injured ankle.

You can perform the following isometric exercises in different ankle positions.

a) Dorsiflexion

Instructions:

• Sit down on a chair.
• Place your ankle on top of the other knee.
• Place your hand on top of the foot.
• Push the top of your foot into your hand as hard as you comfortably can.
• Hold this contraction for 45 seconds.
• Repeat 3 times.

b) Plantarflexion

Instructions:

• Sit down on the floor.
• Loop a towel around your foot.
• Pull on the towel.
• Point your foot forwards as hard as you can comfortably can.
• Hold this contraction for 45 seconds.
• Repeat 3 times.

c) Eversion

Instructions:

• Sit down on a chair.
• Place your ankle on top of the other knee.
• Place your hand under the outer part of your forefoot.
• Push your foot into your hand as hard as you comfortably can.
• Hold this contraction for 45 seconds.
• Repeat 3 times.

d) Inversion

Instructions:

• Sit down on a chair.
• Place your ankle on top of the other knee.
• Place your hand on top of the inner side of your forefoot.
• Push your foot into your hand as hard as you comfortably can.
• Hold this contraction for 45 seconds.
• Repeat 3 times.

STEP 8: Gentle Strengthening Exercises

The difficulty of the following strengthening exercises can be influenced by the amount of tension on the resistance band.

As a general guideline, aim to keep the most amount of tension on the resistance band that you can safely tolerate without causing any pain.

Note: Try your best to take the ankle through the full range of motion.

a) Plantarflexion

Instructions:

• Sit down on the floor.
• Loop a resistance band around your forefoot.
• Have your leg straight in front of you.
• Hold the other end of the resistance band with your hands.
• Pull the resistance band firmly to increase the amount of tension on the band.
• Point your foot forwards against the band.
• Hold for 2 seconds.
• Perform 20 repetitions.

b) Dorsiflexion

Instructions:

• Tie a resistance band onto a stationary object at ground height.
• Sit down on the floor.
• Loop the other end of the resistance band around your forefoot.
• Have your leg straight in front of you.
• Move away from the anchor point to increase the amount of tension on the band.
• Point your foot backwards against the resistance band.
• Aim to keep your toes relaxed throughout this exercise.
• Hold for 2 seconds.
• Perform 20 repetitions.

c) Inversion

Instructions:

• Sit down on a chair.
• Place your ankle on top of the other knee.
• Loop a resistance band around your forefoot.
• Pull the resistance band and place it underneath the foot that is on the floor.
• Curve you foot upwards.
• Aim to keep your toes relaxed throughout this exercise.
• Hold for 2 seconds.
• Perform 20 repetitions.

d) Eversion

Instructions:

• Sit down on the floor.
• Loop a resistance band around both feet.
• Have your legs straight in front of you.
• Pull your legs apart to increase the amount of tension on the band.
• Curve your foot outwards.
• Hold for 2 seconds.
• Perform 20 repetitions.

STEP 9: Balance Exercises

It is common to experience a deterioration in your balance following an ankle sprain.

Here is a simple way to improve your balance.

a) Single Leg Balance

Instructions:

• Stand in front of a table.
• Place your hands on the table for support.
• Stand on the injured ankle.
• Gradually reduce the amount of support provided by your hands.
• Maintain your balance for 30 seconds.
• Aim to keep your foot as still as possible.

b) Progressions

Here are a few ways to progress the previous single leg balance exercise:

• Look over shoulders
• Move a weight around body
• Reach the foot away in different directions
• Catching and Throwing Ball
• Close your eyes
• Stand on Wobble Board

STEP 10: Weight Bear Strengthening Exercises

By this stage of your rehabilitation, your ankle should be able to tolerate some weight bearing exercises.

(If not – you may need to persist with the prior exercises before advancing onto the next exercises.)

a) Toe Raises

Instructions:

• Lean your back against a wall.
• Have your feet slightly away from the wall.
• Lift the front part of your foot off the floor.
• Hold for 2 seconds.
• Perform 20 repetitions.

b) Heel Raises

Instructions:

• Stand up right.
• Have your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Use your hands to hold onto something for support.
• Lift your heels off the floor as high as you can comfortably tolerate.
• Hold this position for 2 seconds.
• Perform 20 repetitions.
• Progression: Perform a heel raise on the injured side only.

c) Toe Tap

Instructions:

• Stand up right.
• Hold onto a stationary object for support.
• Stand on one leg.
• For the leg that is on the ground, keep the knee in line with your toes throughout this exercise.
• Using your other foot, reach and gently tap your toe on the ground as far forwards as possible.
• Return to the starting position.
• Perform 20 repetitions.

STEP 11: Advanced Exercises

The following exercises are aimed at those who would like to challenge their ankles.

Be careful! As these exercise involve placing more load on the ankle, there is a higher chance of re-injury.

Try out the following exercises:

(Aim for 30 seconds on the injured ankle.)

• Bouncing on the spot
• Hopping on the spot
• Hopping forwards/backwards
• Hopping side-to-side
• Start jogging/running
• Change directions quickly whilst running

Reclaiming the ability to perform the above exercises competently may help prevent you from spraining your ankle in the future!

Step 12: Ankle Joint Mobilization

Do you have stiff ankles?

One of the residual problems following an ankle sprain is the increased stiffness in the foot/ankle.

By this stage of your rehabilitation, you should have noticed that there is a significant reduction in the amount of pain in your ankle.

(This is where we can apply more force into the ankle to help loosen it up without causing pain!)

If you find that your foot/ankle still feels stiff after completing all of your exercises, you may need to try the following exercises.

a) Midfoot

Instructions:

• Sit down on a chair.
• Place your ankle on top of the other knee.
• Hold the midfoot with one hand.
• Using your other hand, place your thumb under the base of the big toe and the other fingers on top of the base of the pinky toe. (See image)
• Whilst anchoring the midfoot still, proceed to rotate the forefoot away from you.
• Perform 30 repetitions.

b) Hindfoot

Instructions:

• Sit down on a chair.
• Place your ankle on top of the other knee.
• Wrap your hand around the heel.
• Firmly grip the ankle with the other hand.
• Whilst keeping the ankle still, push the heel towards the ground.
• Aim to feel a pulling sensation in the inner side of the ankle.
• Perform 30 repetitions.

c) Traction

(You’ll need a helper for this exercise.)

Instructions:

• Lie down on your back.
• Instruct your helper to firmly grasp your ankle below the bony bits on the side. (See above)
• Relax your leg as your assistant pulls your foot away from you.
• Hold for 5 seconds.
• Perform 5 repetitions.

STEP 13: End range over pressure

Once you complete the joint mobilizations, finish it off with the following joint over pressure exercises.

a) Dorsiflexion with band

This exercise will help glide the Talus bone backwards (posterior translation) which is required in normal ankle dorsiflexion movement.

Instructions:

• Attach a resistance band to something behind you.
• Loop the band around your ankle.
  • Make sure the band is below the bumps on side of the ankle.
• Move away from the anchor point as to increase tension in the band.
• Assume the lunge position with your ankle on a bench. (See above)
• Lunge forward.
• Do not allow for your foot arch to collapse.
• Repeat 30 times.
• Progression:
  • Perform the above exercise whilst holding a weight on top of your knee.

Is your ankle lacking mobility? Check out this post.

See Post: Exercises to Increase Ankle Dorsiflexion.

b) Plantarflexion

Instructions

• Sit down on a chair.
• Place your foot on top of the other knee.
• Place your hand on the top of the forefoot.
• Pull your foot further into range.
• Hold for 5 seconds.
• Perform 20 repetitions.

c) Inversion

Instructions:

• Sit down on a chair.
• Place your foot on top of the other knee.
• Place your hand on the outer side of the forefoot.
• Pull your foot towards you.
• Hold for 5 seconds.
• Perform 20 repetitions.

d) Eversion

Instructions:

• Sit down on a chair.
• Place your foot on top of the other knee.
• Place your hand on the inner side of the forefoot.
• Push your foot away from you.
• Hold for 5 seconds.
• Perform 20 repetitions.

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How Long To Heal A Sprained Ankle?

This depends on several factors such as the amount of damage, type of injury, previous injuries to the ankle and pre-injury ankle strength.

As a guideline:

• 2-4 weeks for a minor sprain
• 4-8 weeks for a moderate sprain
• 8+ weeks for a severe sprain

Keep in mind – everyone heals at a different rate. Aim to have progression each day.

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Conclusion

This blog post is a comprehensive guide that goes through 13 steps to treat an ankle sprain in the comfort of your own home.

Remember – if you have an doubts regarding the management of your ankle injury, please seek guidance from a trained professional.

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Disclaimer: The content presented on this blog post is not medical advice and should not be treated as such. It is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis or treatment. Use of the content provided on this blog post is at your sole risk. Seek guidance from a healthcare professional before attempting any exercise. For more information: Medical Disclaimer.