Therapeutic exercise is actually one of the main treatments to help restore mobility after an ankle fracture. Your physical therapist can prescribe the right exercises to do at the different stages of healing, gradually adjusting their recommendations as your ankle function improves.
This article reviews the variety of exercises that can help you recover from a broken ankle and why they can be helpful.
Your physical therapist may passively move your ankle joint through various motions and then have you actively move your ankle to improve the motion around the joint.
Some simple exercises to improve your ankle ROM include:
Moving your ankle by pointing your toes up and down as far as possibleInversion (moving your foot in) and eversion (moving your foot out)
Hold each position for a few seconds, and perform 10 to 15 repetitions.
The ankle alphabet is another useful ROM exercise. Simply pretend that your toes are a pencil and draw letters with your foot by moving your ankle. Draw each letter slowly and deliberately in both upper and lower case. This can be performed several times per day.
Expect to feel a little pain, but stop the exercises if you feel any lasting or intense pain. If that happens, check in with your PT or healthcare provider.
Once you have perfected ROM exercises, it is time to start to improve ankle flexibility with new exercises.
Some ankle flexibility exercises:
Towel calf stretching can improve the flexibility of the muscles on the back of your lower leg. Wrap a towel around your toes and give a slow, gentle pull to stretch your calf. Standing runner’s stretches can also be done to improve the flexibility of your calf. To stretch the muscle on the front of your ankle, perform the kneeling anterior tibialis stretch. Kneel down with your ankle and toes pointed. Gently press on your foot to stretch the front of your lower leg.
Hold each stretch for 15 to 30 seconds. Then move on to the next exercise group—ankle strengthening.
You can use a resistance band to perform ankle-strengthening exercises.
Place the band around your toes and have someone hold it as you move your ankle into dorsiflexion (toes pointing up), plantarflexion (toes pointing down), inversion, and eversion.
Perform 15 to 20 repetitions of each exercise. Stop if you feel any sharp pains.
Once you have gained some strength, you can begin weight-bearing exercises for your ankles. The Alfredson Protocol for Achilles’ strengthening is a great way to start to place some controlled stress through your ankles to improve the strength of your calf muscles.
They can also help you choose the correct assistive device like crutches or a cane as your gait changes and improves.
Many people wonder if returning to running after an ankle fracture is a possibility. This depends on the severity of your injury and how things have healed, so check with your healthcare provider before attempting to run to make sure it is safe for you to do.
Your PT may also use specific tools like a BAPS board to improve your proprioception after your ankle fracture.
Once basic single-leg standing exercises are mastered, you may benefit from advanced balance exercises like using a wobble board or a BOSU to challenge your balance and proprioception.
Learning to jump and land properly can ensure that your ankle can tolerate the forces placed upon it when running, cutting, and hopping during sports.
Your PT can devise a specific training strategy to include plyometrics after an ankle fracture.
A Word From Verywell
If you are recovering from a fractured ankle, you may benefit from exercises similar to this program to help you return to normal walking and mobility.
The best plan is to check in with your healthcare provider regularly and participate fully in a rehab program geared specifically for your condition and needs to quickly and safely get back to your normal activities.
