Symptoms
- Pain and tenderness
- Swelling and bruising
- Difficulty bearing weight
- Restricted range of motion
- Feeling of instability
Common causes
- Walking or running on uneven surfaces
- Landing awkwardly from a jump
- Sudden change of direction in sports
- Weak ankle muscles
- Previous ankle sprains
How physiotherapy helps
Rehabilitation follows a phased approach: RICE protocol initially, then progressive weight-bearing, range of motion exercises, strengthening, proprioception training, and sport-specific agility drills.
Exercises your physiotherapist may give you
- Ankle alphabet (ROM exercises)
- Calf raises (bilateral to unilateral)
- Resistance band inversion/eversion
- Single-leg balance exercises
- Wobble board training
- Lateral hops and agility drills
Please note: start these exercises only after an assessment, and stop if pain increases. Your physiotherapist will choose the right exercises, number of repetitions and progression for you.
Guide written by the physiotherapists of CAPT – Centre for Advanced Physiotherapy, MVM Educational Trust. For more reading, search MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine).