Can weak ankles be strengthened?
The good news: You can work to strengthen your ankle muscles and adjoining ligaments. This will help ward off injuries and improve your stability and mobility.
Nearly all isolated low ankle sprains can be treated without surgery. Even a complete ligament tear (Grade 3) will heal without surgical repair if it is immobilized and rehabilitated appropriately.
- Rest. Avoid activities that cause pain, swelling or discomfort.
- Ice. Use an ice pack or ice slush bath immediately for 15 to 20 minutes and repeat every two to three hours while you're awake. ...
- Compression. To help stop swelling, compress the ankle with an elastic bandage until the swelling stops. ...
- Elevation.
- Toe pick-ups/curls. Place several small objects, like marbles or Monopoly pieces, on the floor in front of you. ...
- Bent-knee wall stretch. ...
- Negative calf raises. ...
- Towel tug. ...
- Ankle pump up and down. ...
- Foot roll.
Cycling: Pedalling strengthens the muscles of the ankle without it taking the weight of the body. Aquabiking is also a good idea, combining the advantages of both practices.
Lateral ankle ligament reconstruction can be done using two techniques: the Brostrom-Gould technique and tendon transfer. Both techniques are minimally invasive and use small incisions through the ankle. The Brostrom-Gould technique involves tightening ligaments with sutures.
If left unattended, the tendon will not heal on its own and you will have lasting repercussions. In such situations, a surgeon will access the injured tendon, perform repairs, and close the incision.
"An ankle sprain that lingers beyond 3 months is often an injury to a bone, tendon or ligament that is unlikely to heal without intervention," he says. "And the longer an ankle injury persists without proper treatment, the greater the likelihood that permanent disability will result."
Rest - Rest and stop any activity that can further irritate the injured area. Ice - Apply an ice pack or cold pack for around 15 minutes to reduce pain and swelling. Compression - Compress or wrap the injured area with a tight bandage to reduce swelling.
It can take anything from a few weeks to several months – depending on the tear (partial or complete), and the amount of physiotherapy you are able to do. If you have had an ankle ligament repair, you may be able return to high impact sports after 4 to 6 months.
Can you strengthen injured tendons?
The short answer is yes — you can strengthen your tendons. But, when compared to changes in muscle tissue, which can take just days to improve, the tendon's structural tissue can take weeks or months to adapt.
One of the most common causes is injuries that damage components in your lower legs, ankles, or feet. Examples include sprains, strains, fractures, and dislocations. Another issue that causes weak ankles is chronic ankle instability, which develops after trauma to the ankle.
There are several small muscles that surround your ankle joint and work to move your foot and big toe. Perform exercises that target these muscles regularly to gain ankle muscle.
Toe-Heel Walking. Transferring your weight from your heels to the front pad of your foot and help to build stronger muscles throughout your foot and ankle.
“Laxity in the ligaments is common in weak ankles, this means your ligaments may not be providing the full support your joint requires. You may also be suffering from weakness in your foot's intrinsic muscles, the dorsiflexors or evertors.
