Pearl Said:

What should I wear for physical therapy on my ankle?

We Answered:

Hi,

I am a physical therapist. On the first day you might not do as much exercise. You can ask your therapist then. But, when I work with ankle patients I want them in more work out type clothes like gym shorts and t-shirt as well as sneakers.

Hope this helps. To learn more about ankle injuries and what to expect you can visit:

http://www.joint-pain-solutions.com/ankl…

Good luck.

Mildred Said:

How long after a sprained ankle should you start physical therapy?

We Answered:

Casey, the answer to that is the time that it happens. You can certainly do the standard Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. There are better ways to improve your return. Sit in a chair and have both feet flat on the floor. Using the foot that was not injured do this movement. Lean over and place your hand on the front of that foot. Elevate the front of the foot up as high as you can while giving some light resistance to the movement. The heel should remain in constant contact with the floor. Do this 10 times and rest 1 minute. Repeat this cycle twice more exactly the same way. The amount of resistance given is only enough to make the muscles work moderately hard. After completion of the 3rd set rest for 30 seconds and then do the same movement on the injured side. With this side on the 1st set don't worry about resistance just do the movement. Rest for 1 minute and then add only a slight amount of resistance. Rest again and on the last set attempt to add a little more resistance. Next do this movement starting again with the good side. Place the foot flat on the floor and the roll the entire foot outwards while maintaining full contact with the floor with the inside portion of the foot. Do a set of 10 without any resistance and then rest for 1 minute. The next set should be with a moderate resistance from your hand. Rest again and then do a 3rd set with moderate resistance. Rest for 1 minute and then do the injured foot the same way. The 1st set should be done without resistance, the 2nd set with a light resistance, and the 3rd with slightly more resistance. Get up and move around. There should be less pain and more mobility. Do these movements at least twice a day.

Jesse Said:

What physical therapy excersices can i do to help loosen a broken ankle?

We Answered:

If you broke your ankle, you're going to want a professional helping you with your rehab. Our joint aren't something to be taken lightly and you shouldn't be doing this type of recovery unassisted.

A Massage Therapist who does Reflexology would be able to assist you in your recover by breaking-up scar tissue & help to increase the range of motion in your ankle, as well as show you the stretches & exercises which you'll need to do properly to get you up & playing basketball again at full strength.

Ernest Said:

how does ankle physical therapy help a sprained ankle?

We Answered:

Edema management may be part of your treatment. It can range from advise, to applying compressive wraps or using modalities.

However, the focus of PT on a sprained ankle is in restoring the normal neuromuscular function of the ankle, as much of this gets impeded after a sprained ankle. Range of motion and gentle strengthening exercises are usually done in the beginning, and at the end, training for balance and stability is part of the treatment. Exercise on compliant surfaces such as foam or wobble boards is common.

Becky Said:

Is physical therapy necessary for ankle tears?

We Answered:

The scientific evidence isn't clear as to weather physical therapy is more effective than just "natural history" (just resuming your normal activity on your own) in regards to ankle sprains. It's also not clear in those who've had a first time ankle sprain if PT will help prevent future episodes. However, there are several studies that do demonstrate the benefit of several different types of treatments used in the physical therapy of ankle sprains. Right now, there are not enough well done, randomized controlled trials to say with any definitive evidence that PT is NECESSARY after ankle sprains. If it IS, we do not yet know who benefits the most (ie, what grade of sprain does someone have to have in order to demonstrate a definite benefit from PT?).

Yet, lack of evidence is very different than strong evidence saying that a treatment is not effective.
Theoretically speaking, I can tell you that those who do not go through a proper rehabilitation program may have continued problems in the future. People often loose their "proprioception" of the ankle (the ability of the ankle to respond to a change in position to prevent it from getting resprained) after an ankle sprain. The PT is usually focused at restoring this.

Here's the good news for you: According to the study discussed here: Home-based physiotherapy versus clinic-based physiotherapy rehabilitation for people with acute ankle sprains.
Authors:
Bassett SF; Prapavessis H
Source:
New Zealand Journal of Physiotherapy (NZ J PHYSIOTHER), 2008 Jul; 36(2): 83

Those with ankle sprains who attended PT on a regular basis (8 visits), versus those who focused on a home exercise program issued by the PT and only attended PT for updates to the home exercise program (4 visits) actually did worse in the long run and were less compliant with their program. those who only attended the 4 visits did much better and were much more complaint with their program.

This means you may need to attend PT much less than prescribed by your doctor.

I would recommend you go to PT and attend 1 time a week or every other week to learn what you need to do at home.

Deanna Said:

Physical therapy is making my ankle hurt worse please please please help?

We Answered:

Therapy shouldn't be agonizing pain, especially with soft tissue.

If this is truly the way things are being handled get a second opinion. The doctor should have no problem running basic diagnostic tests to confirm the reasons for therapy. This just doesn't add up.