RECOVER FASTER! How To Treat An Ankle Sprain At Home

The best ankle rehabilitation exercises you can do at home to recover quickly from your injury. Ankle sprain recovery tips and exercises to decrease ankle pain, decrease inflammation, and promote healing. Keep reading for more!

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Acute ankle sprains are one of the most common musculoskeletal injuries and have a particularly high incidence among athletes and physically active individuals. They’re certainly painful, but they’re also associated with a high rate of recurrence - meaning if you sprain it once you’re likely to sprain it again.

Luckily performing the right exercises the right way at the right time can greatly reduce your pain, improve your function, and even decrease your risk for reinjury.

These are 9 of the best tips, advice, and exercises you can do at home for your acute ankle sprain injury. These are the same recommendations I give my physical therapy patients all the time and I know they will help for you as well!

CAVEAT AND DISCLAIMER
Ankle sprains are treated very differently from ankle fractures. You must go get your ankle checked out with X-rays to ensure bony integrity before starting this or any treatment program. The information in this video is for informational purposes only and not intended to be taken as personal medical advice. Always consult your local doctor or physical therapist for a unique treatment plan that’s specific to your needs.

WHAT IS AN ANKLE SPRAIN?
You ankle joint is held together by a series of ligaments that connect your lower leg to your ankle. When one of these ligaments gets pulled on and stretched out, that’s what we refer to as an ankle sprain.

Most ankle sprains happen in what we call an “inversion injury”. This is where the foot buckles to the inside and the individual “rolls” his/her ankle.

WHO GETS SPRAINED ANKLES?
Everyone is prone to spraining their ankles, but the injury has a higher occurrence rate among athletes and fitness/athletic populations. These individuals tend to perform activities and get into positions where “rolling” their ankle is more common.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I SPRAINED MY ANKLE?
The best practices immediately after an ankle sprain are those things that will help eliminate inflammation and pain from the area. This is best accomplished by performing modalities and practices according to the R.I.C.E model - rest, ice, compression, and elevation. These modalities and tips are outlined in the video above at the time stamp (3:33)

If your ankle is sprained, you should also start to incorporate a technique called cross-friction massage (5:15). This is where you massage the ligament perpendicularly to the fiber orientation in an effort to improve scar tissue alignment and promote healing. This is a great way to improve the healing time for your ankle sprain injury.

WHAT ARE THE BEST EXERCISES FOR AN ANKLE SPRAIN?
The best exercises for your acute ankle sprain include passive and active range of motion and some light resisted exercises as follows:

SEATED CALF STRETCH (5:58): Introducing non-weightbearing dorsiflexion motion (ankle mobility) is a great way to maintain your range of motion while avoiding aggravating the sprain.

ANKLE ABC’s (6:45): My favorite active range of motion activity to get your ankle through all ranges of motion available.

WEIGHT SHIFT PROGRESSION (7:30): If you sprained your ankle, chances are it's hard to put your weight on it (stand on that leg). Gradually working on shifting your weight onto the injured leg is a great way to get back to weight bearing and walking faster.

MINI SQUATS (8:14): Weight-bearing and functional range of motion. Great exercise!

GASTROCNEMIUS STRETCH (8:55): Dorsiflexion (pulling your toes towards your shins) is the most important motion to maintain after spraining your ankle. This exercise stretches the top calf muscle...

SOLEUS STRETCH (9:53): and this exercise stretches the bottom or "deeper" calf muscle.

HEEL RAISES (10:12): Simple bodyweight strength training for ankle stability.

Rehabilitating your sprain the right way from the get-go is crucial to improving healing time, decreasing pain, and getting back to activity quicker. Performing these exercises regularly is the perfect way to do just that!

I hope these things help you out. If they did, please leave me a THUMBS UP below!

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please leave them in a comment down below.

[donoduzo]

To everyone who is watching this after hurting their ankle, i hope you get well soon.


I came here because I just woke up and tried to go down the stairs

[chaumui]

Super useful!!! - here's the stretches as mentioned.
1. Elevate - 10 - 20 minutes 2x per day
2. Cross Fiction Massage
3. Seated calf stretch - 3 x 20 second holds, 2-3x daily while sitting down and using an exercise band to pull your toes towards you
4. Ankle ABCs - Spell out the whole alphabet, 2-3x daily
5. Weight Shifts - 10-30x daily, increase as tolerated
6. Mini squats - 30 - 90x daily, increase as tolerated
7. Gastrocnemius stitch - 3 x 20 second holds, 3x daily
8. Heel Raises 3 sets of 10- 30 reps
9. Stair Stretch - stand on tip tope and use your calf muscles to drop low

[skinnydee]

I've learned from my parents (as they've learned from theirs), to apply warm iodex (3 times daily) to a sprained ankle, etcetera. I've used this remedy on myself, also a few others and we were healed very quickly!
I met an Australian gentleman (on vacation) who was walking with the help of a crutch because of a sprained ankle.
The doctor at the hospital took an x-ray, bandaged it, and told him it would be healed in about 6 weeks.
I healed his ankle in only 9 days by massaging his ankle with warmed iodex!
After he walked (without the crutch) to the pharmacy, he bought 6 jars of iodex to take back to Australia. He said, "My dad is a physician, and I'll take back these jars of iodex for him and tell him what you did. You taught me, and I'll teach him!"
Unfortunately, not many people know about this simple remedy.

[mariamn]

Thank you for this info. My son has just sprained his ankle as he was playing soccer. Will start on these exercises shortly. Am hoping he heals at the earliest.

[Bangbangbigelow]

I sprained my ankle watching Allen Iverson highlights

[Qstuuun]

This video is absolutely amazing and life-changing. Thank you. I rolled my ankle hiking and kept using it for a few weeks, and got some tendon tears in my heel and underfoot. Do you have any suggested stretches specific to the foot? Again - thank you. Incredible.

[hilarylohrman]

11:08 I have been recovering from right piriformis syndrome. 99% healed. Past right ankle sprain 2 yrs ago standing up from an office chair w discovery that my foot had fallen asleep. This current sprain 2 was ago almost identical. Stood up from sitting w crossed legs, immediately pronated right ankle and landed full wt (105 lbs) on it. Wrapped, iced, to ER in 6 hours, no fracture. Grade 1 low ankle sprain right side. Almost no swelling due to immediate RICE. PT started in 2 days, they decided to focus on piriformis not ankle, and did neck manipulation. Now I am left with painful neck strain, and have quit PT. Your protocol is much more what I needed/expected. Retired RN, good understanding of the physiology and extremely frustrated. I train multiple modalities at a good fitness facility 5 days/2 hours per neurologist tx plan for central sensitization. This could’ve been a case study in poor mgmt of recurring sprained ankle. Thank you for your program!!

[fionacharles]

Super! Thank you! Rolled my ankle badly 8 days ago. Been doing small movements, but now this is a proper plan. Will do all these faithfully as keen to get back to normal. 👍

[annfordtyson]

These exercises are brilliant and are really helping me. Thank you Jared for these and for all of the other videos and text you have put up here. I am also using some of the knee-related workouts now as I have trouble there too.
Thank you also for all of the helpful details you put on here, such as the time stamps of where to find specific exercises, links to your related workouts and the recommended progressions, and for the links to locate helpful equipment. All of this is really helping in my case. I also hope that everyone else here who is hurting and trying to recover, will get well soon.

[susangordon]

Thank you. So glad I found this. Was decompressing my lower back before work by hanging from a pull-up bar in the basement. Early morning and low blood pressure caused me to black out. Went down on my left foot which wobbled drastically, hitting first the inside ankle on the floor skinning it; then landing on the outside ankle. Clean break in the fibula 5 weeks ago. The break is healing beautifully but the foot is still hurting from the trauma. I will be 57 next week but have been a runner for decades.

[auriarios]

Was walking Stepping down from the sidewalk I didn’t notice how deep the ground from the side walk because the street look even, but wasn’t to my surprise 🤦🏻‍♀️ thank God this beautiful elderly lady help me so much.. ❤

[dogshmog]

Running downhill in the fall at Kennesaw Mountain. Stepped in a hole under some leaves and foot folded completely underneath my leg. 10 days ago now. Still some bruising and swelling present. Have been going with the active recovery method, and making good progress.

[boiipulu]

I rolled my ankle in my rugby game this has helped improve the healing a lot thanks 🙏🏾

[lisagutierrez]

Thank u great video!! I sprained my ankle coming down the last couple of stairs in my house with an inversion sprain! It’s been two weeks now and I have been doing some similar exercises but these are new and will do them also. Thanks again !!

[davelinkson]

Very helpful, thanks
I sprained my ankle at Easter time April 2020 while collecting up equipment after Junior (kids) Parkrun (volunteer marshal) and stepped into a blind pot hole covered by grass. I've always been a tad weak in the ankle areas suffering sprains since 1970s
Anyway, I can do most things now like weight bearing, walking & running, but the problem I still get is intermittent pain when I rotate the ankle especially over to the lateral side and when ascending stairs, it catches me out sometimes.
I've been doing gentle excercise and stretching movements on the legs and ankles including cross fibre friction massage and there seems to be improvement.
And now I'm so much more aware and careful of where I'm stepping..

[raemagillam]

I sprained mine by falling down my stairs. On my way to work. Then drove to work (sobbed the whole way. Think of Ellie sattler running with the flashlight dragging behind her as me getting to my car) worked all day on my feet then got it checked out… for everyone to say I was faking. Trust me I wish I was it hurts

[professorx]

Was jogging and stepped in a pothole and rolled it over.
Been icing and elevated over last 48 hrs. Getting a lot of relief.
Albe to walk without limp, but still has moderate swelling.

Getting there.Thank You so much.
I will subscribe with big thumbs up

[dllane]

Thank you for your video. I sprained my right ankle a week ago and wanted to research to find out the best rehab exercises to promote faster healing. Yours is very informative and professional. I just began your suggested exercises today so hopefully my ankle will be good as new in a couple of weeks.

[pammi]

Thanks so much Jared. I sprained my ankle yesterday and this video is so helpful. Love how you explained everything so clearly. U r brilliant 😊❤️

[bro]

3 days ago I bought plane tickets to Arizona to do a Grand Canyon hike as well as Humphrey’s Peak. Yesterday I rolled my ankle helping my parents move. I have 5 weeks for this to heal!