The Ankle

I am a physical therapist, and I will be the first to admit that I think that physical therapy exercises are boring. I want to spend as little time doing them as possible. If I can accomplish the same goal while doing something that I find fun and engaging or by not thinking about it at all, I will choose that option every time. I extend this sentiment to my clients. For example, I dole out very few exercises for problems associated with the ankle. Instead, I usually suggest these subtle shifts.

One common problem would be chronic calf tightness. You could elect to set aside time every day to stretching your calves. My preference would be to wear shoes with no heel or spend time barefoot when possible. This will lengthen the back of the leg with no extra time spent. I also suggest walking more or doing a few hops every day such as with jumping rope. The loading of the Achilles tendon will stretch and strengthen it, making it resilient to injury. There is evidence supporting this method as being more effective than spending time in a static stretch.

Another common ankle issue is instability or chronic ankle sprains. Some people may need targeted exercise, but anyone can strengthen their ankle by simply using their ankle joint more.  You can wear a shoe without a heel that does not go above your ankle. This would include essentially any shoe that is not a boot. In your non-boot shoes, you can walk, run, or hike more and do these activities  on varied surfaces. If you wear a boot that goes above your ankle, you effectively never let your ankle move. Without a boot, you are strengthening your ankle while doing something you enjoy anyway. There may be no need to stay inside holding a balance position or performing tiny movements while counting to ten endlessly.

Lindsy B. Campbell, PT, DPT, Cert. MDT

(406) 883-6863