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Regaining Ankle Stability After an Injury
An injured ankle can sharply limit your mobility, on top of the pain it causes.
After you start to heal, what do you need to do to stay safe and stable on your healing ankle joint? Further, what steps should you take to ensure that this important joint heals properly, maintaining a full, free range of motion on your feet for years to come?
You need expert advice and support for optimal healing and conditioning following a foot or ankle injury. The experienced care team at the Center for Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, led by Michael Blackwell, MD, are ready to help.
Whether you’re still recovering from a recent injury, or wondering if you can get back in the game, you can count on our recommendation.
Damage to your ankle joint
Trips, falls, and sports injuries can all wreak havoc on your delicate ankle joints. Your ankles support your whole body weight when you stand, walk, and run, and fall prey to many unique stresses and strains.
An estimated 30-70% of people with ankle injuries suffer from chronic ankle instability following an injury.
Don’t risk your long-term foot and ankle stability and motion. Work with the professionals at the Center for Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine to fully and correctly rehabilitate your ankle in the days, weeks, and potentially months after your injury.
Strengthening your internal supports
With all of the weight your ankle joint has to bear regularly, the strength of the surrounding muscles is key to ongoing joint stability. Dr. Blackwell can recommend the right physical therapy exercises to strengthen your muscles without overstressing your healing ankle joint.
Typically, your rehab starts with non-weight-bearing motion exercises, letting you work up to gentle weight-bearing exercises. Once you’re ready, you can progress to resistance training, increasing your reps gradually to build up your leg muscles.
Dr. Blackwell monitors your rehab to ensure that your ankle stays strong, straight, and stable.
Additional stabilization for your ankles
In addition to rehabilitation and physical therapy, you may benefit from other approaches to support your ankle stability. Orthotic shoe inserts, or a simple change of footwear, can protect your ankles from subsequent slips and sprains.
You want to make sure you don’t re-traumatize your ankle joint while you’re still healing from the prior injury.
Serious ankle injuries, or debilitating degenerative conditions affecting your ankles, might call for more intensive treatment strategies. Depending on your condition, you may need surgical approaches and treatment options like ankle fusion surgery to stabilize a deeply damaged joint.
Don’t let an ankle injury lead you down the path to eventual mobility loss. Safeguard and maintain the long-term stability of your ankles by getting professional support throughout your healing process.
No matter the severity of your ankle injury, Dr. Blackwell and the Center for Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine team can provide expert care.
To learn more about how experts can help your ankles heal stronger than ever, get in touch with Dr. Blackwell today. You can book your appointment with our online tool, or by calling our Tomball and Kingwood, Texas, offices.
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