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How to Prevent Ankle Injuries
If you are going to participate in Hoopfest this year you might want to do these simple steps to help prevent ankle injuries.
- Work on balance by standing on each leg for 5 min every day. This study was done by the Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma.
- If you have a history of ankle injuries then taping or bracing has been shown to reduce the incident of reinjury.
- Strengthening exercises that challenge the ankle in weight bearing such as jumping rope or jumping on a trampoline. This works on balance and strengthening simultaneously. Work up to 6- 8 min on each leg; doing 30 to 60 secs on one leg at a time.
- Do specific ankle/foot strengthening with latex bands. See your local physical therapist for specific exercises.
- Do general conditioning to avoid fatigue while playing. Most injuries occur near the end of games due to fatigue and a loss of some muscle control.
If you do experience an ankle sprain, be sure to check out how to care for an ankle sprain by clicking here.
Gale Anderson, PT, Board Certified Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist, Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists
Therapeutic Associates Mount Spokane Physical Therapy
How to Prevent Ankle Injuries
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