Ankle Sprain – Phase 3 Rehab
Phase 3
Goal: Continue to improve strength and stability of the ankle AND transition into jogging and running with gentle change of direction.
What I know: I have a 300% increased risk of injury unless I am diligent with my rehab
What I need to do: Exercise therapy to decrease this risk of injury. Slow transition into activity to prepare for the rigors of my activity.
I am fit for Phase 3 when: I can do single leg heel raises easily, walk without a limp, have a reasonable knee to wall and can jog (landing on flat foot or heel to toe) without pain.
I am fit for phase 4 when: I can run and land on the ball of my foot rather than my heel i.e. high speed and change of direction without pain
You are now developing your active stability of the ankle. Your ligaments may not be tight but you should have the muscle strength and balance to control the ankle to prevent injury in low level movements. It is now okay to transition slowly into jogging and running. It is important to continue the strength and balance training program that you have been doing. This can be used as the warm up for the running based exercises.
Sample Program
Walk 5 mins to warm up Knee to wall range of motion Heel raises
Toe raises
Toe external rotations Balance training
Field work
Running progression
Slow jogging in straight lines (start out slowly and increase speed with each session)
Change of direction progression
Very gentle curves initially. As you feel more comfortable you can make the curves tighter but do not try to step off too rapidly in any change direction in phase 3.
