Medial Ankle Sprain: My Experience (Part 2)
Rehab 2-4 weeks
In the third and fourth weeks of my medial ankle sprain rehab, progress has been steady but not without challenges. I’m going to walk you through exactly what I’ve done to recover from this injury and where I’m still struggling. Definitely check out Part 1 if you missed it, where I cover the first two weeks!
Week 3
If you recall, by the end of week 2 I had begun light running and started basic strengthening exercises. In week 3, I was able to increase my running distance, although mild pain persisted. Swelling remained a concern, and I still felt discomfort when pressing on the injured ligament. I also noticed limitations in plantar flexion (pointing the toes down) and eversion (pointing the toes out). Both movements still triggered significant pain when combined.
Building Strength
The focus of week 3 was ramping up strengthening exercises, particularly targeting the ankle and calf muscles. This included banded ankle strengthening, balance and proprioception training, and progressive calf loading. The goal with most of these movements was to work through the full range of motion without causing increased pain or swelling. I also started blood flow restriction training (BFR) to help stimulate muscle growth without overloading the injured area.
Week 4
By week 4, I was able to run nearly pain-free, though I still felt discomfort when running on angled surfaces/driveways, especially when they caused my foot to evert. My ankle range of motion (ROM) had significantly improved, but unfortunately, the combination of plantar flexion and eversion still caused pain. Swelling had not changed much, but overall, the pain was improving.
Nearing Full ROM
I started to ramp up the intensity this week. I switched from bands to weights for several exercises, although inversion was still a struggle in the lengthened position. I was still working to gain full plantarflexion ROM, so I also began sitting on the heels along with other stretches to improve this. I still had to be careful with these, due to continued pain at end range plantarflexion. Heel raises were progressed to one leg, with both straight and bent knee variations to target the different calf muscles.
Looking Ahead
By the end of week 4, my rehab was progressing well, but I was still far from fully recovered. I expect weeks 5 through 7 to involve more dynamic movements, including plyometrics and ball work, as I aim for a return to play. While the rehab process can be slow, each step forward in strengthening and mobility brings me closer to full recovery.
Thank you for following along with my rehab journey and stay tuned for the next (and hopefull final) update!