Medial Ankle Sprain: My Experience (Part 3)
Week 5-7 Rehab and Return to Sport
In this post, we’ll take a closer look at my deltoid ligament injury recovery from weeks 5 to 7, which involved starting plyometrics, progressing strengthening, and gradually reintroducing soccer-specific drills.
Here are links to Part 1 and Part 2 in case you missed them.
Week 5
In week 5, the focus shifted to more dynamic movements. Earlier in the recovery process, the goal was to balance protecting the injured ligaments while also working on strength and range of motion (ROM).
For this stage of rehab, the use of ball drills played a big role. While I was still mostly relying on the left foot for ball control or striking the ball, I began to incorporate my injured right ankle during quick cuts or planting for shooting. I was able to perform basic dribbling drills, although juggling remained a little painful.
For my specific injury, instability has not been as much of a concern, more so pressure on the injured area and pointing my toes all the way down. As a result, kicking with my right foot is by far the most painful movement. Depending on your own injury, you might have more pain actually planting on the right side. If that is the case, you may want to actually start kicking with your right foot first, and work on planting and cutting later on.
[I recently made a video with 5 weak foot drills you can do if your dominant side is injured or if you just need to work on your non-dominant side more!]
I continued ankle strengthening drills and also introduced more targeted exercises like lateral leaning heel raises. These exercises help mimic the position of the plant foot during a shot and are useful when preparing for return to sport.
At the same time, I focused on increasing my plantarflexion ROM through both passive and active movements. The reverse Nordic curl, although primarily a quad exercise, can be useful for loading into plantarflexion and restoring mobility. I used a pad in the beginning, and gradually progressed to performing the exercise without it to deepen the stretch.
Week 6: Increasing Intensity
By week 6, I was ready to add more intensity to my rehab. I started incorporating small passes and ball handling with the right side, especially the outside of the boot which was no problem. Juggling, which had been a challenge in earlier weeks, became easier once I had warmed up properly. Despite this, I remained cautious with hard passes and shots.
Strengthening exercises were also ramped up. I added weight to my single-leg heel raises, ensuring I was going through the full range of motion. To further challenge the ankle’s stability, I progressed to slant board heel raises, which introduced more eversion and inversion to the movement, which is important for ankle stability.
One of the bigger milestones in week 6 was starting to hop. I began with both legs, progressing to more single-leg movements. While hopping with both feet felt manageable, SL pogo jumps revealed lingering weakness and some discomfort.
Week 7: Returning to Play
By week 7, I was able to participate in my first pickup game, although I really only used my left foot to play. There was some mild discomfort with this, but it was manageable overall. The recovery continued to be challenging this week, particularly with some residual swelling and pain at the inside of my ankle, likely due to a lingering bone bruise. However, this should resolve with time, as long as I don’t re-injure it.
This stage of rehab underscores the importance of patience and listening to your body. While it can be tempting to jump back into full activity, it’s essential to gradually progress through strengthening exercises, mobility drills, and controlled plyometrics before returning to high-intensity play.
Going Forward
I plan to return to full field games next week, which will be right around the 9 week mark. In most cases, you would likely be able to return to play with the injured side around this time. However, In my case, I’m being extra cautious since I’ve re-injured this ligament several times now, and I plan to primarily still use my left foot for the next 3-4 weeks.