Ankle sprains are common injuries that can happen for many reasons. Jumping, playing sports, or even just walking on uneven surfaces can result in a sprained ankle. While it may not seem as serious as a broken ankle, sprained ankles can become chronic problems if not treated correctly. Ankles can lose their range of motion and stability and are more prone to future injuries if the ankle is not rehabilitated properly.
Our PTs are experts in assessing ankle sprains and creating individualized treatment plans that manage, relieve, and resolve your symptoms for the long term. Our goal is to guide your path to recovery, working to alleviate pain and irritation and restore function so you can get back to living your life to the fullest.
What is an Ankle Sprain?
Ankle sprains occur when the foot twists or turns beyond its normal range of movement, causing the ligaments connecting the bones of the leg, ankle, and foot to overstretch or tear. The most common way people sprain their ankle occurs with “ankle inversion”, or when the ankle is twisted or ‘rolled’ outwards suddenly. This shock causes damage to the ligaments and tendons on the outside of the ankle causing pain, inflammation, and swelling.
The most common sprain occurs in the lower portion of the ankle. You can also have a high ankle sprain which is an injury to the ligament just above the ankle that joins the shin bone and ankle together. The low ankle sprain occurs to the tendons on the outside of the ankle, a high ankle sprain includes pain, swelling, and bruising at both the outside and front of the ankle. Pain may occur when the foot is both rotated and pushed upwards. A high ankle sprain often occurs along with a fracture to your lower leg bone. It can be more painful and difficult to treat than a common outer ankle sprain.
Do you have pain from an ankle sprain?
Our physical therapists will customize a rehabilitation plan for sprained ankle pain. We will work in an effective way to get you back on your feet, focused on your wellness before, during and after therapy.
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Insurances We Accept
Below is a condensed list of insurances we participate with throughout our network of physical therapy clinics. Find your particular provider below based on your area. For a complete listing of all insurance providers and individual plans by name: CLICK HERE FOR OUR FULL INSURANCE PAGE.
Amerihealth Caritas (effective date 4/27/2020 - NH)
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield (NH)
Bardavon (Workers' Compensation – MA, NH)
BCBS Massachusetts (MA)
CeltiCare (MA)
Commonwealth Care Alliance (MA)
Fallon Health (MA)
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care (MA, NH)
Health New England (MA)
Magna Care (MA, NH)
Magna Comp (Workers' Compensation – MA, NH)
Martin’s Point Health Care (NH)
Mass General Brigham Health (Formerly AllWays Health Partners)
Massachusetts Health (Medicaid – MA)
Medicaid (MA, NH)
Medicare (MA, NH)
Med Risk (Workers' Compensation – MA)
ML Healthcare (NF – MA, NH)
No Fault (Various Carriers)
Omni Healthcare (MVA Lien – MA, NH)
One Call (Workers' Compensation – MA, NH)
SPNET (Workers' Compensation – MA, NH)
Streamline (Workers' Compensation – MA, NH)
TRICARE (MA, NH)
Tufts Cigna (MA)
Tufts Health Plan (MA, NH)
Tufts Medicare Advantage (MA)
Tufts Public (Medicaid – MA)
UniCare (MA)
United Health Care (Optum – MA, NH)
WellSense Health (Formerly BMC – Boston Medical Center – MA)
Workers’ Compensation (Various Carriers)
symptoms.
Symptoms of an Ankle Sprain
Symptoms and severity of sprained ankles can range from slight pain with little to no swelling in a minor injury, to a complete rupture of the ligament with extreme pain and swelling with a major injury. A small sprain will usually come with immediate pain but the ability to continue activity. A severe ankle sprain could require serious treatment and potentially take longer to heal than a broken bone in the ankle.
Right after an ankle sprain, you may experience:
Pain, Swelling, or Throbbing
Inability to stand or walk on the affected foot
Stiffness or Weakness
Instability in the ankle joint
What Can I Expect from Physical Therapy for Ankle Sprains?
There are a variety of factors that are addressed to rehabilitate an ankle sprain. Your physical therapist will evaluate your ankle to look for range of motion, strength, joint mobility, and balance changes from your injury. You and your physical therapist will work together, following a unique treatment plan designed to manage and relieve your symptoms and improve your quality of life. The goal is to get your ankle function back to normal as soon as possible without pain. Typically, your physical therapist will look to restore normal joint motion before progressing to strengthening and balance exercises. Once the injury has healed and strength and range of motion have been restored, you will begin sport- or activity-specific exercises to help you return to doing the things you love!
Throughout your physical therapy appointments, your PT will:
Assess your source of discomfort and pain
Discuss your diagnosis and treatment plan
Teach you exercises to help relieve symptoms
Recommend ways to make daily activities more bearable as you heal
Offer guidance and support to prevent further damage
Physical Therapy Treatments for Ankle Sprains
Your PT will prescribe personalized therapy treatments intended to improve range of motion, relieve discomfort, and help your body heal. Some therapeutic techniques our physical therapist may use to relieve pain from a sprained ankle include:
Joint Mobilization
Manual Therapy
Sports Injury Rehabilitation
Exercise Therapy
Flexibility Training
Health & Wellness Strategies
Diagnosing a Sprained Ankle Injury
Professional’s physical therapists can help diagnose an ankle sprain, identify if it’s something more serious, and determine how we can put you on the best path to recovery. Tools that can be used to diagnose your condition and refer you to PT include a clinical exam, MRI or X-Ray. If you are suffering from any ankle pain that may not be related to an ankle sprain, please visit our primary ankle information page⇒.
Our Commitment to Ankle Sprain Pain Relief
Professional’s physical therapists are dedicated to getting you back to doing the things you love. The sooner you seek physical therapy for ankle sprains, the more likely you are to have a successful, pain-free outcome. We are ready to support you every step of the way on your journey to recovery.
Find the clinic nearest to you⇒ to speak with a Professional physical therapist who specializes in ankle pain and ankle sprains today.
Convenient physical therapy clinics near you
We provide treatments for sprained ankle pain from our physical therapy clinics throughout New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. Fill out the form above, or contact a clinic near you to speak with a Professional Physical Therapist and ankle pain treatment specialist today.
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