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Ankle stretches:
Ankle Dorsiflexion:
Ankle Plantarflexion: With your foot relaxed, use your
With your foot relaxed, use your hands to gently move your ankle
hands to gently move your ankle into into a position where your toes are
a position where your toes are pointed up. Continuing moving the
pointed down. Continuing moving ankle until you feel a stretch. Hold
the ankle until you feel a stretch. this stretch for 30 seconds.
Hold this stretch for 30 seconds.
Ankle Inversion:
Ankle Eversion: With your foot relaxed, use your
With your foot relaxed, use your hands to gently move your ankle
hands to gently move your ankle into into a position where your ankle is
a position where your ankle is rolled rolled out and the bottom of your
in and the bottom of your foot is fac- foot is facing in towards your other
ing out to the side. Continuing mov- foot. Continuing moving the ankle
ing the ankle until you feel a stretch. until you feel a stretch. Hold this
Hold this stretch for 30 seconds. stretch for 30 seconds.
Ankle Rehabilitation Continued
Ankle Strengthening:
Towel Scrunches:
Begin with a towel flat on the floor, and take your sock and shoe off. Start at the end clos-
est to you and scrunch the towel with your toes, continue grabbing the towel with your
toes and scrunching it until you reach the end of the towel. Once you reach the end of the
towel, begin doing the same thing in the opposite direction, so that you are pushing the
towel with your toes. Once you reach the end of the towel, lay the towel flat again and
this time start at the left side of the towel. This time you grab the towel with your toes
and pull it to the left. Once you reach the end of the towel do the same thing in the oppo-
site direction, this time pulling the towel to the right side.
Theraband exercises:
Ankle Plantarflexion:
Start by tying the theraband around a table leg. While
seated on the floor wrap the other end of the theraband
around your foot. Position your body so that your leg is
straight in front of you and the table leg where the theraband
is tied is behind your ankle (you are sitting next to the table
leg). Make sure that the theraband is over the ball of your
foot and push forward (i.e. pushing down on the gas). Do 3
sets of 10 repetitions several times per day.
Ankle Eversion:
With the theraband still in place, po-
sition your body so that your affected
leg is straight in front of you and fur-
thest from the table leg where the
theraband is tied. Make sure that the Start position
theraband is wrapped around the top
of your foot (close to your toes) and
pull out away from your body. Do 3
sets of 10 repetitions several times
per day.
End position
Ankle Inversion:
With the theraband still in place, po-
sition your body so that your affected
leg is straight in front of you and
Start position closest to the table leg where the
theraband is tied. Make sure that the
theraband is wrapped around the top
of your foot (close to your toes) and
pull in towards your other foot. Do 3
sets of 10 repetitions several times
per day.
End position
Ankle Rehabilitation Continued
Alphabet exercise:
With your sock and shoe off, hang your
foot over the edge of a table and write
the alphabet with your big toe. You can
first write the alphabet in all capital let-
ters, then repeat with lower case letters.
Repeat several times.
Balancing exercises:
While standing on your affected leg, lift
your unaffected foot to knee level. You
can extend your arms out to the side to
help you balance. You should balance
on the affected leg for one minute. If
this is too easy, you may do the same
thing with your eyes closed. Once that
gets too easy, you may progress to bal-
ancing and leaning (i.e. trying to throw
yourself off balance and then steadying
yourself). Repeat this exercise several
times per day.
Heel Cord stretching:
While standing, place your hands against a wall and place
your unaffected foot in front (closer to the wall) of your af-
fected foot. Keep your affected leg straight and lean towards
the wall making sure to keep your heel on the floor and your
toes slightly pointed in. To enhance this stretch, move your
affected foot further from the wall and perform the same
stretch. Repeat this stretch with your knee bent. Hold these
stretches for 30 seconds and repeat 1-2 times per day.
Knee Flexion:
While lying on your back, bend at the
hip and grab your leg at the back of
your thigh. Let gravity bend your knee
and stretch it for 30 seconds, then re-
peat 1-2 times per day.
Knee Extension:
While sitting, place a rolled up towel under the
ankle of your affected leg. Make sure your leg
is straight in front of you, let gravity pull your
knee towards the floor, which will stretch be-
hind your knee. To enhance this stretch, you
may place extra pressure (with your hand or a
light weight) on your knee. Hold this stretch
for at least 30 seconds. Repeat this stretch 10
times, 1-2 times per day.
Hamstring Curls:
While standing, lean over a table or
counter to brace yourself, then bend your
knee and lift your foot off of the floor
while contracting the hamstring muscles.
For added resistance, you can secure a
cuff weight to your ankle. Repeat this
exercise several times.
Mini Squats:
While standing on your affected leg
only, slowly bend your knee making
sure to keep your knee lined up over
your second toe. Bend your knee far
enough so that your knee is over
your toes, but do not go past your
toes. Repeat this exercise several
times.
Toe Raises:
Begin standing on both feet and slowly
raise up onto your toes. Once this be-
comes easy (after a few days), progress
to raising up on 2 feet and lowering
down with your affected leg only. Once
that exercise becomes easy (after a few
more days), progress to raising up and
down on only the affected leg. Repeat
this exercise several times.
Start position End position Advanced
Lower Extremity Rehabilitation Continued
Theraband Exercises:
Hip Flexion:
Begin by wrapping the theraband
around a table leg and wrap the
other end around your ankle. Turn
your body so that you are facing
away from the table leg where the
theraband is tied. Proceed to kick
your leg straight forward making
sure to keep your leg straight. Do 3
sets of 10 repetitions several times
per day.
Start Position End Position
Hip Extension:
With the theraband still in place,
turn your body so that you are fac-
ing the table leg where the thera-
band is tied. Proceed to kick your
leg straight behind you, making
sure to keep your leg straight. Do 3
sets of 10 repetitions several times
per day.
Start Position End Position
Hip Abduction:
With the theraband still in place,
turn your body so that your affected
side is furthest from the table leg
where the theraband is tied. Pro-
ceed to kick your leg straight out to
the side, making sure to keep your
leg straight. Do 3 sets of 10 repeti-
tions several times per day. Start Position End Position
Lower Extremity Rehabilitation Continued
Hip Adduction:
With the theraband still in place, turn your body so that your af-
fected side is closest to the table leg where the theraband is tied.
Proceed to kick your leg straight across your body, making sure to
keep your leg straight. Do 3 sets of 10 repetitions several times
per day.
Step ups:
Using a step stool, step onto the stool
with your affected leg first, then your
unaffected leg. Then step down with
your unaffected leg first, followed back
your affected leg. Repeat this exercise
several times.
Hip abduction:
While lying on your unaf-
fected side, slowly lift your
affected leg straight up into
the air, making sure to keep
your leg straight. Do 3 sets of
10 repetitions and repeat a
few times per day.
Hip adduction:
While lying on your af-
fected side and the foot
of your unaffected leg
placed in front of your
affected knee, slowly lift
your affected leg straight
up into the air, making
sure to keep your leg
straight. Do 3 sets of 10
repetitions and repeat a
few times per day. Start position End position