Three physical therapy exercises that can help your outer ankle pain

Pain in the outer side of your ankle is also called lateral ankle pain, and it can be linked to issues like ankle tendinitis or an ankle sprain. 

Ankle pain is something that many people suffer from, and one study reports that 15% of the general population experiences frequent ankle pain. Working with a physical therapist can allow you to effectively treat your outer ankle pain. One treatment option your physical therapist may use to help you is therapeutic exercises, and here are a few of the exercises that your therapist might recommend: 

1. Lying ankle dorsiflexion exercise

Purpose: This exercise is designed to reduce outer ankle pain by improving the strength and flexibility of structures that pull your foot toward your shin. 

How to perform the lying ankle dorsiflexion exercise:

• Lie down on your back on a yoga mat or bed. 

• Begin with your toes of the affected foot slightly pointed in front of you.

• Slowly bend your ankle so that your foot moves back toward your shin. 

• When you’ve bent it as far as you can, hold that position for 15 seconds. 

• Relax your ankle and rest for a few seconds. 

• Repeat the exercise until you’ve completed it three to five times.

2. Lying ankle flexion exercise

Purpose: This exercise can help decrease outer ankle pain by improving the flexibility and strength of structures that help move your foot away from your shin. 

How to perform the lying ankle flexion exercise:

• Lie down on your back on a yoga mat or bed. 

• Allow your affected foot to assume its natural neutral position. 

• Bend your ankle so that your foot moves away from your shin. Keep your knee as straight as possible as you do so. 

• When you’ve bent your foot as far as you can, hold that position for 15 seconds. 

• Then, allow your ankle to relax for a few seconds. 

• Continue to repeat the exercise until you’ve done three to five repetitions. 

3. Isometric inversion exercise

Purpose: This isometric exercise is intended to strengthen and stretch the structures on the outside of your ankle, which can help reduce outer ankle pain. 

How to perform the isometric inversion exercise: 

• Sit in a chair with good posture. 

• Place the inside of your affected foot against a heavy table or another immovable object. 

• Contract your muscles and push the inside of your foot against the object. Your ankle should not move as you do this. 

• Hold this contraction for 10 to 15 seconds.

• Relax your muscles for a few seconds. 

• Repeat the exercise three to five times in total. 

Peak Performance offers treatment for outer ankle pain

Looking for help treating your outer ankle pain? Our physical therapists at Peak Performance are prepared to help you decrease your pain. We offer free screenings that can reveal the root cause of your pain. You’ll also find that our specialists are adept at creating personalized therapy plans that can decrease pain and prevent future ankle injuries. Even better, you can sign up for a virtual therapy session with us that can allow you to treat your pain from home. 

Contact us today for more information about all the ankle issues we can help you treat or to schedule an initial appointment.