I was in ER yesterday, and they have referred me to a foot bone doctor today. They want me to go back to work tomorrow. Since it is my right ankle, I do not think I can drive either. Any suggestions on how to get to feeling better sooner? They said it often takes 4-6 weeks to heal, but I have heard from a few people to make certain I am able to do something before I try to use my foot. How in the world do I tell I am ready to use the ankle before I try it? The ER thought I might be able to drive with this, but should I? Any helpful advice is deeply appreciated!
Answer:
Broken Ankle Rehabilitation Exercises
Wait for clearance from your physician before performing any of these exercises. Moving a broken ankle before healing has taken place may delay healing or cause additional damage.
Towel stretch: Sit on a hard surface with your injured leg stretched out in front of you. Loop a towel around the ball of your foot and pull the towel toward your body keeping your knee straight. Hold this position for 15 to 30 seconds then relax. Repeat 3 times.
Standing calf stretch: Facing a wall, put your hands against the wall at about eye level. Keep the injured leg back, the uninjured leg forward, and the heel of your injured leg on the floor. Turn your injured foot slightly inward (as if you were pigeon-toed) as you slowly lean into the wall until you feel a stretch in the back of your calf. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds. Repeat 3 times. Do this exercise several times each day.
Standing soleus stretch: Stand facing a wall with your hands at about chest level. With both knees slightly bent and the injured foot back, gently lean into the wall until you feel a stretch in your lower calf. Once again, angle the toes of your injured foot slightly inward and keep your heel down on the floor. Hold this for 15 to 30 seconds. Return to the starting position. Repeat 3 times.
You can do the next 5 exercises when your physician clears you to perform range of motion and strengthening exercises.
Ankle range of motion: Sitting or lying down with your legs straight and your knee toward the ceiling, move your ankle up and down, in and out, and in circles. Only move your ankle. Don't move your leg. Repeat 10 times in each direction. Push hard in all directions.
Resisted dorsiflexion: Sit with your injured leg out straight and your foot facing a doorway. Tie a loop in one end of the tubing. Put your foot through the loop so that the tubing goes around the arch of your foot. Tie a knot in the other end of the tubing and shut the knot in the door. Move backward until there is tension in the tubing. Keeping your knee straight, pull your foot toward your body, stretching the tubing. Slowly return to the starting position. Do 3 sets of 10.
Resisted plantar flexion: Sit with your leg outstretched and loop the middle section of the tubing around the ball of your foot. Hold the ends of the tubing in both hands. Gently press the ball of your foot down and point your toes, stretching the tubing. Return to the starting position. Do 3 sets of 10.
Resisted inversion: Sit with your legs out straight and cross your uninjured leg over your injured ankle. Wrap the tubing around the ball of your injured foot and then loop it around your uninjured foot so that the tubing is anchored there at one end. Hold the other end of the tubing in your hand. Turn your injured foot inward and upward. This will stretch the tubing. Return to the starting position. Do 3 sets of 10.
Resisted eversion: Sit with both legs stretched out in front of you, with your feet about a shoulder's width apart. Tie a loop in one end of the tubing. Put your injured foot through the loop so that the tubing goes around the arch of that foot and wraps around the outside of the uninjured foot. Hold onto the other end of the tubing with your hand to provide tension. Turn your injured foot up and out. Make sure you keep your uninjured foot still so that it will allow the tubing to stretch as you move your injured foot. Return to the starting position. Do 3 sets of 10.
You may do the rest of the exercises when you can stand on your injured ankle without pain.
Heel raises: Balance yourself while standing behind a chair or counter. Raise your body up onto your toes and hold it for 5 seconds, then slowly lower yourself down. Repeat 10 times. Do 3 sets of 10.
Standing toe raises: Stand with your feet flat on the floor, rock back onto your heels and lift your toes off the floor. Hold this for 5 seconds. Do 3 sets of 10.
Single-leg balance: Stand without any support and attempt to balance on your injured leg. Begin with your eyes open and then try to perform the exercise with your eyes closed. Hold the single-leg position for 30 seconds. Repeat 3 times. When you have mastered this, try doing this exercise standing on a pillow.
Jump rope: Jump rope landing on both legs for 5 minutes, then on only the injured leg for 5 minutes.
i drove myself to the doctor last time i sprained my ankle. you should be ok to drive and work as long as you are not standing on it all day just remeber to elevate every night while sleeping and as much through out the day to ensure healing. and dont forget any other instructions the doctor gave you he did this to help you and believes that you are going to be fine working if he released you. this will help.
Well, whether you can drive depends largely on which bone is broken. There are quite a few in there, and sometimes using it won't cause further damage.
Just to be safe, I'd try to get a ride to the orthopedist's office. They'll be able to tell you when it's safe to use your foot.
If the bone is BROKEN, regardless which bone, you should NOT be driving, working or putting any weight on it for at least 6 weeks. You should also be in plaster [of paris] to assist the setting of the bone and eventual healing. At the expiration of the six weeks, if unsure of the 'healing' then a further x-ray should be taken for verification of the mend, at which time a physiotherapist or occupational therapist should be setting some exercises for your recovery to full working capacity.
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