Ankle excersize

[Jennifer89]

Does anyone know some ankle streantheners?

I've had two ankle sugeries in the past three years... needless to say, my ankle isn't as strong as it was before I broke it. It's getting stronger, but I still notice the weakness sometimes. I'm only 16... I'm to young to have any weak bones!

[Elena99]

You may want to ask your doctor about this, or someone with a professional training. I'd hate to suggest something and then have you find out the hard way that it aggravated it.

[Mskedi]

There are some exercises you can do with a theraband that help a lot with ankle strength and that many dancers at my studio have used both post-injury and to prevent injury. I can't describe them here, but I'd bet a google search would return something.

Like Elena said, though, check with a doctor or physical therapist before attempting anything. You don't want to make it worse. :no:

[ProudVegan]

When i had a check up for my foot, my doctor suggested circling my feet with the heels on the ground. supposed to keep it flexible.

But its better to check with a foot doctor for advice.. it can depend on what type of injury you have and how serious it is.

[zoebird]

i'm surprised that you didn't get physical therapy after surgery. definately look into it.

[Jennifer89]

My doc didn't offer or sugest physical therapy. Also, suposedly my ankle is all better now after the second sugery (so not true, but X-rays would yield anything, and doctors don't listen to teenagers) :down: . I know the trueth though, that my ankle is still week. I hate how they think that a teens bones will just magically heal when it should, just because I'm young and healthy dosn't mean that my bones will heal any faster then someone older then me! My mom thinks that it's just the weather, but it's not, because it bothers me when it's bright and rain isn't due for a week or so. I don't know why no one will listen to me, I think that since I'm walking on it all day, I kinda know my ankle better then an x-ray...

So, am I just over complaning (the doctor and my mom be right???) or am I right? :sign: I wish someone would take me seriosly... I'm glad that ya'll do.

[Mskedi]

just because I'm young and healthy dosn't mean that my bones will heal any faster then someone older then me!

Being young and healthy does help, though. :)

The problem with us giving you advice is that we don't know what your exercise history is like. I could tell you to do releves because that is an ankle strengthening exercise, but if you've never taken a ballet class, you might sickle your ankle while you do it and make things worse. So you see the dilemma here...

Maybe you can save up for a day with a PT so they can give you ideas. Or maybe you can give us some more background on you.

[Jennifer89]

Okay, some back ground info: *I really don't know what to say, but I'll try*

I am 16 years old, and my last surgery was two summers ago, my first one was when I was 12 3/4. I broke my ankles when a LOT of sheet rock fell on it, one of my ankles was half broken (sprained/fractured) and the other was broken in about 6 different places, completely through. They did an operation and inserted 2 rods, one on each side, and 6 screws to keep the rods in place. Then, about 2 years ago, my ankle was hurting really badly, I told my mom and she just blamed it on the weather (like she does now) and thought that I was being over sensitive, but then when my ankle started to majorly swell up, she finally took my back to the dude who performed my surgery. He did some x-rays, and compared them to the old onse, it ended up that the pins on one side of my ankle were unscrewing themselves: a sighn that my ankle bones were getting stronger and rejecting the pins. Since I couldn't very well just have a few screws floating around inside my leg, the doc did a second surgery the next summer (so I wouldn't miss school) and took out all of the pins on both sides, shaving the bone away, unscrewing the pins, taking out the rods, and sowing me back up. He gave me some gauze and sent me on my way to pick up some cruches. I stayed on the cruches for 2 weeks, though quite honostly, I would take baby steps (which the doc allowed me to do) in the camps bathroom where no one would see me and stop me. I use to do a lot of excersize, soccer, hikes, games etc., but after braking my ankle, I havn't done much, mosty babysitting, yard work, and walking (hills, stairs, flat ground and woods). I have never been a dancer or anything like that, I'd say that soccer has been my biggest sport, that and chasing around youngsters :o . Ummm, yup, that's about it. I do walk up and down a ton of stairs every day, at school, to get to my bedroom, to get to the main floor of my house, and at other times. Stairs seem to pop up where ever I go.

I'm 16 and about 170 pounds, 5 ft 6-7 inch.

Any sugestions?

[Mskedi]

And they didn't give you physical therapy?!?

Oh man. Now I'm just mad.

A dancer friend of mine had a similar issue with his knees (not the same cause, but the rods, the shaving of the bones, etc...) and he had intensive PT for six months before he was allowed to do any dancing again. He's now back up to professional quality, but it took a long time.

Since the problem is your bones and not your muscle, any advice I would have for you is kind of useless... except that I know strengthening your muscles will help protect your bones.

I have no idea why your mom & doc wouldn't believe you -- especially since the last time you complained about pain it led to a second surgery.

The only advice I could give is to really get on your mom about this so she takes you seriously, and then demand a referral to a PT from your doctor. I recently switched my primary physician because my old doctor didn't take some of my complaints seriously. It's made a huge difference in my well being.

Sorry I can't be much help, but this is absolutely insane. After two surgeries of *course* you feel pain, and it's *not* okay. Jeez. I feel like slapping some people around :mad:

[Jennifer89]

Someone finally agrees! So, I guess that I'm not just being some stupid teen then! Okay, so they never told me that, but the doc probaly would have if my mom wasn't standing in the room, he kinda said it anyways, just not strate forward.


And they didn't give you physical therapy?!?

Oh man. Now I'm just mad.

A dancer friend of mine had a similar issue with his knees (not the same cause, but the rods, the shaving of the bones, etc...) and he had intensive PT for six months before he was allowed to do any dancing again. He's now back up to professional quality, but it took a long time.

Since the problem is your bones and not your muscle, any advice I would have for you is kind of useless... except that I know strengthening your muscles will help protect your bones.

I have no idea why your mom & doc wouldn't believe you -- especially since the last time you complained about pain it led to a second surgery.

The only advice I could give is to really get on your mom about this so she takes you seriously, and then demand a referral to a PT from your doctor. I recently switched my primary physician because my old doctor didn't take some of my complaints seriously. It's made a huge difference in my well being.

Sorry I can't be much help, but this is absolutely insane. After two surgeries of *course* you feel pain, and it's *not* okay. Jeez. I feel like slapping some people around :mad: