Proprioception Exercises to Prevent Ankle Sprains
Ankle injuries happen to people doing a variety of activities. From exercising and running to just walk to the mailbox, there are many ways to injure your ankle and send you to a foot doctor in The Woodlands, TX. One of the most common ways for people to sprain their ankle is when the ankle rolls over in an unnatural way and puts stress on the ligaments. When there’s too much stress on the ligaments, this is stretching, and tearing occur, and you end up with a painful ankle sprain.
Woman checks her aching footMany of the best foot and ankle surgeons in The Woodlands, TX, encourage people to include balance and proprioception training to take measures to prevent ankle sprains. Keep reading to learn more about proprioception training and how to incorporate it into your daily life.
Proprioception Training 101
The concept of this type of training is to teach your body how to realize how it occupies its space. For example, focus on a point straight ahead and then raise your left arm parallel to your body. Next, bend your elbow. How did your body know how to do that without your eyes watching the entire process? It’s quite fascinating that your body knows what to do when you’re not looking at it, and it does it all the time.
So, how does this work with your lifestyle to prevent ankle injuries? Well, when your body is more aware of the space it takes up in the world, it’s able to perform activities like walking and running without leading to injury.
Most of the time the body has no problems finding its space. However, if you experienced injuries in the past, adding this type of training to your recovery helps you get back to your old self faster.
Examples of Proprioception Training
First, if you’ve had a sprained ankle, it’s always best to work directly with your foot specialist in The Woodlands, TX, to make sure you get the best care and treatment for your ankle injury. Often, people will visit a physical therapist to make certain they’re on the best recovery and training regime. Here are some examples of balance and proprioception exercises your physical therapist may have you do in the office and at home:
· Single leg standing: This is done with your eyes closed and opened. It also includes standing on one leg while moving your arms or head while balancing on one leg.
· Unsteady surface standing: Again, this is a single leg exercise where the body is put forced to find its balance and stay upright while on uneven surfaces.
Tandem walking, T-stance exercises, and using a BAPS board are also part of proprioception training.
Other Forms of Training to Prevent Ankle Injuries
Age, previous injuries, and weak joints are reasons why people end up visiting centers for advanced foot and ankle in The Woodlands, TX. Preventing ankle injuries is also aided by adding other forms of balance training into your weekly exercise schedule. Consider signing up for a couple of yoga classes a week or add a barre or Pilates class into your life to find more stability and strengthen your joints.
To learn more about proprioception training contact your local ankle and foot center in The Woodlands, TX, at the Ankle & Foot Specialists of Conroe, The Woodlands.