Easy-to-Do Sprained Ankle Treatment You Can Do At Home

Here is a sprained ankle treatment that WORKS!

A sprained ankle happens suddenly and is a major trauma to the ankle but most of the time it is actually more a lower leg issue than an ankle problem.

The ankle anatomy is important to consider since it is in pain and swollen. However, the cause is actually your lower leg muscles and yet rarely they are even considered when treating a sprained ankle.

Here’s why your lower leg is the source of your ankle pain:

The muscles of your lower leg all insert into your foot.

Your tibialis anterior runs along the outside of your shin bone and the tendon crosses over your ankle inserting into your arch which allows lifting up the inside of your arch and big toe.
Your peroneal muscles are on the outside of your lower leg and the tendon inserts on the outside of your foot and into your arch. When these muscles contract you lift up the outside of your foot and pinky toe.
Your calf muscles all merge into your Achilles tendon and insert into your heel bone allowing the lifting up of your heel so you can stand on your toes.

When these muscles contract they cause all of the movements of your foot and ankle. When they contain muscle fiber knots you feel pain when moving in the opposite direction. The tight muscles caused by muscle knots are pulling on the tendon and joint. This often causes swelling and/or inflammation at the insertion point on the bone.

How to Treat a Sprained Ankle:

Take treatment ball or a new tennis ball and kneel on the floor.

Position the ball just to the outside of your shin bone and press, slowly rolling the ball down to your ankle.

When you hit a tender point in the muscle (a muscle knot) stay on the point for 30-60 seconds with the intention of releasing the knot.

Next, sit on the floor and do the same thing on the very outside of your lower leg (as shown in the picture here).

You may find several trigger points (muscle knots) that are painful.

These are the knots that are putting a strain on your foot!!

In this next treatment, lie down and place your calf onto your opposite bent knee and deeply massage all of the muscles in the back of your lower leg.

All of these muscles impact your foot from your heel to your toes.

As you find tender points stay still for 30-60 seconds giving the muscle knot time to release before moving on.

For this treatment, you can use the heel of your opposite foot, a ball in your hand (as shown) or your elbow.

Press directly into the muscles that run behind your shin bone. Your muscle will likely be tender at the same point shown in this picture.

You can also use your thumbs by placing them on the inside edge of the bone and then pressing up as if trying to press into the back of your shin bone.

Ankle Stretch

Here is a simple ankle stretch you can do AFTER the sprained ankle treatments shown above.

Point your toes down as far as you can while turning your foot so your toenails and the length of your toes are pressing into the ground.Apply pressure on your toes until you feel the stretch of the muscle.

Go only to the “hurt so good” feeling.

As an athlete it is important to know how to relieve muscle knots so you can stop pain quickly even when you are “on the road”.

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