“How do you strengthen weak ankle ligaments?”
I am a 39 year old male. I want to know how can I strengthen weak ankle ligaments?
6 Answers
Ligaments connect one bone structure to the other. Typically, exercises do not affect the ligament and neither can the strength of the ligament be assessed. Usually, the ligament could be either lax or taut. Muscle strengthening would be preferable to stabilize the ankle and prevent further injury. Some examples of ankle strengthening exercises include heel raises, toe raises, ankle circles, ankle alphabets, single heel raise, ankle board exercises etc.
Usually advise using a flexible ankle brace for support. You can strengthen by toe and heel walking repeatedly. For more specific exercises, you should consult a physical therapist or athletic trainer.
There are no exercises or maneuvers to specifically strengthen ligaments. But, our tendons around the ankle, if strengthened will compensate for ligament weakness or laxity. Specifically, you need to focus on strengthening your peroneal tendons group on the outside of your ankle. The link below offers good instruction on how to do this:
https://www.torbayandsouthdevon.nhs.uk/uploads/25300.pdf
https://www.torbayandsouthdevon.nhs.uk/uploads/25300.pdf
The best rehab for an ankle is strengthening of the surrounding muscles with either isometric or resistive exercises. You can find these on u-tube. Equally important is proprioceptive exercises. These allow the muscles to function properly. A BAPS board or balance board is best for this. There are multiple exercises. The more advanced you get the stronger you will get and will be less likely to experience reoccurring ankle injury. Good luck
Check out the YouTube video. It explains some exercises well:
https://youtu.be/g-iXYapbuqk
Hope it helps!!
Dr. Bose
https://youtu.be/g-iXYapbuqk
Hope it helps!!
Dr. Bose
The short answer is you can’t, as a ligament does not have the physiologic capability to contract. You can however strengthen the muscles that surround a ligament. Ligaments join bone to bone to provide stability to a joint. A few activities to assist in ankle stability would be heel raises and standing on one foot at a time. I would recommend a consult with a local PT to be more specific to your particular areas of weakness. Good luck.
