Hi Erin, I would recommend starting at phase one of the ankle sprain program here in the app and working your way through that program. Here is a link for the program.

https://membership.rehabscience.com/programs/ankle-sprain?category_id=261017

Hi Erin, great question. If your pain is now under control, then I would recommend picking 3-4 strengthening exercises from the end of phase 3 or any of the exercises from phase 4 and performing them 2-4 times each week to help keep the area strong and healthy. If you are prone to tightness in your hips or low back, then you may also want to integrate a few of the mobility exercises from the earlier phases to help keep pain away.

Stephanie D. Happy to help! I hope what I said made sense. We definitely give stretching exercises to many people depending on what pain they might have or if they demonstrate limitations in flexibility or mobility.

Stephanie D. Yes, basic stretches that you would do for exercise are usually sufficient in terms of reducing the chances that you lose mobility and flexibility as you age. Certain muscle groups are more prone to losing flexibility as we age, such as the calf muscles, hamstrings, and spinal muscles, so if someone demonstrates a tendency towards limited range of motion, then we may add stretching exercises to their regular workouts. With this in mind, I would still recommend focusing on full body strengthening exercises and potentially balance exercises as the most important as we age.

Hi Stephanie, while stretching can be helpful for certain pain conditions and mental health, it’s not something we recommend as much anymore from a physical therapy perspective since the research is much more supportive of resistance training in terms of preventing injuries. The majority of people have the range of motion necessary to complete daily tasks, so daily stretching isn’t that helpful. Most of the focus really should be on strength training. However, if you find that stretching feels good, then it’s absolutely fine to do. This is coming from someone who spent a large part of his life stretching as a former gymnast and martial artist.