Orthopedics Leg, Foot & Ankle Treatment & Surgery Physical Therapy for a Broken Ankle By Brett Sears, PT facebook twitter linkedin Brett Sears, PT, MDT, is a physical therapist with over 15 years of experience in orthopedic and hospital-based therapy. Learn about our editorial process Brett Sears, PT Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Laura Campedelli, PT, DPT on November 25, 2019 linkedin Laura Campedelli, PT, DPT, is a physical therapist currently working in New York at Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, an affiliate of New York Presbyterian. Learn about our Medical Review Board Laura Campedelli, PT, DPT Updated on January 04, 2020 Print Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Symptoms and Causes Treatment Physical Therapy Exercises Duration of PT A broken ankle can severely limit your ability to perform basic functional tasks like running and walking. This painful injury can cause loss of lower extremity strength, range of motion, and pain. These impairments can make performing your normal everyday activities difficult or impossible. You may benefit from physical therapy (PT) after a broken ankle to help you fully recover functional mobility and to return to your previous level of activity. Verywell / Cindy Chung Ankle Fracture Symptoms and Causes Your ankle is a joint where the talus bone of the foot and the tibia (shin bone) and fibula of the leg connect and move. Trauma here can cause a break in any or all of these bones and significant pain usually results immediately after the injury. Ankle fractures almost always occur during a traumatic event to the body. Automobile accidents, falls, and sports injuries can all lead to ankle fractures. Common signs of an ankle fracture include pain, swelling, bruising, and an inability to bear weight on the broken ankle. If you suspect you have a broken bone in your ankle, your first step should be to seek medical attention immediately. Failure to do so may result in a significant loss of function. Treatment While at the hospital following an ankle fracture, your doctor may attempt to reduce the fracture. Fracture reduction is the term used to describe how a bone is fixed or set after it's broken. The pieces of bone must be put in close proximity to one another so that healing can occur. Fracture reduction is essential to ensure that the bone heals properly and that permanent functional loss or deformity is avoided. After your ankle fracture is reduced, your ankle will most likely be placed in a cast. This immobilizes the ankle and allows the bones to heal properly. Many times after an ankle fracture, you will require some sort of assistive device to walk. You may also be under specific weight-bearing restrictions. Be sure to ask your doctor how much weight you are allowed to put on your ankle as it heals. How Does It Feel When a Broken Bone is Healing? Physical Therapy Once your fracture is reduced and immobilized, you may be referred to physical therapy to learn how to possibly use an assistive device like crutches, a cane, or a walker. Your physical therapist should also be able to help you understand your weight-bearing restrictions. Gentle exercise for the muscles of the knee and hip may be performed to ensure that the muscle groups that help you walk do not get too weak while the fracture heals. If you are in a cast or a brace, most likely you will not be performing exercises for your ankle. After your fractured ankle has healed, your doctor will remove the cast and allow you to bear more weight on your ankle. You may be using an assistive device like a quad cane or crutches to walk. At this point, your physical therapist can fully evaluate your ankle to help provide the proper treatment. Components of the ankle evaluation may include: Gait Range of motion Strength Swelling Pain Scar assessment if you had an open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) surgery After a thorough evaluation, your physical therapist can begin providing treatment. He or she may use therapeutic modalities like heat, ice, or electrical stimulation to help treat swelling or pain around your ankle. What to Expect From Physical Therapy Exercises An ankle fracture exercise program should be the main component of your ankle rehabilitation following a fracture. Be sure to follow your physical therapist's directions closely and ask questions if you have any. Exercises for ankle fracture rehabilitation may include: Exercises for ankle range of motion Ankle strengthening exercises Hip and knee exercises (to help improve walking ability) Balance and proprioception exercises Exercise to improve functional mobility and walking ability You'll most likely be required to perform a home exercise program for your broken ankle. This program may continue for several months after physical therapy has stopped, and the program may be an important component in your long-term rehab success. Wolff's law states that bone grows and remodels in response to the stress that is placed upon it. Your physical therapist can help prescribe exercises that apply the right stress in the correct direction to ensure that maximal bone healing occurs and that your fractured ankle will function properly. Gait training will also be important following an ankle fracture. Your physical therapist can help you progress from using an assistive device to walking independently. If you have had surgery to reduce your ankle fracture, there may be scar tissue around the incision. Your physical therapist can perform scar tissue massage and mobilization to help improve the mobility of the scar. He or she can also teach you how to perform scar massage techniques on your own. Physical Therapy After a Fracture How Long Will Physical Therapy Last? Everyone heals differently, and everyone's ankle fracture injury is different. Your physical therapist should discuss with you your overall prognosis with your ankle fracture rehab. This prognosis typically depends on how well your ankle is moving when your first start rehab. In general, physical therapy for a broken ankle lasts about 6 to 8 weeks. Your personal experience with PT may be shorter or longer depending on your specific injury. Continuing your home exercise program is a component of your rehabilitation. Being diligent with it can help you regain function and get back to the activities you have been missing. A Word From Verywell An ankle fracture can lead to significant loss of function and limit your ability to walk, run, or participate fully in work and recreational activities. Physical therapy after an ankle fracture can help you improve mobility and help you safely return to normal activity and function. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Dealing with joint pain can cause major disruptions to your day. Sign up and learn how to better take care of your body. Click below and just hit send! Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Ankle fractures (broken ankle). Updated March 2013.