Expert: Dianne M. Buxton - 12/19/2009

Question
Hey, I am a 15 year old dancer and have had quite a few serious injuries. I have broken my right fibula,had an ankle sprain on my left foot,and a pulled muscle. My ankle sprain is the most recent injury and I did physiotherapy for months and am now dancing again. However I still feel some laxity and I was wondering what I could do to make it have the same strength as it used to.

Answer
Hi Erica. I've selected a passage from one of articles about strengthening for pointe work. This action with a theraband would strengthen the outer ankle area which is the area normally sprained. Read the whole article, as there are exercises to strengthen the whole foot which will also help with fine control and take the burden off the lower leg/ankle area to do all the work.

"If you get corrections for sickling in where your weight goes towards the outside of your foot: sitting, legs straight, loop the (theraband) band around your right foot, at the metatarsal area. Hold the band ends with your left hand. Pull the foot outward, and you will feel the muscles on the outside of the foot/ankle area working. Pull and hold for 10 seconds 10 times."

The above is an excerpt from http://balletshoesandpointeshoes.blogspot.com/2008/10/use-of-theraband-for-balle...

If you were to do these exercises for 2 weeks, 6 days a week, and felt no difference in your lax muscle, or other foot muscles, then I recommend that you see the physiotherapist again and review the exercises and condition of the area you sprained.

All the best, Dianne