After you have surgery on your foot, it can feel sore, tight, and weak. It can take weeks before you feel like yourself again and have the mobility to get back to your normal activities. There are several different methods that will aid in your recovery. There are chiropractors who can be the great help to the sportsman who has occurred with some of the injuries. With their help, you can alleviate pain and swelling to reduce your recovery time.

Exercises along with elevation will also help you to get back your range of motion that can disappear because of the surgery. Plus, if you actively move your ankle and foot, it can help to lessen pain and swelling. Here are a few exercises that can help you get right back on your feet after 

Ankle Pumps

After your surgery, you may feel that your ankle motion is restricted. This isn’t uncommon. Doing ankle pump exercise will help you to push fluid out of your foot since increased swelling around your joint can limit its ability to move. To do this exercise, you want to sit with both of your feet straight ought in front.

First, bring your toes slowly back up towards your head, and then move your toes away from your body following a straight line. This exercise should be repeated 10 times and two times during an hour during the time you are awake.

Towel Curls

To decrease the swelling in your ankle, you need to have some active movement in your toes. This also encourages the fine motor movement of your toes. Acting as a pump, towel curls will encourage the movement and is a good exercise to do 2 times, twice a day. First, sit in a chair with a small hand towel lying flat on the floor in front of you.

With both of your feet on the floor, rest the foot that had the surgery with only your toes on the towel’s edge. Grip the towel slowly with your toes scrunching it towards you while keeping your heel and foot flat on the floor.

Small Object Pick Up

Picking up small objects is another good exercise that encourages toe movement. Place small objects like marbles on a towel while sitting with your foot on the towel as well. Individually pick up the objects with your toes and put them in a cup or dish. This exercise can be repeated 2 times, twice a day. When you are ready, make the exercise more challenging by using smaller objects that lie flat on the floor.

Achilles Stretch

Another important part of your recovery is stretching. If you are seeing a chiropractor regularly, they can help you find good exercise to help you stretch muscles that haven’t been used in a while after your surgery. Click here to learn more about the benefits of seeing a chiropractor.

In the case of your ankle, you want to stretch your Achilles. To do this exercise, sit you’re your legs straight out while you loop a towel around the toes of the foot that had the surgery. Make sure to keep your toes pointed up while pulling lightly on the towel and bring your toes backward until you feel your Achilles stretch. This position should be held for 30 seconds and repeated 3 times, twice a day.

Single Leg Balance

It’s important to do exercises that will help you regain stability to walk over uneven surfaces after you have foot surgery. One simple exercise has you standing at a counter for support while raising your good foot in the air and balancing on the foot that had surgery.

While holding this position, look at your feel for balance. After holding this position for as long as you can, place your foot on the ground again. Repeat the exercise and progress to being able to close your eyes or stare straight ahead while balancing. This exercise can be done in three sets of 10 every day.

Recovery from any surgery can be tricky. There are unique challenges with any type of operation that can include swelling and pain. To increase your recovery time, it’s important to see a chiropractor and use daily exercises to regain strength and flexibility so you can return to normal activities quickly.