With a broken bone, there are many precautions you have to take to make sure it heals properly, and you will need to deal with regaining strength and movement in the area. Wearing a cast will help to ensure that the bone sets, but in the meantime, the muscles and tendons in the area get weaker and stiffer. Physical therapy can help heal and strengthen your foot.
Healing
When you have a broken foot set, the doctor generally uses a cast. The cast limits your movements, which is to help to keep you from re-injuring the bone or to keep it from setting in an improper position. Your foot and ankle will be kept stiff for the duration of time you wear the cast. Because you're not using your muscles in that area, they can become weak. You probably are bearing most of your weight on your other foot or on crutches, not on the leg with the injured foot. Different kinds of breaks, and different bones in the foot, can have different healing times. No matter what kind of break you had, or how many, you will want to rehabilitate your foot and ankle area once the cast has been removed.
Physical Therapy
Professional physical therapy is a good option. The therapists will find the right kind and intensity of physical activity for your specific injury, and they will be able to answer any questions you have about the healing and rehabilitation process. However, some people cannot afford to attend physical therapy sessions, or they don't have time to do so on a regular basis. There are several activities you can do at home that can help to strengthen your foot and regain mobility in your foot and ankle joints.
Alphabet in the Air
One of the easiest exercises to gain flexibility in the area is to use your foot to write numbers or the alphabet in the air. This can be done several times throughout the day, for about five or 10 minutes. You should warm up beforehand by rotating your ankle slowly and gently in both directions. This will help you to gain strength and flexibility without putting too much strain on the area.
Exercise Bands
There are also many types of exercise bands you can buy at health and fitness stores or department stores. These elastic-like bands can be attached to the foot, with the other side can be attached to a door handle or some other sturdy object, and you can gently pull on it with your foot, stretching and strengthening the area.
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