4 Ways To Shorten Your Healing Time After Breaking Your Ankle

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Living with a broken ankle is miserable. Your mobility and independence are seriously limited, and you are in physical pain. Luckily, there are things you can do to shorten your recovery time and heal faster. Here are four things to try:

Go to Physical Therapy

Your orthopedic doctor should be willing to refer you to a physical therapist. Going to physical therapy will not only help speed up your recovery, but will make walking easier and less painful once your doctor gives you the go-ahead. You will need to do different physical therapy exercises at different points of your recovery, depending on whether you are non weight-bearing, partial weight-bearing, or completely weight-bearing.

Be sure not to skip the exercises your physical therapist gives you to do at home as these are really crucial to your recovery. Exercises will be focused on building strength, and improving your range of motion and balance.

Clean up Your Diet

A diet that is rich in antioxidants and nutrients will give your body what it needs to heal and rebuild your bone. Bones are largely composed of protein, so be sure to get plenty of protein every day. These include meat, fish, eggs, beans, and legumes. You may find that you're very hungry in the first few weeks after you break your ankle. This is because the healing process takes a lot of energy and therefore burns a lot of calories. Be sure to give your body enough food to help it do its job and avoid smoking, alcohol, and processed foods as much as possible.

Use a Knee Scooter

When you're non weight-bearing, accidentally setting your foot down or falling while using crutches can easily cause you to re-injure yourself and set back your healing time. A great solution is a knee scooter, which allows you to safely get around without placing any weight at all on your injured ankle. Be sure to get one that comes with a basket so you can safely transport items around your home.

Take a Bone Supplement

Most drugstores and online retailers sell supplements specifically for bone health. Quality bone supplements should be high in calcium and magnesium and without a ton of fillers in order to best give your body what it needs to rebuild and strengthen your ankle bone.

By following these tips, you can shorten your healing time and recover more quickly from your broken ankle. Contact a company like Dynamic Rehabilitation Services to learn more.


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