partially torn ligament

I hope this bit of information is helpful to you - this is a 'basic' idea of what I do with my athletes that I have ankle sprains. Now, please remember that I don't know what particular ligament you tore, nor how bad it is!

For the beginnig - definately follow the PRICE priciniple
P - protection - this can include a brace, crutches, walking boot, etc...
R - rest - don't push it! any injury needs time to recover!
I - ice - the general rule of thumb is 15-20 minutes - longer doesn't always equal better! there is actually a phenomenon in the body called the hunting response that can cause problems if ice is left on too long
C - compression - using an ACE wrap - always wrap distal to proximal (from your toes up) wrapping the other way can push swelling into your toes
E - elevation - keep it propped up. combined with the ice and compression, this will help swelling leave the injured area

Now, as far as exercises - I generally try to get my athletes moving as soon as possible (within the guidelines of pain, their injury, and common sense) - here are some examples - you may try out starting with 3 sets of 8 and see where your pain is

ankle pumps (dorsiflexion/plantarflexion) - basically pointing your toes down and then pulling back up to your face, as far as you can go without increasing your discomfort

side to side (inversion and eversion) - same as previous, but point your toes side to side

isometrics - strength training that doesn't involve movement of the joint - can be done using the resisitance of a
bed/wall/someones hand/etc... basically you push against a surface that won't move and hold (maybe starting around 3 seconds)

towel curls - sit in a chair and place a towel underneath your foot. use your toes to pull the towel towards your body - you can also do this where you pull the towel to the left and right

seated calf raises - sitting on a chair with your feet on the ground, lift your heels up as far as you can go ** once you can go all the way painfree, then you may be able to start working into being weight bearing for this exercise**

seated toe raises - same set up as previous, but lifting your toes off the floor

calf stretch - do this both with your knee straight and knee bent - there are 2 mucles in your calf, 1 inserts below the knee and 1 above, so in bending your knee you isolate a different muscle


In my professional experience - I have never seen an athlete that has had as much trouble as it sounds like your doctor indicated may be possible. But you have to be smart about it. Use pain/swelling as your guidelines. If you are in more pain after trying some exercises - odds are you have done too much! Always be sure to ice after the exercises as well. You may also want to consider taking a course of ibuprofen if necessary. Ibuprofen is an anti-inflammatory medication that can help reduce swelling. However, to get this affect from the medication, it needs to be taken as directed on the bottle (generally 2-200mg tablets every 4-6 hours), otherwise you only get the pain reduction.


I hope this helps! And again, these are just general ideas, but hopefully they help you!