When we close our eyes, we rely on middle ear balance and these special receptors to keep us upright. If a ligament has been injured and there has been swelling around the joint, these tiny receptors get injured and do not recover. You can do certain exercises to get the other receptors to do even more, regaining what was lost with the damaged receptors. The loss of position sense puts the joint at further risk of injury because the joint loses stability, like having loose lug nuts on a wheel of a car. You can think of these exercises like balance training.
Some therapists use special manual exercises to get the other receptors working better.
Your therapist will give you some ideas to help take care of any more soreness at home. You'll be given some ways to keep working on the range of motion and strength too. Before you are done with therapy, more measurements will be taken to see how well you're doing now compared to when you first started in therapy. If you have not achieved the level of function you need to do your job or enjoy your leisure activities, or if you have excessive pain and symptoms, you may need surgery to correct your problem. Inc. Copyright 2000, Chehalem Physical Therapy, Inc. .