Sprained ankle how long

Most people sprain their ankle at least once in life, and especially active people tend to do it a few times. Sprained ankle recovery time and treatment can change a lot based on how bad the sprain is, how it happened, and how long it was until the patient sought care. You can treat almost every sprained ankle with the RICE method. The RICE method is simple: rest, ice, compression, elevation. If you do that, it will feel like no time at all until your sprained ankle is fully recovered.

As it stands, too much standing can only do more damage. If you want your sprained ankle recovery time to be as short as possible, you need to keep off of it as much as you can bear. A grade 1 ankle sprain is the least severe and, accordingly, requires the least amount of time to recover. A grade 1 sprain occurs when there is only minor damage, and stretching of the ligaments. If you are suffering from a grade 1 sprain, you will feel only a little soreness. Grade 1 sprained ankle recovery time is anywhere from 2 weeks to a month, normally closer to the two-week mark with proper treatment.

A grade 1 sprained ankle can be treated almost entirely at home. The pain is fairly minor, if difficult to deal with. The pain is negligible now, but it can often be aggravated easily. Remember: stay off the ankle!

This allows blood to leak into tissues and cause black and blue color in the area. The blood may not appear for several days. Most of the time, it is absorbed from the tissues within 2 weeks.

Some ankle sprains may become chronic long-lasting. If this happens to you, your ankle may continue to be:. Your health care provider may order an x-ray to look for a bone fracture, or an MRI scan to look for an injury to the ligament. To help your ankle heal, your provider may treat you with a brace, a cast, or a splint, and may give you crutches to walk on.

You may be asked to place only part or none of your weight on the bad ankle. You will also need to do physical therapy or exercises to help you recover from the injury.

Apply ice every hour while you are awake, 20 minutes at a time and covered by a towel or bag, for the first 24 hours after the injury. After the first 24 hours, apply ice 20 minutes 3 to 4 times per day. Do not apply ice directly to your skin. You should wait at least 30 minutes in between ice applications. Pain medicines, such as ibuprofen or naproxen, may help to ease pain and swelling. You can buy these medicines without a prescription.

During the first 24 hours after your injury you may take acetaminophen Tylenol and others if your provider tells you it is safe to do so. A third degree sprain is a complete tear, which Sampsell says will take much longer to heal.

This sprain will require some patience since you can expect anywhere from 3 to 6 months for recovery. However, Sandow points out that certain people may continue to experience pain 1 year after an ankle injury. If an ankle sprain is not taken care of properly through physical therapy and medical care, Sampsell says the ligament may heal slightly stretched, which can lead to future ankle sprains.

Additionally, the fibula can move slightly anteriorly. If this happens, Sampsell says a skilled physical therapist can perform mobilization to help restore normal motion and function. Changes in movement patterns can initially be protective, but Sandow recommends returning to normal walking patterns as early as possible. For a faster return to sports and activity and re-injury prevention, Sandow says a supervised and specific exercise program should be implemented by a physical therapist.

Some people can recall the exact moment a sprain occurred, while others have to really think about what they were doing and how it impacted the ankle. These movements and activities involve the foot or lower leg experiencing a sudden twisting force or roll, which forces the ankle joint out of normal position. When this happens, you can sprain a ligament s in this area. Another cause of ankle sprains is a previous sprain.

Preventing ankle sprains from happening in the first place or occurring again is ideal, especially if you are an athlete or physically active.

Since the muscles on the side of your hip help stabilize your entire leg, he says a weakness could cause the ankle to roll out and a sprain to occur. The good news, says Sampsell is a research review showed that balance training, like balancing on one foot, can help prevent ankle sprains.

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