How long does it take an ankle sprain to heal?
NOTE: the below information is not and should not be considered medical advice or prescription. No doctor-patient relationship is established. If you think you have an ankle sprain, book an appointment for an assessment here.
Ankle Sprains are the #1 athletic and sports injury.
In the US alone, as many as 2,000,000 ankles will be sprained this year. That is CRAZY numbers! The kicker? That is undoubtedly an underestimate because that only accounts for ankle sprains bad enough that people went at got checked out.
If you have sprained your ankle, you know how scary it can be. You suddenly roll over the outside of your foot and collapse to the ground. At first, you can’t even tell how bad it is!
Is it painful?
Am I just so hopped up on adrenaline?
so…HOW BAD IS IT?
The first thing you need to know is how severe the injury is.
While they can be scary, in general, ankle sprains heal quickly and you can get back to your favourite activities within a couple of weeks, but that depends on the severity. Use the steps below to tlearn how to tell how severe an ankle injury is, and then scroll down to the bottom to check the estimated healing times for each grade of injury.
GRADING:
There are 3 grades of ankle sprains that range from least damaged to most damaged.
Grade 1 ankle sprain: the ligament on your ankle was stressed, but it wasn’t stretched or torn
Grade 2 ankle sprain: the ligament is torn, but still has some of the ligament intact
Grade 3 ankle sprain: the ligament is completely torn, or it has pulled a chunk of bone off at the attachment
How to tell if you have a severe ankle sprain:
Step 1: Pain intensity and quality
All grades of ankle sprains can be extremely painful.
Grade 1 ankle sprains are usually between 4 and 7 on a pain intensity scale of 0-10 (10 being the worst pain you can imagine) and is usually more painful at the time of injury and the pain gradually decreases over the next few days. Usually, this pain is described as SHARP.
Grade 2 ankle sprains are usually between 5 and 9 out of 10. The pain at the time of injury is SHARP and DULL or ACHY PAIN usually follows over the next few hours or days.
Grade 3 ankle sprains are counter-intuitive because they are often NOT PAINFUL at the time of injury for the first 20-60 minutes. This is because the ligaments and nerves associated with it are totally torn, so they cannot send pain signals to the brain. The pain increases of the next few hours or days and can range from 2 and 9 out of 10, mostly dependent on the degree of swelling.
Step 2: can you walk?
Grade 1 ankle sprain: you should still be able to walk immediately after the injury (within a couple of minutes), at least for a few steps. It will be painful, but it should be manageable.
Grade 2 ankle sprain: you should still be able to walk immediately after the injury, but this is not always the case, due to the severity of the pain. However, within a day or two, you should be able to walk 3-5 steps, placing your full body weight on your injured ankle. If you cannot, it implies that there is more significant damage and you likely need to get x-rays
Grade 3 ankle sprain: you will not be able to walk immediately following the injury (although I have seen people ‘walk off’ a severe ankle injury). The next few days, the swelling usually gets so bad that even attempting to walk is out of the question.
Step 3: Is there swelling?
Grade 1 ankle sprain: there should not be any swelling with a grade 1 ankle sprain
Grade 2 ankle sprain: swelling can range from minimal to severe. Swelling can take a few hours to accumulate and last multiple days or weeks
Grade 3 ankle sprain: swelling is usually severe and fast. Usually lasts several days or even weeks
The guidelines above are not universal, but they are a good way to quickly estimate the severity of your injury. If you have any reason to believe your ankle sprain is grade 2 or above, get it checked out. If you are in North Okanagan and looking for a qualified physiotherapist or chiropractor in Vernon, we can help. Book a free consult here.
How long will your ankle sprain take to heal?
In general, ankle sprain healing will follow these timelines:
Grade 1 ankle sprain: 1-4 weeks
Grade 2 ankle sprain: 3 weeks to 6 months
Grade 3 ankle sprain: up to 12 months or beyond
These times will be different for everyone, and there are many factors that affect healing. It is also helpful to keep in mind that just because the pain is gone, does not mean the ligament is back to pre-injury status and ready to get back to your activities. It still requires PROGRESSIVE REHAB and exercise before getting back to 100%. Pain is just one part of the equation.
If you are dealing with an ankle sprain and want to get back to skiing, running, CrossFit, or whatever activity you love, make sure that you do more than watch and wait. When you are ready for some help, fill this out and we can work together to get you back.
Author: Dr Mark Murdoch, Chiropractor and Co-Founder at Base Camp Chiropractic and Sports Rehab in Vernon, BC.
Mark Murdoch is a Doctor of Chiropractic with a Master’s Degree in Sports Medicine.
Contact: drmurdoch@basecampclinic.com
Book a free Consult with Dr Murdoch: book here
Instagram: Base.Camp.Doc
Disclaimer: This blog is intended for general informational purposes only and is not intended for the delivery of medical advice. No doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this blog or materials linked from this blog is at the user's own risk. The content of this blog and website is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice.