What is a Sprained Ankle?
A sprain in your ankle means stretching or tearing of ligaments. The injury occurs when the ankle rolls, twists or turns in an awkward way. The tough bands of the fibrous tissues connect two bones together when they tear up causes sprain in your ankle. Your ankle joint is connected with foot and lower leg and three ligaments hold the ankle bones to stay in place but shifting out of the place can cause a sprain on your ankle when the foot doesn’t land up safely and turns inward, outward or twisted.
An injury can happen to anyone and unfortunately it causes pain and discomfort. If you have fallen or stumbled over something and you have got a twisted ankle or rolled up ankle, you may have pain and swelling in your foot which means that you have a sprained ankle. It can cause two or more ligaments to stretch or tear up. The more severe the pain, the longer the recovery is.
Sprained ankles are common issues that can happen to anyone at any age. Majority of them heals up on their own but a proper treatment is necessary for strengthening the injured ligaments so that the future sprains at the same place can be prevented.
Lets learn more about the difference between different types of injuries in the ankle.
Sprained Ankle vs. Broken Ankle
Broken ankle means that one of the bones in the ankle is broken and you are dealing with unbearable pain and discomfort whereas a sprained ankle is about broken and torn ligaments the soft tendons get stretched that cause pain and swelling. Your broken ankle can take approximately 6 weeks to heal.
Twisted Ankle Vs. Sprained Ankle
When you stumble over an object or you fall down your ankle twists inward outward but the bone isn’t broken and the motion of bending or rolling is not as acute as it was but limited range of motions are present, twisted ankle causes sprain in ankle but its not similar to sprained ankle a twisted ankle is painful and swollen but it doesn’t mean that you have a sprain. A sprained ankle can be moderate to severe and it takes 6 to 8 weeks to heal.
How Long Does A Sprained Ankle Take To Heal
A sprained ankle is an injury in your ligaments that causes pain, irritation, bruises swelling and discomfort and it takes time to heal but how long does a sprained ankle take to heal depends on the type of sprain it is, how severe it is and what is its recovery chances let’s discuss below about it:
Types of Ankle Sprains
There are different classifications of ankle sprains, this depends on the level of injury, the damage to the tissues and ability to function. There are three different types of ankle sprains these sprains vary from the level of severity And the healing time taken below here are listed 3 levels of ankle sprain let’s discuss them below briefly:
Mild Ankle Sprain
When there’s a small tear in one of the ligaments that supports your ankle and foot. With a slight stretch and some damage to the fibril it is a mild sprain people suffer this grade ankle sprain commonly as when the foot twist inward that causes the damage to the ligaments along the outside of ankle joint, this rolling or twist of the ankle causes pain in the foot, it requires proper healing to avoid further damage the mild ankle sprain usually takes 3 to 5 weeks to heal, mild ankle sprain causes swelling and pain in the area where the ligaments have stretched, you may find movement but it will be painful to move your foot for few days to few weeks.
Moderate Ankle Sprain
The partial breaking of anterior talofibular ligament and some tearing of the calcaneofibular ligament is called Grade two sprained ankle. When more than 50% of the ligament is torn and stretched it causes loss of mobility that accompanies swelling, bruising and pain refers to moderate ankle sprain, Walking becomes difficult the area got hurt or stretched may feel soft and tender to touch it is also called second degree sprain with the moderate tenderness and swelling around the ankle it will generally take 4 to 6 weeks to recover
Severe Ankle Sprain
When the ligaments are completely torn and causes permanent in stability it is referred as grade 3 sprained ankle, it will take much longer time to recover and bring back complete mobility, the severe sprained ankle causes joint pain and joint instability, it will require surgery a leg cast or cast brace may be used for 2 to 3 weeks, it can also cause difficulty in walking and putting weight on your foot to recover from the injury severe ankle sprain can take several months to recover and heal.
Mild and Moderate injuries heal after treatment within three and four weeks, because of severe injury the blood flow is limited to the ligaments of the ankle and that’s why the recovery time is much longer that can take between three and six months to heal.
How Long Does A Sprained Ankle Take To Heal
A sprained ankle would take nothing but a simple misstep and suddenly your foot gets twisted and you get a sprain ankle it is the most common injuries in people of all ages When the injury occurs it means that one or more of the ligaments in the ankle are stretched torn that causes pain swelling and difficulty in walking it is necessary that you get a proper medical advice for the treatment and healing of sprained ankle, many people try to tough out and avoid the injury without proper treatment the injury may not heal well and lose it’s range of motion and stability which cause strain and down time in future. How long does a sprained ankle take to heal depends on the severity of the injury. If the severity is high it would take 4 to 6 months to heal, if it is moderate it may heal in 3 to 4 weeks whereas a mild sprained ankle would take 2 to 3 weeks to heal.
How Can You Treat A Sprained Ankle
Treatment means taking care of a health problem, serving injuries to lessen the symptoms or cleaning up the intensity and discomfort obtained from an injury, the treatments can include medicine, therapy, surgery, or other approaches. Let’s discuss below how a sprained ankle can be treated
The treatment also determines how long it takes to heal a sprained ankle. The better the treatment is, the better the healing time if you can treat a sprained ankle at home. Also, that includes self care , first aid and sometimes professional medical attention.
Read below listed steps for treating a sprained ankle
Giving First Aid is the first treatment to sprained ankle that helps as a pause to the situation or it reduces the worsening of injury.
The first aid process includes:
Resting Phase
Treatment includes a lot of rest, you must be generous to your treatment and injury avoid putting weight on the sprained ankle to prevent further damage.
Cold Compress
It would be best to apply an ice pack to the sprained area for 10–20 minutes at a time. You can wrap some ice cubes in a towel to apply on the sprained ankle or you can use ice packs to reduce swelling and improve blood circulation to the affected area.
You Can Apply Compression
A compression bandage is a long strip of stretchable cloth that you can wrap around a sprain or strain to stabilize the joint and reduce swelling. A slight pressure of the bandage helps reduce swelling, so it may help the injured area feel better, just make sure that it’s not too tight.
Follow Elevation
Keep the sprained ankle elevated above heart level to reduce swelling.
Home Care Treatment
Your home is your cozy place where you feel peaceful, relaxed and this helps a lot in comforting and treating the sprained ankle.
Following RICE Method at home allows you to gain speedy recovery
- Rest: allow the ankle to heal, stop your physical activities and do not put much strain on your ankle.
- Ice: healing increases when you apply ice packs for ten to twenty minutes twice or thrice a day this helps in reducing swelling and easing pain.
- Compression: use a bandage to stabilize the joint.
- Elevation: keep the ankle elevated to further swelling reduction.
Consider Physical Therapy
Physical therapy helps in treating ankle sprains, once the swelling reduces, physical therapy helps in regaining strength, increases flexibility, increases motions and maintains coordination with the foot.
Seek Professional Help
Sometimes things cannot be in your control. When the injury is severe you must rush for immediate medical help, when the pain is severe and symptoms persist you need to get a proper diagnosis from a doctor, in several cases mobility can be given with cast, splint, or walker if it is required. In rare cases surgery is performed when all the ligaments are completely broken and you have a problem in moving your foot.
Always remember proper care and patience are essential for a speedy recovery.
What Are The Symptoms Of Sprained Ankle
Symptoms of sprained ankle helps in assessing how long it takes to heal a sprained ankle. If the symptoms are moderate it will heal in a few days to 2 weeks but if ligaments are completely broken and the symptoms are severe. Then it would take 4 to 6 months of time to heal. Let’s discuss below symptoms of sprained ankles. You may notice swelling and bruises on the sprained foot. It may be swollen so deep that it may leave an indent on the area pressed with the fingers.
Throbbing pain is the confirmed symptom. Once the ankle rolled out, your nerves become more sensitive after the sprain that joints may hurt badly. You may feel continuous pain when you press it, move it or try to walk or stand.
The sprain causes the blood flow to the area more abruptly which results in redness and warmth.
When the ankle twists, it stretches the ligaments or completely torn them that causes instability in the joints of the ankle.
After a sudden fall out, you notice the symptoms of sprained ankle that is trouble in walking or a limited movement in your ankle.
How Long Does A Swollen Sprained Ankle Take To Heal?
Swelling is the most common symptom of sprained ankle, the swelling may last for 2 to 3 days. If the swelling is intense, motions are gone completely and you lose flexibility then it would take a long time to heal approximately three to five months. However, if your ankle stays swollen for several weeks then you must see a doctor to determine if you have a severe sprain or even a broken ankle.
What Causes Sprained Ankles?
How long does a sprained ankle take to heal depends on the treatment of the injured area. Many people first try to treat sprained ankles at home with rest, ice packs and applying over the counter medicine. Most sprained ankles take a few weeks to heal depending on the severity and as soon as the treatment is opted, the healing time decreases. Sprained ankles can happen to anyone at any age. It occurs when your ankle twist or move into an abnormal position that causes stretch in ligaments, partially tear or completely tear there are numerous causes of a sprained ankle they are listed below:
An abrupt landing of the foot that causes fall.
A certain twist or roll of the foot forces the ankle joints to move out of its actual position.
While participating in any sports activity that includes a lot of foot movement can cause sprained ankles.
Walking on an uneven surface can cause a certain twist or unexpected movement that results in sprained ankle.
When you try to wear footwear of an inappropriate size, it can cause this injury.
What Is The Recovery Phase Of Sprained Ankle
Recovery of the injured ligaments largely depends on how long does a sprained ankle takes to heal, treatment is the important part of recovery. Severityalso describes the recovery. The more intense the severity is the more recovery time will be required to cure sprained ankle. There are three phases of recovery discussed below:
Phase 1: to reduce the tenderness and discomfort in the sprained ankle. You need rest, protect and reduce the swelling
Phase 2: people suffering from sprained ankles must remember that recovery will increase as you increase the resting phase or twisted ankle. It also includes the restoring power of your ankles motion and increases its strength to take on body weight.
Phase 3: defines the speedy recovery of sprained ankle and an ultimate answer to how long does a sprained ankle take to heal as after rest and care for 3 to 6 weeks, now you can see that the rolled out ankle is gradually turning back to its normal activity in performing exercises that increases flexibility and motions after 3 weeks or months treatment, you are capable of increasing your foot movement. But your doctor may still recommend exercises to strengthen your muscles, ligaments and increase flexibility, balance and coordination.
Unfortunate accidents and injuries can happen to anyone at any place and at any time. Noone can ever predict such events but one must be patience and stay positive in such situations. Your sprained ankle will heal gradually but it takes time to heal so stay calm and hope for speedy recovery.