Ankle Sprains

A sprain can occur any time you move your ankle beyond its normal range of motion for any reason. This may happen if you fall and land awkwardly, forcing your ankle to twist past its normal capacity. Walking or exercising on an uneven surface can greatly increase your chances of injury. It’s quite easy to sustain a sprained ankle even during the most innocuous activities, such as stepping on a pothole while jogging, or going down the stairs and missing a step. 

Of course, it’s not always possible to stop every accident from occurring. However, there are many things that can be done to dramatically lower the risk of ankle sprains. You can decrease your chances of injury by doing the following: 

 • Warm up before engaging in any strenuous physical activity (sports, high-impact exercise, etc)

 • Refrain from running/rushing on an uneven surface, or at least move carefully or slowly

 • Use a support brace or tape on your ankle

 • Wear proper shoes for any high-impact activity you undertake 

 • Switch to other forms of exercise that are easier on your feet and ankles (swimming, cycling, etc)

 • Refrain from the frequent wearing of high-heeled shoes, especially on uneven surfaces

 • Practice stability and flexibility training that strengthens your feet and ankles

 • Be observant when you’re walking anywhere—not paying attention is enough to cause you to take a bad step

 • Use a flashlight when walking anywhere in the dark

Very mild ankle sprains can be successfully treated at home. Ankle sprains are classified under 3 grades: 

Grade 1—This is considered quite mild, which means that your ankle ligaments are stretched and inflamed, but are thankfully not torn. Your ankle should still feel mostly stable, with some pain and stiffness. This type of sprain can easily be treated at home.

Grade 2—This type of sprain will include swelling and intense pain. One or more ligaments are partially torn, which means that your ankle is noticeably less stable with a reduced range of motion. Treating this type of moderate ankle sprain at home is not advisable, because of the damage sustained by the ligaments. 

Grade 3—When a sprained ankle is assessed as a Grade 3, it means that one or more ligaments are completely torn. Symptoms include swelling, intense pain, ankle instability, and inability to move the ankle. If you sustain this type of ankle sprain, you must seek medical attention immediately. 

To treat a Grade 1 (mild) ankle sprain, you can try the R.I.C.E method for the first 2 or 3 days:

Rest—don’t do activities that aggravate your ankle or cause more pain/discomfort, and take over-the-counter medications as directed to relieve pain

Ice—this is not always necessary, but you can use ice or a cold compress to relieve any swelling you may have. 

Compression—you can compress the ankle with an elastic bandage to tamp down any swelling

Elevation—elevate your ankle above the level of your heart when you are sitting or lying down 

In the meantime, you can use ankle tape or a support brace to help stabilize your ankle. Once the pain and swelling subside, it would be wise to do exercises that strengthen and restore your ankle’s ligaments and range of movement. Otherwise, you may be at higher risk of sustaining a more severe ankle sprain in the future. 

While most patients should recover from a Grade 1 sprain under home treatment, this is not advisable for patients with diabetes. If you have diabetes, you should see your doctor right away.

You should see your doctor or podiatrist right away if:

 • Your symptoms (pain, swelling, lack of movement, ankle instability, etc) don’t improve or actually get worse after a few days of home treatment 

 • The pain is so bad that you can’t walk, or it interferes with your daily responsibilities

 • You can’t move your ankle when the injury occurred and it’s very unstable

It is important to understand the difference between an ankle sprain you can treat at home (Grade 1—mild) and an ankle sprain that needs immediate medical attention. A good rule of thumb is that if you feel intense pain at any time for any reason, you should refrain from attempting self-treatment and see your doctor as soon as possible. 

A mild ankle sprain (no torn ligaments) won’t heal on its own without some kind of treatment or change of habit. Rest and abstinence from strenuous physical activity are necessary to enable the recovery of overstretched ligaments. Continuing to be active on a sprained ankle (no matter how mild it may be) will only lead to more severe sprains in the near future. Grade 2 (moderate—one or more partially torn ligaments) and Grade 3 (severe—one or more completely torn ligaments) ankle sprains will require medical intervention for proper healing. 

Though ankle problems aren’t considered life-threatening, they can severely compromise your quality of life. Various complications may include recurring ankle sprains with increased severity, chronic ankle pain, persistent ankle joint instability, and arthritis in the ankle joint. All of these conditions could then lead to permanently impaired mobility, thereby limiting the kind of physical activities (exercise, travel, etc) you are able to do. 

To treat your ankle sprain, your doctor or foot specialist may recommend the following: 

Devices—this can include sports tape, ankle brace, elastic bandages, casts, walking boots, and crutches

Physical therapy—these are rehabilitative exercises that promote balance and stability while improving the strength of your ankle ligaments to regain your normal mobility 

Surgery—this procedure may be done to repair a torn ligament, or reconstruct a ligament using tissue from the surrounding healthy ligaments or tendons (only considered in rare cases if your ankle fails to heal with non-invasive therapies) 

A chronic ankle sprain, or recurring ankle sprain, can happen for a number of reasons. The most common cause for re-spraining your ankle is incomplete healing from a previous injury. We urge you to resist the temptation of returning to your regular exercise routine too soon, even if you’re feeling much better. It is imperative that you give your ankle enough time to heal properly so it can regain its strength and normal range of motion. Keep in mind that Grade 1 ankle sprains take about 1 to 3 weeks to heal completely, Grade 2 sprains take about 3 to 6 weeks, while Grade 3 sprains can take up to several months. 

Active athletes who do a lot of running and jumping in their particular sport face an elevated risk of recurring ankle sprains. Even if their ankles have fully healed from a previous sprain, the nature of their occupation simply provides more opportunities for re-injury. 

The ankle ligaments may also progressively deteriorate due to arthritis, age, or scar tissue from previously healed injuries. Weakened ligaments contribute to decreased ankle stability, which heightens your risk of (re) spraining your ankle. 

Though the possibility of re-injury is not always avoidable, keeping your feet healthy and pain-free is simple and achievable with timely treatment and common-sense prevention measures.