When you hear that an athlete missed an activity due to a foot injury, there is a 90% chance they sprained their ankle. Unfortunately, that’s how common ankle sprains are, especially among people involved in sporting activities.
Ankle sprains vary in severity, so do the treatment methods and recovery time. While most ankle sprains heal fast with conservative treatments and simple rehabilitation exercises, it’s essential to know how to grade them and what steps to take to treat them.
If you reside in Warwick, NY, Milford, PA, Middletown, NY, or the surrounding area, and you sprained your ankle, Frankel Foot & Ankle Center will take good care of your ankle that you can go back to your daily activities right away.
Ankle Sprain Description
The human body has multiple moving parts, including the ankle joints held together by strong fibrous tissues called ligaments. The numerous ligaments around the ankle help to stabilize the ankle as it bears the weight of the body and keeps it in position.
An ankle sprain happens when these ligaments experience a stretching force beyond their limit, causing them to tear. Most ankle sprains result from an inverted injury where the foot rolls inward and stretches the ligaments on the outer side of the ankle.
The extent of the tear and the number of ligaments involved determine the severity of the sprain and the best treatment options.
The common symptoms of an ankle sprain include:
- Pain, especially when you try to walk on the injured foot.
- Tenderness to touch
- Swelling
- Ankle instability
- Bruising
Different Grades of an Ankle Sprain
You may not know how severe an ankle sprain is until you visit a foot and ankle specialist for proper examination. The specialist will observe the foot for any swelling, palpate the area to check the tenderness, and do a motion and stability test as part of the examination.
Your doctor will consider the degree of these symptoms and classify the injury as grade 1, 2, or 3. They will also create a treatment plan that works best for you in an estimated recovery time.
Grade 1 Ankle Sprain
The ligaments experience a minimal stretch without tearing. Usually, no bruising happens, and the ankle remains stable. However, you may experience pain around the area, swelling, and tenderness as a result of the forceful stretching.
The treatment plan is easy and is usually done at home with minimal supervision. In most cases, the doctor will recommend the Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevate (RICE) as the treatment plan to follow. Here is how it works.
- Rest – Refrain from using your foot to walk or put any weight on it. The longer it remains on rest, the faster it heals as the ligaments have enough time to form back without continued stretching.
- Ice – For the first few days when the foot is swollen, you’ll need to place some ice on it every two hours to help the swelling subside. Avoid placing the ice directly on your skin.
- Compression – Wrap the area around your ankle using an elastic wrap or bandage to immobilize the ankle and hold it in position until it’s healed. The wrap may also help reduce the swelling in the first 2 days.
- Elevate – Use a pillow or a recliner to elevate the sprained ankle to the level of your heart. This is an effective way to help reduce the pain.
A grade 1 ankle sprain recovers within a week or two, and by the third week, you’ll be fully recovered and ready to resume your daily activities.
Grade 2 Ankle Sprain
The ligaments experience a partial tear due to an increased amount of stretching force exerted on the area. The pain is categorized as moderated, but it’s more than the pain you feel in a grade 1 ankle sprain. The swelling and tenderness are also moderate.
The ankle joint is slightly unstable, with possible bruising around the area. Most people who experience grade 2 ankle sprain need to immobilize the foot for some time as they cannot do any activity with it.
The treatment plan for a grade 2 ankle sprain is similar to that of grade 1, only that it takes longer to achieve complete recovery. Again, the doctor will recommend that you strictly follow the RICE technique and keep at it for a few weeks.
A grade 2 ankle injury recovers within 3 to 6 weeks. Your efforts to follow the RICE technique will determine how fast you recover.
Grade 3 Ankle Sprain
The ligaments tear completely as a result of the excessive force applied to them. You will experience severe pain around the area, and the swelling will be quite much. There will also be bruises, and the area will be very tender. The joint becomes unstable, and you may not be able to walk on the injured foot.
The treatment plan for a grade 3 ankle sprain is intensive and should be done by a podiatrist. They will take you through three phases of treatment until you slowly go back into your normal activities. Part of the treatment will include rehabilitation exercises that will help restore ankle stability and strengthen the ligaments.
After complete treatment, your doctor will guide you through a gradual return to activities like sporting so that you don’t injure the recovering ankle. This recovery treatment may take up to 12 weeks to fully recover. It may take more time if the doctor’s instructions are ignored or if you go back to your normal activities too soon.
How Frankel and Foot Center Can Help
Ankle sprains are never considered a big deal unless they are severe. However, if they are not well treated and looked after, they can result in long-term complications like an unstable joint and persistent pain and hinder you from going back to what you love.
You don’t have to risk the possibility of long-term complications because, at Frankel and Foot Center, we ensure that your sprained ankle is well-treated and you get enough support throughout your recovery period.
