A sprained ankle occurs when the ligaments, which hold your anklebones and the joints in one position, stretch beyond the normal range. This will occur only when the person rolls, turns or twists the ankle after the normal point. This will eventually cause injury, pain, and swelling. How long does it take to heal a sprained ankle will depend on the severity of the injury. The sprains can be classified into three grades like:
- Grade 1: This is the lowest grade, and this will result in mild swelling and pain.
- Grade 2: This is a moderate sprain; people suffering from it will experience tenderness and swelling. This will be coupled with the feeling of instability and limited range of motion.
- Grade 3: This means that your ligament has been torn completely and the swelling will be significant. You will need some kind of physical therapy or surgery to heal this kind of sprain.
Three Phases of Recovery
- Phase 1: In this, the patient will have to rest the ankle, which is followed with a RICE method i.e. (rest, ice, compression, elevation) for reducing the swelling and starting the healing process. With this process, the pain will last for one week.
- Phase 2: This is known as the rehabilitation phase of recovery, where the patient will have to start with bearing the weight on the ankle. The patient will have to engage in some kind of exercise for restoring their range of motion and flexibility. In this situation, you will need a physical therapist.
- Phase 3: You will have to start reintroducing yourself to the previous activities, helping yourself to build the strength. However, remember that you must not twist or turn your ankle. Some of the high impact activities like tennis, football or basketball should be avoided completely until you are healed.
Surgeries for severe injuries
- For all the active people or athletes, they will need physical rehabilitation for enhancing their recovery. Rehabilitation will take some months for restoring their complete pre-injury strength, but it is necessary to get a safe and full recovery.
- If you need surgery, then the recovery time will depend on the surgical approach taken.
Thus depending on the kind of sprain you are suffering from, your healing time will vary. Therefore, make sure that you take care of your sprain and take effective measures to heal it.
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