Sprained ankles are common. They happen when a person loses his or her balance and quickly twists the ankle. There is pain, but it fades quickly. The ankle soon returns to normal. A more serious sprain can stretch or tear one or more of the ligaments on the outside of the ankle. Without proper treatment, the ankle can remain weak and prone to future sprains.
- Swelling
- Pain when weight is put on the ankle.
- A popping sound if the ligaments are stretched or torn
You're most likely to sprain your ankle when you have your toes on the ground and heel up. This puts your ankle's ligaments under tension. A sudden force like landing on an uneven surface may turn your ankle inward (inversion). When this happens, one or more of your ligaments may be hurt.
Your doctor will question you about how you hurt your ankle and, after examining you, may order an X-ray to make sure no bones are broken. Your sprain will be described as Grade I, II or III, depending on how many ligaments were hurt.
Proper treatment of a sprained ankle can prevent ongoing pain and instability of the joint.
A Grade I sprain is treated with rest, ice, compression and elevation (R.I.C.E.) as follows:
- Rest your ankle by not walking on it
- Ice it to keep the swelling down
- Compression bandages to keep the ankle from moving and to support it
- Elevate your ankle above your heart level for 48 hours
The swelling usually goes down within a few days.
A Grade II sprain is treated with the R.I.C.E. guidelines and more time for healing. Your doctor may put a splint your sprained ankle to keep it from moving while it heals.
A Grade III sprain puts you at risk for permanent weakness in your ankle joints. A severe ankle sprain may need a short leg cast for two to three weeks or a cast-brace. People who sprain their ankle repeatedly may need surgery to tighten their ligaments. Surgery, however, is rarely needed otherwise to repair a sprained ankle.
Physical therapy helps completely heal the sprain and avoid re-injury. This includes early weight bearing, flexibility, range of motion and strengthening. The last phase is activity and exercises routines to strengthen the muscles and ligaments.
