How long does an ankle sprain last?
 

i was at the bar yesterday, and it's up about 8 flights of stairs..... so obviously when we were leaving, someone had the bright idea of jumping it...

anyways, long story short... i woke up today and can't walk on my ankle... and it's a weird type of swollen... like really really firm... hard to explain...

if it was broken, would i know it was broken? or is there a chance it is?

and if it's a sprain, how long does it take to heal usually? will i be okay to walk on it by thursday you think?

thanks

also, does putting ice on it help a strain?

Exactly 35 hours and 8 minutes.

Regards,

Lee

Mechanism of injury

If there is a severe in-turning or out-turning of the foot relative to the ankle, the forces cause the ligaments to stretch beyond their normal length. If the force is too strong, the ligaments can tear. You may lose your balance when your foot is placed unevenly on the ground. You may fall and be unable to stand on that foot. When excessive force is applied to the ankle's soft tissue structures, you may even hear a "pop." Pain and swelling result.

The amount of force determines the grade of the sprain. A mild sprain is a Grade 1. A moderate sprain is a Grade 2. A severe strain is a Grade 3. (See Table 1.)


Grade 1 sprain: Slight stretching and some damage to the fibers (fibrils) of the ligament.

Grade 2 sprain: Partial tearing of the ligament. If the ankle joint is examined and moved in certain ways, abnormal looseness (laxity) of the ankle joint occurs.

Grade 3 sprain: Complete tear of the ligament. If the examiner pulls or pushes on the ankle joint in certain movements, gross instability occurs.

Treatment Options

Walking may be difficult because of the swelling and pain. You may need to use crutches if walking causes pain. Usually swelling and pain will last two days to three days. Depending upon the grade of injury, the doctor may tell you to use removable plastic devices such as castboots or air splints.

Most ankle sprains need only a period of protection to heal. The healing process takes about four weeks to six weeks. The doctor may tell you to incorporate motion early in the healing process to prevent stiffness. Motion may also aid in being able to sense position, location, orientation and movement of the ankle (proprioception). Even a complete ligament tear can heal without surgical repair if it is immobilized appropriately. Even if an ankle has a chronic tear, it can still be highly functional because overlying tendons help with stability and motion.

For a Grade 1 sprain, use R.I.C.E (rest, ice, compression and elevation):


Rest your ankle by not walking on it.

Ice should be immediately applied. It keeps the swelling down. It can be used for 20 minutes to 30 minutes, three or four times daily. Combine ice with wrapping to decrease swelling, pain and dysfunction.

Compression dressings, bandages or ace-wraps immobilize and support the injured ankle.

Elevate your ankle above your heart level for 48 hours.

For a Grade 2 sprain, the RICE guidelines can also be used. Allow more time for healing to occur. The doctor may also use a device to immobilize or splint the ankle.

A Grade 3 sprain can be associated with permanent instability. Surgery is rarely needed. A short leg cast or a cast-brace may be used for two weeks to three weeks.

Rehabilitation is used to help to decrease pain and swelling and to prevent chronic ankle problems. Ultrasound and electrical stimulation may also be used as needed to help with pain and swelling. At first, rehabilitation exercises may involve active range of motion or controlled movements of the ankle joint without resistance. Water exercises may be used if land-based strengthening exercises, such as toe-raising, are too painful. Lower extremity exercises and endurance activities are added as tolerated. Proprioception training is very important, as poor propriception is a major cause of repeat sprain and an unstable ankle joint. Once you are pain-free, other exercises may be added, such as agility drills. The goal is to increase strength and range of motion as balance improves over time.

All ankle sprains recover through three phases:


Phase 1 includes resting, protecting the ankle and reducing the swelling (one week).

Phase 2 includes restoring range of motion, strength and flexibility (one week to two weeks).

Phase 3 includes gradually returning to activities that do not require turning or twisting the ankle and doing maintenance exercises. This will be followed later by being able to do activities that require sharp, sudden turns (cutting activities) such as tennis, basketball or football (weeks to months).

Medication: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may be used to control pain and inflammation.

Long-term outcome: If an ankle sprain is not recognized, and is not treated with the necessary attention and care, chronic problems of pain and instability may result.

Risk Factors/Prevention

The best way to prevent ankle sprains is to maintain good strength, muscle balance and flexibility.


Warm-up before doing exercises and vigorous activities

Pay attention to walking, running or working surfaces

Wear good shoes

Pay attention to your body's warning signs to slow down when you feel pain or fatigue

just walk it off man.

Dont walk it off. DONT Walk. for about a week, and then start to walk. and walk extra to exercise it.

going clubbing on thursday for my gfs birthday

will i be okay if i have a splint , for one night?

If it were broken, you'd know for sure. You wouldn't be able to walk on it at all.

I've sprained both ankles at least a dozen times, along with tearin' the ligaments and cartilage on one, so I'm wise by experience, lol.

Usually it takes me about 2 months to get over a sprain, sometimes longer if I'm not careful with it.

Try wrappin' it with a tensor elastic bandage to help give support. Contrary to popular belief, I've always found a bit of exercise helps it heal quicker, but in moderation.

you won't know for sure unless you get an x-ray

this is weird.. i can move my ankle around painlessly... but my heel is swollen and kills to walk on...

i have an appointment for the doc at 2pm... but anyone have any experience with this? like landing really hard on your foot and having your heel bruised?

hopefully it's just a bruised heel..... and not a sprained ankle, cause that would suck :(

Dude I rolled my ankle in October the day before I got married and it still hurts

this will be the second time i fucked up my ankle

i got in a fight with my girlfriend in whistler and tried to storm out of the suite... i tried to storm out, but ended up falling down the stairs.... so much for the storm out effect :1orglaugh

Twisted my left ankle in October while moving....shit still aches in the mornings.

just have it checked by a specialist to be sure

It depedns on how seroious it is. I once had sprain that lasted for days..

i once made love to a golden retriever... but only cause she said she was the one from Full House

How the fuck would any of us know? It depends on what ya did to it.

You're seeing the doctor so that is a wise move. Be advised that doctors often lie about how long things take to heal. I'd at least double any times quoted. At least that's be my experience on my knees and other injuried.

Good luck on getting well quick. The ice comments are right on. That's what the docotrs have told me. Cold reduces swelling.

http://www.stephen-king.ch/images/misery_b.JPG
http://www.pitofhorror.com/features/sledgehammer.jpg

:1orglaugh :1orglaugh

:Oh crap :Oh crap :Oh crap :Oh crap

like already mentioned, see a doctor. i fucked up my ankle very badly two summers ago. i thought it wasn't broken, but it was. lead to all kinds of complications and took a year to fully recover. ripping it up snowboarding and hiking now though.

I fractured my fibula, tibia and 5th metatarsal over three years ago and it still bothers me. When I went to the emergency room the doctor told me I had a mild sprain and would be back to normal in a week. He recommended I see a bone specialist. 1 week later my injuries were determined and was told I'd be off my feet for the next year. After being in a cast for so long I developed scar tissue that made my ankle extremely stiff. I ended up with plantar fasciitis type a in the outside of my foot. It still bothers me even though I had surgery and several cortisone injections.

When I initially did it I knew something was wrong. I couldn't put any weight on it at all and any position other than elevated made it throb. It was easily the most pain I've ever felt.

Ankle injuries are no joke and can haunt you if you don't take care of them properly.

i hate when doctors try to get you out as fast as possible when you go to the emergency room, without properly looking at you :disgust

I was told that it's better to have a clean break than to fracture those bones because they're weight bearing and take longer to heel. It was a nightmare.