ankle sprain how long to heal
Ligaments attach the foot to the leg. Ankle sprain is an injury where the foot turns over on the leg and these ligament(s) get stretched out. Important in diagnosing is to determine if it is just a sprain where the ligaments are stretched versus a tear where the ligament(s) are torn. A fracture on the back portion of the tibia may indicate an injury to the high ankle ligaments given that this is where the PITFL attaches. It is also important to look for increased space between the tibia and the fibula because this may also indicate an injury to the high ankle ligaments. How long it takes to recover from a sprained ankle can be from one week to one year, says Holman Chan, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Sunrise Hospital. In this video, he says that a follow-up visit can help doctors determine more about your recovery. The high ankle ligaments are located above the ankle, as opposed to the more commonly injured ligaments on the outside of the ankle. These high ankle ligaments connect the tibia to the fibula. It usually takes 5 to 14 days to recover from a grade one ankle sprain. This is when slight stretching and damage occurs to the ligaments. With a grade one sprain, there is slight instability, pain, swelling, joint stiffness, and trouble walking. Grade two sprains can take 4 to 6 weeks to heal. This involves partial tearing of the ligaments. Signs of a grade two sprain include instability, moderate to severe pain, swelling, stiffness and possible bruising. Grade three sprains can take 8 to 12 weeks to heal. 4 doctors agreed: Ankle sprain: Depending on the severity of the ankle sprain, it can take from 4 to 8 weeks to heal. There are 3° of injury. One is a stretch of the ligaments, 2nd° is a partial tear of the ligaments. 3 degree is a total tear of the ligaments . 3rd degree tears take a good 8 weeks to heal. To help an ankle sprain heal faster, doctors recommend that patients practice the RICE method, which is to rest, ice, compress and elevate the ankle, according to About.com. After the first couple of days, patients should begin moving and strengthening the ankle. How long does a sprained ankle take to heal? A: According to WebMD, the healing time for a sprained ankle ranges between six weeks and four months, depending on the extent of the sprain. Stretching and range-of-motion exercises can help to strengthen the ankle and minimize pain throughout the healing process. A high ankle sprain occurs from a twisting or rotational injury. The high ankle sprain also can occur in the setting of an ankle fracture, which means the bones of the ankle are broken. In some cases, the ligament on the inside of the ankle, the deltoid, will be torn. In this event, the energy of the injury passes from the deltoid, through the high ankle ligaments, or syndesmosis, and up the leg through the fibula. This causes the fibula to be broken at a very high level. But the sprain could be more severe; your ankle might swell and it might hurt too much to stand on it. If it's a severe sprain, you might have felt a pop when the injury happened. A sprained ankle means one or more ligaments on the outer side of your ankle were stretched or torn.
4 to 6 weeks