What Is the Best Treatment for an Ankle Sprain?

An ankle is considered sprained when the ligaments that support the joint stretch beyond their elastic limits and tear. How severe the injury is depends on the number of ligaments damaged and how much each one is torn.

The providers at Rapid Response Urgent Care in Granada Hills, California, see lots of sprained ankles, as they’re the No. 1 reason people miss out on sports activities. What’s the best way to treat an ankle sprain? Well, that depends on a number of factors.

Grades of sprains

Sprains are divided into three grades:

Grade 1 

• Slight stretching and microscopic tearing of the fibers
• Mild tenderness, bruising, and swelling around the ankle joint
• No pain bearing weight
• No instability

Grade 2 

• Partial ligament tear
• Moderate tenderness, bruising, and swelling around the ankle joint
• Mild pain bearing weight
• Slight instability

Grade 3 

• Complete ligament tear
• Significant tenderness, bruising, and swelling around the ankle joint
• Severe pain putting weight on foot
• Substantial instability

All three grades require similar types of treatment, just with differing timelines to allow for proper and complete healing.

The best treatment for an ankle sprain

All ankle sprains are rehabilitated in three phases:

Phase 1

• A short period of immobilization, ice, and rest to reduce swelling
• Early weightbearing as tolerated
• For a Grade 2 sprain, a removable walking boot or aircast brace for support
• For a Grade 3 sprain, a short leg cast or cast brace for 10-14 days

In most cases, swelling and pain last two to three days, but walking may be difficult, especially for Grade 2 and 3 sprains, so you may need to use crutches.

Phase 2

Initiated early and includes functional rehabilitation focusing on:

• Range of motion exercises
• Isometric strengthening
• Balance retraining exercises

You need to be out of the boot or cast during this phase to avoid stiffness. 

Phase 3

The goal for this phase is the advancement of strengthening and balance exercises and the gradual return to preinjury activities, beginning with activities that don’t need for you to turn or twist your ankle. Once you’ve mastered these, you can follow them with activities that require sharp, sudden turns (cutting activities), such as are used in tennis, basketball, and football.

Note that when you return to your normal activities, you may have to tape or brace your ankle to provide added support.

For a Grade 1 sprain, this three-phased approach may take about two weeks. You can expect about six to 12 weeks for Grades 2 and 3. During this time, you can take over-the-counter (OTC) pain medications, as needed.

Have you sprained your ankle and are wondering what to do? Rapid Response Urgent Care can help. Walk in, call us at 818-923-5216, or book an appointment online today.