Ankle Sprain Treatment and Recovery

I just rolled my ankle! What do I do next?

Even though an ankle sprain is one of the most common orthopedic injuries, you might need an x-ray to make sure you don’t have a fracture. An ankle fracture often feels unstable and you cannot take a step on it. However, severe sprains also can prohibit weightbearing.

While you are waiting for your orthopedic appointment, you can use RICE to ease your pain and promote healing. RICE is an acronym for:

• Rest
• Ice
• Compression (ACE wrap)
• Elevation

This treatment helps minimize pain and swelling. Over-the-counter pain medication can help with acute pain.

How will an orthopedic surgeon treat my ankle sprain?

An ankle sprain rarely needs surgery. But depending on the severity of the ankle sprain, your doctor may prescribe various forms of immobilization to make sure your ankle sprain heals correctly.

• For moderate to severe sprains, you may need a hard cast or a walking boot.
• For mild to moderate sprains, you may need an ankle stirrup or an ASO ankle brace.
• Most patients will need physical therapy to rehabilitate their ankle sprains.

When will my ankle sprain heal?

This is a common question with an ambiguous answer. Some ankle sprains recover quickly, in a few weeks, whereas severe ankle sprains can talk 3 months or longer to fully heal. A small percentage of ankle sprains do not recover and go on to require ankle surgery.

The American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) has more information about ankle sprain at FootCareMD.

Our blog has more information about ankle sprains here.

For more questions or to set up an evaluation, contact Dr. Stautberg’s office at 281-977-4870.

Author

Eugene Stautberg, MD