Use Intermountain Connect Care®
Learn More.
Most of the time, you will begin to feel the symptoms of an ankle sprain right after it is injured. Symptoms of an ankle sprain almost always include:
In some cases, you may not be able to put weight on your ankle right after it is sprained.
If the sprain is more serious, you may feel a tearing sensation when the ankle is injured and hear a pop or snap. You may also notice:
As a general rule, the more pain and swelling you have with your sprain, the more serious it is, and the longer it may take to heal. If you notice the symptoms of a more severe sprain, you should see your healthcare provider for treatment.
Call your healthcare provider if:
Most of the time, an ankle sprain is caused by an over-extension in the ankle joint, such as twisting too much, or rolling more than the joint is supposed to normally move. In most sprains, the ankle rolls outward and the foot turns inward, over-stretching the ligaments on the outside of the ankle. This can be caused by:
Some people may have weak ankles or other diseases that run in the family and make them more prone to ankle sprains. Also, having one ankle sprain makes it more likely to get more ankle sprains in the future as they can make the ankle weaker.
Your doctor may perform a physical exam to help diagnose an ankle sprain. During the exam, your doctor will check your ankle and foot, as well as your lower leg and even your knee to make sure there are no other injuries.
Your doctor will also ask what caused the injury to help find out whether you received other injuries (such as an ankle fracture). Your doctor may also take x-rays to make sure the ankle is not broken or fractured, and confirm that the only injury is a sprain.
Mild ankle sprains are often treated at home using the RICE method. RICE stands for:
You can also try to reduce swelling and relieve pain using over-the-counter pain medications such as naproxen sodium (Aleve) or ibuprofen (Advil).
If your symptoms last more than a week without getting better, or if they seem to be getting worse and are accompanied by a fever, make an appointment to see your doctor as soon as possible.
More severe sprains should be treated by a healthcare provider. Treatment may include:
It’s important to rest your ankle until it’s fully recovered. As a rule, most of the time it is safe to begin them once your ankle can bear weight again without pain or discomfort. But if you return to activity too quickly after your injury, you run the risk of re-injuring it or worsening your injury.
If you have sprained your ankle, regardless of the severity, you may want to look into physical therapy to help teach you how to strengthen the muscles around your ankle and help you prevent re-injury. Talk to your doctor about when it is safe to begin ankle-strengthening exercises after your injury.
Although not all ankle sprains can be prevented, there are some things you can do to help prevent an ankle sprain. These tips include:
Although most ankle sprains are not cause for alarm, they should still be avoided because each sprain weakens the ankle more, and makes it more likely to sprain in the future. Several ankle sprains over the course of time can damage the ankle joint. If you find you are frequently spraining your ankle, you should make an appointment to see your doctor to talk about why this is happening and see if there is something that can be done to solve the problem.
The bones of the ankle are held in place and supported with strong bands of flexible tissue called ligaments. A sprain happens when one of these ligaments stretches or tears. Because ankles are a heavily used and holds a lot of our body’s weight, they can sprain easily. Anything from hard fall to a minor trip or ankle twist can lead to an ankle sprain. The most common kind of ankle sprain is when the ligament on the outside of the ankle tears.
Ankle sprains range from mild to severe, all depending on how badly the ligaments have been injured, as well has how many ligaments have been damaged. Mild sprains may feel a little stiff and sore, where severe sprains may be difficult or impossible to walk on.
Ankle sprains are ordered into grades by how severe they are.
A sprain sometimes happens with other ankle injuries, such as a broken bone. If the sprain is very painful or you can’t put weight on it, have it checked by a healthcare provider.