A sprained ankle is a common injury in sports. In most cases, the ankle rolls inwards beneath the weight of the entire body, resulting to impairment of the ligaments on the exterior of the ankle.
What are the indications of a sprained ankle?
Ankle pain is usually felt but specifically on the exterior of the ankle where the impaired ligaments are positioned.
The swelling or bruising might develop right away or take up to 48 hours to manifest. For mild cases, they do not occur at all.
How sprains are graded
- Grade 1 – causes minor symptoms with minimal pain and little or no swelling. There is a feeling of stiffening of the joint with some degree of difficulty in walking or running. In such cases, the ligaments are simply stretched instead of fully torn and the ankle should recuperate quickly. The recovery is usually within 2-4 weeks.
- Grade 2 – causes moderate to severe pain along with severe difficulty in walking. The individual is not likely to play and often limps evidently. Minor swelling and bruising might be present right away but can take several hours to manifest. The ankle becomes stiff but also feel unstable due to the torn ligament fibers. Recovery might take between 4-8 weeks.
- Grade 3 – involves full tear or rupture of the ligaments. There is intense pain right away and the ankle feels weak and unstable. Swelling typically develops immediately and bruising occurs over the next 48 hours. An X-ray is required to assess if there are any broken bones. The recovery for a severe sprained ankle can take up to 3 months.
Management
Treatment at home involves the PRICE principles (protection, rest, ice, compression, elevation). An ice pack and compression wrap works by reducing the pain, swelling and inflammation. Cold therapy can be applied for 10 minutes every hour initially and reduce the frequency as the symptoms settle. An ankle support can be used to protect the damaged ligaments as well as provide compression.
Taping is also a treatment measure that can be utilized to protect the ankle but also improve confidence of the individual after the injury. This is followed by a program which includes mobilization, strengthening and functional exercises. An important component of rehabilitation and preventing re-injury is proprioception.
Disclaimer / More Information
The information posted on this page on a sprained ankle is for learning and educational purposes only. To learn to recognize the indications of sprains, register for first aid training at one of our training centers located throughout Canada. The training centers are in Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, Vancouver, Kelowna, Surrey, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa and Halifax.