Ankle sprains are an extremely common injury, but they are also an injury that are commonly not taken seriously. There are three different grades of ankle sprains that we are going to talk about. Some are more serious than others and the proper care should be taken in order to allow the ankle to heal properly!
The first type of ankle sprain is Grade 1. This is going to be the least serious grade of the ankle sprains in which there is a mild stretch of the ligaments and tendons around the ankle. This can cause mild swelling, a little bit of soreness, no affect on walking patterns, and should feel better in a couple days.
Grade 2 is the most common type of ankle sprain. This is a little more serious than Grade 1 with more stretch and possible mild tearing of the ligaments around the ankle. Typically, there is progressively more swelling, pain, and limping involved with this sprain. People should immobilize the joint with a brace or boot for one to two weeks.
Grade 3 ankle sprain is going to be the most severe injury of the 3. There is a partial or complete rupture of the ligaments that surround the ankle. There isn’t always swelling with this type of sprain, but it can occur along with a significant amount of pain. This sprain needs to heal tight, so a boot is necessary for about 4 weeks, give or take, to help these ligaments heal.
If you aren’t sure if there is a break or not involved here are some tips to help you out. If you run your finger along the bone and there is one specific, small area that hurts a lot then this can be a good indication of a break. Although sometimes, you can’t even tell! This is where you should get an X-ray, but it pays to wait several days or a week after the injury. Sometimes with swelling it interferes with the X-ray’s ability to see a clear image, and the break isn’t seen.
Now that you know a little bit more about the types of sprains, you may be able to know how to properly treat it. Keep an eye out where we tell you what to do in the first 48 hours to speed along the healing process!
