Ankle Sprain Recovery: When Can I Resume My Normal Workout Routine?

 Your feet are the literal base of the body, providing stability and balance when doing upright tasks. However, that full functionality isn’t possible without the ankles, also known as your tibiotalar joint or talocrural joint. This crucial part of your lower body connects your feet to your lower legs, providing bending and flexibility that enable you to walk.

This synovial joint (one that has extensive freedom of movement) is also prone to injury, and dealing with a sprain of this joint can make doing basic things on your feet increasingly difficult. Whether you’re one of millions of highly active people or someone who needs to get around the house, ankle health is crucial, and recovering from injury will take time. But how long?

To help answer this question and address many other joint issues, residents of Fort Worth, Texas, can turn to Dr. Joseph Daniels and the Southwest Orthopedic Associates team for assistance and high-quality care.

Causes and symptoms of ankle sprains

Ankle sprains result from stretching or tearing the three ligaments in the joint responsible for keeping the bones in place, and rolling or twisting your ankle is a common and easy way this happens. However, twisting your ankle raises the risk of sprains, but doesn’t automatically cause it. Damage to the outer ligaments occurs more often than to the inner ones. 

Whatever the cause, the signs of ankle damage include redness, warmth, pain, swelling, bruising, instability, and problems walking. Swelling happens above or below the ankle, and can last up to three days after the injury occurs.

Treatment options

After confirming the extent and exact nature of your ankle injuries through medical imaging (using X-rays, MRIs, CT scans, or ultrasound) and physical testing, we treat these issues by alleviating pain with ice or heat therapy or pain medications. 

Minor sprains can be treated with the RICE method (rest, ice, compression, and elevation) to aid in recovery, and bandaging, bracing, or splinting may be used when necessary. Surgery can be used in severe injuries, and regenerative medicine, such as stem cell therapy or platelet-rich plasma injections, helps to speed up recovery.

Recovery time

The timeframe for healing from an ankle injury varies depending on the severity of the damage, which ranges from grade 1 (mild) to grade 3 (severe). 

• Mild sprains can take between 3 and 5 weeks to heal. 
• Moderate injuries, which often involve more ligament tearing, can take up to 6 weeks to recover. 
• Severe sprains may result in a complete tear, requiring up to 6 months of recovery time.

The process of recovery also depends on how quickly the injury is treated after it occurs, the health of the ankle, and the extent of work done with other methods to improve stability and mobility through rehabilitation. So don’t wait to get an injury looked at, and follow the exercise regimens and physical therapy tips as much as possible while convalescing.

We all want to get back on our feet after an injury, but taking care of your ankles during recovery will help you reach that goal the fastest. Schedule an appointment with Dr. Daniels and the staff at Southwest Orthopedic Associates today to begin your road to recovery.