Ankle sprains are incredibly common, with tens of thousands of Americans spraining their ankle every single day. When the supportive ankle ligaments are damaged during a sprain, it’s not uncommon to experience swelling in the ankle and foot area. This swelling is the result of an inflammatory reaction due to the trauma, but fluid could also build up if blood vessels or bursa sacs in the area are damaged.
This swelling can make it hard to wear shoes and delay the healing process, so many people often wonder how long this swelling will persist. There’s no standard answer, but in today’s blog, we take a closer look at how long swelling typically lasts depending on the significance of your sprained ankle.
Sprained Ankle Swelling Relief
As we alluded to above, everyone will experience different results in terms of swelling and how quickly it will dissipate. However, if you ended up on this page because you are dealing with some swelling after an ankle sprain and you’re wondering when your ankle may return to a normal size, we’ll try to provide some answers based on the type of sprain you suffered.
Grade I – A Grade I sprain is considered the most mild type of ankle sprain, involving some overstretching and minor tearing of the supportive ankle ligaments. In most instances, swelling is minor and may not be all that noticeable. Many individuals can get back to normal activities within 3-7 days, especially if they RICE (Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate), but full healing can take up to three weeks.
Grade II – A Grade II sprain is a little more severe. This type of sprain involves a partial tear of the supportive ankle ligaments, and this will lead to more significant symptoms. Pain, swelling and bruising may all be more noticeable, and you may have difficultly placing weight on the foot. It’s not uncommon for some swelling to persist for 2-3 weeks following a Grade II ankle sprain, and full healing usually takes between 3-6 weeks.
Grade III – A Grade III ankle sprain is the most severe type of sprain, categorized by a complete tear of the ligaments that stabilize and support your ankle joint. Pain and swelling will be significant. Swelling will be most noticeable in the first two weeks following a Grade III sprain, but it can persist for more than a month. A Grade III sprain can take anywhere from 6-12 weeks or longer to recover depending on the damage and whether or not surgery is needed to address the ligaments.
Regardless of the type of sprain you suffer, you can work to limit swelling and reduce its impact by resting your foot to protect it from additional trauma and elevating it above your heart, which will naturally help pull fluid away from the area. Icing your ankle can also constrict blood vessels and limit fluid accumulation in the ankle, but these techniques won’t be able to completely stop your swelling.