What’s the healing time for ankle sprains?

Ankle injuries are very common. Approximately 2 million people a year suffer acute ankle injuries, according to the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM). If you’ve every suffered a painful ankle sprain, you may have wondered when you should see a doctor and how long the healing process may take?

This question recently came in to Azalea Orthopedics about ankle injuries:

On July 11, 2019, I suffered an injury where I sprained my ankle because I crashed my scooter. I ended up in the UMN-Fairview ER because I could not bear weight and thought I fractured my ankle. On July 25, it will be two weeks since I had the accident, but I still have little bit of swelling and bruising. I am still using the crutches that I was given. My question is — is it common that it is a long healing process or should I go ahead and visit an orthopedic since the swelling hasn’t gone completely down? I start classes again in two weeks and I am worried that I my ankle will not be healed and still be using crutches. If you could please reply back, thank you Doctors.

Dr. Timothy Beck, Foot & Ankle Surgeon at Azalea Orthopedics, offers this advice to anyone suffering from ankle pain.

Dr. Beck: Ankle sprains are best evaluated by an orthopedic foot and ankle specialist to determine if there is instability. Unstable ankle sprains are treated differently than stable ankle sprains and require either casting or complete immobilization for 3-4 weeks. Restoration of stability of the ankle with immobilization is essential to getting the pain to resolve.

Azalea Orthopedics is the leader in foot and ankle care in East Texas. We can help you identify the nature of your foot injury, perform any necessary treatment procedures and create a plan to rejuvenate your foot and get you back to full function as soon as possible. We understand how frustrating it is to be sidelined with a foot or ankle injury, so we strive to help our patients recover as quickly and as safely possible. You can schedule an appointment at 903.939.7500 or you can request an appointment online.

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