Is it OK to walk on a sprained ankle?

Do not walk on a sprained ankle. The inflamed tissue needs time to heal, and walking on it too soon may cause more damage. Ankle sprains are common musculoskeletal injuries that can occur from playing sports or from everyday activities.

What should I do if I twisted my ankle?

Treatment
  1. Rest. Avoid activities that cause pain, swelling or discomfort.
  2. Ice. Use an ice pack or ice slush bath immediately for 15 to 20 minutes and repeat every two to three hours while you’re awake. …
  3. Compression. To help stop swelling, compress the ankle with an elastic bandage until the swelling stops. …
  4. Elevation.

What does it feel like if you rolled your ankle?

People usually feel immediate pain at the site of an ankle sprain. Often the ankle starts to swell immediately and may develop bruising. The affected area is usually tender to touch and may feel “wobbly” or unstable. In a mild sprain, swelling usually goes down within a few days.

How long does it take to heal a twisted ankle?

The recovery time for a sprained ankle varies depending on the severity of your injury. It may take anywhere from two weeks to heal a minor sprain and anywhere from six to 12 weeks to heal a severe sprain.

Should I go hospital for a sprained ankle?

People with a more severe ankle sprain — characterized by extreme bruising or swelling and an inability to bear weight on the foot without significant pain, or when there doesn’t seem to be any improvement over the first several days after the injury — should seek medical attention, Drs. SooHoo and Williams say.

How do I know if I sprained my foot?

Symptoms of a foot sprain include:
  1. Pain and tenderness near the arch of the foot. This can be felt on the bottom, top, or sides of the foot.
  2. Bruising and swelling of the foot.
  3. Pain when walking or during activity.
  4. Not being able to put weight on your foot. This most often occurs with more severe injuries.

How do you tell if you tore a ligament in your ankle?

If you have torn your ankle ligament, symptoms include:
  1. Swelling around your ankle joint.
  2. A feeling of instability.
  3. Bruising – sometimes up your lower leg and into your foot.
  4. Tenderness to touch.
  5. Pain when putting weight on your ankle.
  6. Popping sound at the time of injury.

Can a sprained ankle heal in 2 days?

After 2 to 3 days

protocol, a mild sprain will be mostly healed and ready for you to resume normal activity. A moderate or severe sprain may require you to keep up these treatment steps for longer—up to several weeks.

What is the difference in a strain and a sprain?

The difference between a sprain and a strain is that a sprain injures the bands of tissue that connect two bones together, while a strain involves an injury to a muscle or to the band of tissue that attaches a muscle to a bone.

How do I know if my ankle pain is serious?

Seek immediate medical attention if you:
  1. Have severe pain or swelling.
  2. Have an open wound or severe deformity.
  3. Have signs of infection, such as redness, warmth and tenderness in the affected area or a fever greater than 100 F (37.8 C)
  4. Cannot put weight on your foot.

How do you tell if a tendon is torn or strained?

An injury that is associated with the following signs or symptoms may be a tendon rupture:
  1. A snap or pop you hear or feel.
  2. Severe pain.
  3. Rapid or immediate bruising.
  4. Marked weakness.
  5. Inability to use the affected arm or leg.
  6. Inability to move the area involved.
  7. Inability to bear weight.
  8. Deformity of the area.

Did I sprain my ankle or tear a ligament?

Mild sprain: The affected ligament is stretched, however, the joint is still stable. Moderate sprain: The ligament has been partially torn but has not completely separated from the bone. This causes the joint to be unstable. Severe sprain: The damaged ligament has been completely torn or separated from the bone.