“How long should you keep your foot elevated after an ankle sprain?”

At least the first 4 to 7 days. Ice and elevate for up to 2 weeks and
after activity.

First of all, there is no “ankle sprain” but fascia strain around the ankle. Elevating the ankle does not treat the injury at all. The injured fascia must be smoothened to restore its normal function by lightly touching and holding the injured (painful) sites for awhile. It may take a total of 1-3 hours to recover. No stretching, massage, exercises or any other treatments can resolve it. Please visit my website for details: NoMorePainClinic.com

If the injury is fresh, warm, swollen and painful, I recommend that my patients elevate the injured part for 20-30 minutes per hour for the first 1-2 days, apply ice on the injured area for 15-20 minutes until the swelling reduces and the pain subsides. If pain is more intense or
continues past a few days, you should get an x-ray to make sure no fracture or additional injury exists.

Elevation and ice after an ankle sprain is to control pain and swelling
If pain and swelling persists you should rethink the diagnosis as it may not be the correct diagnosis
This should only be necessary for a few hours to a couple of days depending on the severity of the injury
If the pain and swelling isn’t improved significantly in 3-4 days and not completely gone in a week likely not a sprain it may be a fracture or partial or even a full tear of one or more ligaments and/or joint capsule if the x-ray is still negative after 3 weeks

Jan David Tepper DPM,FACFAS
CEO Family Foot & Ankle Center
984 West Foothill Boulevard, Suite B
Upland, California 91786
O 909-920-0884
F 909/920-9810
WWW.drtepper.com
JDTDPM@aol.com

After an ankle sprain you should treat the area with (RICE)-rest, ice, compression like an Ace wrap or an over-the-counter ankle brace and elevation. You ice and elevate for 72 hours after the injury, do not put your ankle/foot in warm water or warm compresses till after 72 hours. I recommend people see a podiatrist to fully evaluate the ankle to determine how severe the sprain is. Many times people dismiss the sprain only to find it takes a long time to get over and they should have done other things which since they did not results in them either ultimately having surgery or developing arthritis depending on the level of injury. Find a podiatrist in your area and have them evaluate your ankle. Even if it is a mild sprain it should be evaluated, but it could be more serious than you think so it should be evaluated and tested to know the extent of the injury. Plus treatment to the area that is appropriate will help it heal faster.

Elevation will help with swelling, which helps with pain. The time frame will vary based on severity of injury and amount of swelling. I recommend you schedule an appointment with a foot and ankle surgeon (podiatrist) for evaluation

That really depends on how long the ankle is painful and swollen. If it’s painful and swollen for more than a week or 2, you should be seen by a professional.