“How long does an ankle injury take to heal?”
I have a mild ankle injury. I want to treat it. How long does an ankle injury take to heal?
13 Answers
depends on type and severity of injury
Good day!
Thanks for sharing and thanks for allowing me to give you my thoughts, tips and suggestions regarding your ankle question.
‘Mild’ is a relative term, and I wonder where you got that quantification. If so, I am glad it is only mild. There are some studies that show that the residual deficiencies after ankle sprains can negatively impact the function and happiness of people for a long time (perhaps even ‘forever’).
An ankle injury can come in many flavors or types. The healing of it depends on what ‘it’ is.
‘Heal’ is also a term with many levels of meaning. ‘Mild’ soft tissue injuries can heal enough to put force against them by three weeks. But the time from injury or pain in the ankle means you are using it differently since the problem began. Therefore, the muscles and soft tissues around the ankle (fascia, tendons, capsule, ligaments, articular cartilage, etc.) have also not been used well since the problem began.
My suggestions are that by three weeks (depending on the type of injury you had) working towards regaining a full and painful range of motion is step one. Then working on balance, flexibility and strength follow. However, this should be a slow and controlled process that puts more demands on the ankle (and entire leg) only after milestones have been successfully achieved (regarding motion, balance, strength).
I hope this helps! Happy Holidays!
Thanks for sharing and thanks for allowing me to give you my thoughts, tips and suggestions regarding your ankle question.
‘Mild’ is a relative term, and I wonder where you got that quantification. If so, I am glad it is only mild. There are some studies that show that the residual deficiencies after ankle sprains can negatively impact the function and happiness of people for a long time (perhaps even ‘forever’).
An ankle injury can come in many flavors or types. The healing of it depends on what ‘it’ is.
‘Heal’ is also a term with many levels of meaning. ‘Mild’ soft tissue injuries can heal enough to put force against them by three weeks. But the time from injury or pain in the ankle means you are using it differently since the problem began. Therefore, the muscles and soft tissues around the ankle (fascia, tendons, capsule, ligaments, articular cartilage, etc.) have also not been used well since the problem began.
My suggestions are that by three weeks (depending on the type of injury you had) working towards regaining a full and painful range of motion is step one. Then working on balance, flexibility and strength follow. However, this should be a slow and controlled process that puts more demands on the ankle (and entire leg) only after milestones have been successfully achieved (regarding motion, balance, strength).
I hope this helps! Happy Holidays!
Generally, a mild sprain will usually take around 4-6 weeks to heal.
6-8 weeks.
If it is mild it should improve in a week or two with ice and compression
It can take several weeks to several months to heal depending on what is going on.
Dr. Jason E. Morris
Dr. Jason E. Morris
Generally speaking a non-medically trained individual does not have sufficient knowledge to judge whether an injury is "mild" or how to properly treat it. You don't even know what kind of injury you have. I would recommend that you consult with a Podiatric Surgeon who is Board Certified by the American Board of Foot & Ankle Surgery.
It would be irresponsible for me to give you an answer without having a accurate diagnosis. You need to check with your primary doctor Or urgent care to get a diagnosis and they will give you the results
12 weeks minimum.
If treated correctly, with short course of immobilization and bracing, ankle injuries generally get better in 2 to 4 weeks. If the injury is serious enough, it may not fully heal.
Completely depends on the level or severity of the ankle sprain. In general most ankle sprains will start feeling better and functional in 6 to 8 weeks, however the tissues really take 12 weeks to heal. More severe ankle sprains or ligament ruptures will take longer and may even require surgical correction or repair.
It depends on what the injury is and what structures are involved. Ironically, it can take longer for a soft tissue injury to heal sometimes than it takes for a fracture to heal. So healing time is very different in different individuals and with different pathologies.
Recovery time for an ankle injury will vary. I recommend you make an appointment with a foot and ankle surgeon (podiatrist) for diagnosis and treatment
