Ankle sprain is one of the most common lower extremity injuries as well as the most common musculoskeletal injuries in people of all ages and walks. This includes athletes and sedentary people alike. Simple misstep off the curb, landing incorrectly on your ankle playing sports and suddenly you have a painful sprained ankle. The injury occurs when one or more of the ligaments in the ankle are stretched or torn, causing pain, swelling, and difficulty ambulating. Ligaments are bands of fibrous tissue that connect bone to bone.
The most common type of ankle sprain is an ankle inversion injury, or lateral ankle sprain. The foot rolls inward, damaging the ligaments of the lateral(outer) ankle. There are three ligaments in the lateral ankle the anterior talofibular ligament, the calcaneofibular ligament, and the posterior talofibular ligament. The most commonly injured lateral ankle ligament is the anterior talofibular ligament followed by the calcaneofibular ligament and the posterior talofibular ligament.
Less common are sprains affecting the ligaments of the medial(inner) ankle sprains and syndesmotic sprains, which injure the tibiofibular ligaments — the ligaments that join the two the tibia and the fibula just above the ankle.

There are three grade levels for ankle sprains:

• Grade 1: Mild pain and swelling, no bruising. Minimal stretching of the ligaments and no tearing
  
• Grade 2: Moderate pain and swelling, tenderness, bruising, partial tears of ligaments
  
• Grade 3: Severe pain, bruising, inability to bear weight, Full tear or Rupture of one or more ligaments

It is common behavior to Rest, Ice, elevate and wrap the injured ankle with an ace bandage and not seek medical attention. It is important to know if an ankle sprain causes more than mild pain and swelling, to see a Podiatrist. When a ligament is stretched it can cause microtears which can further tear without medical attention. Without proper guidance, treatment and rehabilitation from your Podiatrist, a mild to moderate injured ankle may not heal well and could lose its range of motion and stability and serious ankle injury and prolonged recovery. Which can lead to constant pain, recurrent sprains and more downtime in the future.
It is advised to see a Foot and Ankle specialist for Grade 2 and 3 ankle sprains, treatment options differ based on the clinical exam, severity of the ankle sprain, XRAYs to confirm no bone involvement or avulsion fractures. Treatment options include complete immobilization, specific ankle brace to help decrease medial and lateral movements, medication and Laser therapy. Recovery time is based on the injury and how early appropriate treatment was initiated, appropriate recovery time ranges from 3-12 weeks.
At Gauld Foot and Ankle, our experienced podiatrist can help guide you with proper treatment for your foot and ankle injuries. We provide pain free laser therapy which provides high end technology to heal the ligaments and increase healing potential as well as healing time.