How long is a sprained ankle swollen?

Question

So i sprained my ankle last Saturday, and it still hurts and it still swells up. Is this normal or should i see a doctor?

Answer 1

A sprained ankle would normally be swollen for about a week. Even with constant icing and treatment, there will still be swelling for that duration. It just goes down very slowly. It can last longer than that, depending on the severity of the injury. Feeling pain is normal, too. I have sprained my ankles 3 times, and it takes at least a couple weeks to be back on my foot again. You should only be worried about it being a broken foot if your ankle is purple and severely bruised and it hurts extremely bad, like you can't even really move it. Otherwise, just follow the conventional method of R.I.C.E. to treat it. Rest, Ice, Compress, and Elevate. Stay off the foot with your sprained ankle completely, ice it a lot, compress and wrap it with some kind of athletic tape or splint to help the swelling go down and to keep the ankle from moving around, and elevate it by keeping the level of your injured leg above the heart (so when you're sitting down or lying down when sleeping, put your leg on top of a few stacked pillows so your leg is higher than your heart). This will slow blood flow to the area...slowing swelling and inflammation.