The person who suffers from a sprain will find the ankle swells, feels hot, is tender to walk on but not tender to touch, bruising and you may not be able to bear weight on the foot. The amount of pain you have and function you lose will depend on the severity of the injury to the ligament.
Your doctor will manipulate your foot and ankle to determine which ligaments are torn and this process may be painful. The doctor will also probably x-ray the ankle to determine if there are any broken bones which requiring further treatment. If the swelling, bruising and pain are minimal the physician may chose not to x-ray the foot.
Once the doctor has fully examined the injury and diagnostic x-rays they’ll be able to give you a full explanation of the grading of the sprain to your ankle. The grade of your ankle sprain will determine the type of treatment and recovery that will be necessary to help your ankle fully recovery from this trauma.
A grade one sprain has very minimal microscopic tears to the ligaments that support the ankle. There is minimal tenderness and swelling and you may not even see the doctor for a slight sprain.
A grade two ankle sprain involves complete tears of some but not all of the collagen fibers in the ligament. There is moderate tenderness, swelling and impairment to walking. The person will experience a decreased range of motion and may even experience some instability in the ankle. Grade 1 and 2 ankle sprains are the most common experienced by athletes and non-athletes.
A grade 3 ankle sprain involves a complete tear or rupture of the ligament that supports the ankle. These are more commonly inversion sprains and may also involve a break in the bone. The person will experience significant tenderness, heat and swelling with instability of the joint. They won’t be able to place weight on the foot and may even require surgical reconstruction to regain the ability to walk well again.
