How long does a sprained ankle take to heal???

[rance]

My wife sprained her ankle 14 days before our trip...will she be ok to walk the parks by the time we go?
Any tips on speeding up the healing process?
Thanks

 

[Robo]

Click
HERE
and
HERE.

 

[Nadjalu]

Sprains can be a few weeks in healing or before the doctor recommends you return to normal movement.

I doubt she will be able to fully do WDW, at least by foot.

 

[honeydiane1953]

I would get and w/c or EVC for her. Even if she is completely "healed" all the walking will aggravate the muscles and u all will be uncomfortable. BTW I am a nurse and everyone heals at a diff rate. IF she is overweight(who isn't) it will hurt, and swell causing more inflammation.

 

[aenelson]

My husband caused me to sprain my ankle last winter, because he left something lying on the floor. Nope I still wont let him forget it! Anyways it took me about weeks of bed rest, and then another weeks to be back to full function walking without my crutches.

 

[tndisneyfan]

I think it depends on the severity of the sprain. I've sprianed my ankles several times. I've had minor sprains that were basically better in a couple of weeks. I've also had a severe sprain that took almost 6 months to heal. I think you may just have to wait until you get there and see how it much it has healed.

 

[ancestry]

I had a really bad sprain a couple of year ago. It took months (2-3) to get back to 100% although I probably could have handle Disney with a good ankle wrap after several weeks.

 

[DizzDoll]

You could also take some breaks during the day to elevate the foot and ice it for 20 minutes or so. Also soak it in warm water with epsom salts at night. Wear VERY COMFORTABLE shoes and if they have laces don't lace them too tight in case of swelling.

 

[dizneedrmr]

At 14 days out, she's really out of the acute phase of the sprain. Even with a bad sprain, it would be okay to have her bear weight on that ankle as much as she tolerates. If she can't tolerate bearing weight at all, then walking around WDW is probably not going to happen. If she can bear full weight on that ankle without pain, then walking around WDW is going to be fine. But you the tendons and ligaments of the ankle are still weak and stretched out even if she can tolerate walking on it. So I would suggest getting an ankle brace at your local drugstore or Wal-Mart to offer some support to the ankle. They make the soft ankle braces that you can slip on under your socks. They offer compression for the swelling and some stabilization. Be sure to take rest breaks and definitely ice it for 20 minutes on/20 minutes off at the end of the day. Be sure not to put the ice bag directly on her skin - use a towel or something between the ice and the skin. If your wife is unable to bear any weight on her ankle at this point (14 days after injury), please visit the doctor as there may be some torn ligaments or tendons, or even a break in the ankle bones. If she can bear weight through the ankle though, she should be fine walking with the ankle brace and a few extra rest breaks... and the adrenaline that kicks in with a Disney trip is going to help, too

Hope that helps some. I'm a physical therapist, so let me know if you have other questions

 

[SueM in MN]

At 14 days out, she's really out of the acute phase of the sprain. Even with a bad sprain, it would be okay to have her bear weight on that ankle as much as she tolerates. If she can't tolerate bearing weight at all, then walking around WDW is probably not going to happen. If she can bear full weight on that ankle without pain, then walking around WDW is going to be fine. But you the tendons and ligaments of the ankle are still weak and stretched out even if she can tolerate walking on it. So I would suggest getting an ankle brace at your local drugstore or Wal-Mart to offer some support to the ankle. They make the soft ankle braces that you can slip on under your socks. They offer compression for the swelling and some stabilization. Be sure to take rest breaks and definitely ice it for 20 minutes on/20 minutes off at the end of the day. Be sure not to put the ice bag directly on her skin - use a towel or something between the ice and the skin. If your wife is unable to bear any weight on her ankle at this point (14 days after injury), please visit the doctor as there may be some torn ligaments or tendons, or even a break in the ankle bones. If she can bear weight through the ankle though, she should be fine walking with the ankle brace and a few extra rest breaks... and the adrenaline that kicks in with a Disney trip is going to help, too

Hope that helps some. I'm a physical therapist, so let me know if you have other questions

You can get ice at First Aid or at any of the counter service restaurants. Just ask.
I've suggested people get one of those old fashioned ice bags - cloth with a screw on top. You should be able to find them in most Pharmacies/Pharmacy Departments.
They are easy to carry around empty and hold the cold water quite well from the melting ice. With many of them, there is enough insulation that you won't need a towel. You do want to use a towel or something if you have a plastic bag of ice, as dizneedrmr mentioned. You don't want to get frostbite on top of the ankle injury.

 

[shelemm]

I twisted my knee badly about 2 weeks before my Disney vacation. I was pretty much alright in the parks and could scoot around like a pro - you'd hardly know I was hurt. However, I compensated for my knee (without giving it any thought, just a natural reaction), and that changed my gait. After two weeks of vacation, I started getting tremendous hip pain that lasted for four months. I was glad I went on the vacation: it was not just any old vacation but was one of the most sublime experiences of my life. Still, there were consequences.

 

[dzorn]

I would go with whatever her doctor reccomends.

Denise in MI

 

[Duckiedee]

I'm going to suggest bringing a large ziploc bag for ice at the CS restaurants.

Also, something that REALLY helps with the swelling, better than any icepack.

When she gets to the hotel and before she leaves each day, get a bucket (or use the garbage can in the room) fill it with cold water and about three icecube trays worth of ice... have her submerge her foot and much of the lower leg for five minutes. This will REALLY bring the swelling down. If I were her I'd be doing it starting today.

It is SUPER cold, I always need to count to three and PLUNGE my foot in, but it goes numb pretty fast and then it's not so bad. After the five minutes have her wait about five more before walking (You can't feel your foot.)

I broke my leg awhile back and this was the BEST advice I got to help it heal.

Have a towel ready! Good luck!

 

[bumbershoot]

Sprains can be difficult! Along with all the other ideas, if you can get some arnica cream or gel, that can really help healing and to reduce pain without using a "drug".

 

[diamondcharl]

It really depends on the person. Her age, her fitness level etc. My daughter who is a gymnast just sprained her ankle last week. It was not a horrible sprain but bad enough for it to blow up like an elephant. She couldnt walk on it for 2 days. We iced the heck out of it and gave her ibuprofin and made her elevate it when she wasnt walking. After 3 days, she went back to practice and seems to be ok now.
Someone suggested an old fashioned ice bag. That is what we used. We got it at CVS. I recommend that as well.

 

[ppony]

It's gonna be rough for her (or might be...there are a lot of bones in an ankle) but she can take it slower and as suggested, get a wheelchair or EVC when she needs it. I don't know if i sprained my ankle or if I broke it (I personally think it was the latter) when Iw as 7 mo. preggers (so we didn't take x-rays) and holy buckets did that take MONTHS to heal. In fact, it never healed right, looks different now (which is why I think it was actuallya break), and those joint injuries just plain take longer.

 

[Gigi22]

OP--is this a new sprain? If so, the care recommended to me for sprains is RICE--Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation.

Regular application of ice is usually recommended for a "new" sprain, but ice will also take down swelling as various PPs have mentioned. After a few days, you can use some heat on it.

You can use a tensor bandage for compression, wrapped around the foot and ankle in a figure eight. You should be able to wiggle a finger underneath the bandage with a bit of effort. There are also compression bandages for ankles or ankle braces available in pharmacies--your dr. will advise you about this.

Your DW should try to keep her sprained ankle elevated for a couple of days if at all possible. This will help her recover faster.

 

[CathrynRose]

Sprains can be a few weeks in healing or before the doctor recommends you return to normal movement.

I doubt she will be able to fully do WDW, at least by foot.

Ehhhh - depends on her pain tolerance.

When I was a kid, I was on a bowling league (and could still take any of you on! I am a bowling extraordinaire! ) Anyways... I had a funky stance when I bowled (right foot in front, even though I'm right handed) and would do this weird foot twist when I tossed the ball.

In turn, I ended up with an ankle that would sprain practically on command. And, not as often as it did, still does.

So, I sprained it before my 9/25 trip, this past month - and I was still able to walk the parks. It didn't always feel too good, but nothing an Advil and a Margarita couldn't take care of.

Just take it slower - take more breaks - and drink lots of alcohol...errr...water!!

Get a brace. I kept meaning to go get one, but ended up never really needing it.

She'll be fine. Have fun!!!

 

[MatersTowing92]

It all depends on how bad the sprain is. If your tore the ligaments then it can take weeks to walk, I did that playing basketball a few years ago and I was on crutches for 5-6 weeks. But if its a mild sprain your could be walking in 7-10 day, I actually sprained my ankle 6 weeks ago and it looked bad enough the doctors said it has to be broken and I was going to need surgery(which was scary since I was going WDW in exacty 2 months) but after the x-ray found out it was only a sprain. I was walking in 8 days it still isn't completely healed but I could walk and actually run on it 3 weeks after I did it. So basically no one can tell you if it will be healed or not just do what the doctor says and ice, elevate and I found soaking it in warm epsom salts really helped(wait tell the swelling goes down 3-4 days). Good luck I hope it heals fast

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

I sprained my ankle about 2 weeks before our trip last Nov. I rolled it and heard it pop - thought I'd broken it. I spent about 3 days non-weight bearing then bearing a little weight with the help of my crutches, then used one crutch for a couple more days, and by a week after the injury, was getting around unassisted, albeit gingerly. I wore an ankle brace and made sure to rest frequently, but I had no trouble getting around Disney World on my own.

Hope she heals quickly!