I think my son sprained his ankle last night....

[LJRJR]

and I am going to take him to the dr. today. His ankle is black and blue and it hurts to walk on it. I dont think its broken. I put ice on and off during the evening. Hopefully it is not broken. How long before he can walk on it? He is also on a youth hockey team, so I guess that is out for a while! Just looking for some advice.

 

[Andy B]

A badly sprained ankle can be almost as bad as a break, he will be able to walk with pain in 7-10 days but will not be pain free for 3-4 weeks and not able to play for up to 8 weeks

 

[Christine]

Generally, with a sprain, after the first few days of rest, ice, and elevation, they like you to get moving. If it is bad sprain, they will most likely put him in a boot for 2 weeks, just to stabilize the ankle and tendons but will want him up and moving around. They will also probably give him exercises to do in the evenings just to keep it moving.

You definitely want to find out if it is indeed a sprain or a small fracture because the treatment is different and a break is babied way more than a sprain.

Good luck to your son. Sprains are painful and they can take a long time before they feel "right."

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Depends how bad it is. I sprained my ankle once pretty badly and was in a cast for 8 weeks.

 

[jrmasm]

A badly sprained ankle can be almost as bad as a break, he will be able to walk with pain in 7-10 days but will not be pain free for 3-4 weeks and not able to play for up to 8 weeks

A badly sprained ankle is worse than a break.

DD15 has been in pain for a year after treatment of her sprain. Crutches, boot, 2 months of PT at the time of injury. She is getting ready to start round 2 of PT.

Good luck OP, hope it's a minor sprain.

 

[Boston Tea Party]

A badly sprained ankle is worse than a break.

DD15 has been in pain for a year after treatment of her sprain. Crutches, boot, 2 months of PT at the time of injury. She is getting ready to start round 2 of PT.

Good luck OP, hope it's a minor sprain.

My daughter, too, had a terrible sprain. Hers was a level two. She had a boot, crutches, the whole deal.

I would get medical attention so that you can ensure that it heals properly. He is young and active and if he wishes to continue to be active, then a proper healing is essential and that starts with a medical evalution....

 

[QueenRocks]

I feel your pain. My daughter sprained her ankle Saturday in the 2nd game of a 4 game soccer tournament. X-rays show no breaks but the doctor wants her to see an orthopedic doctor to make sure there are no torn ligaments. It's bruised pretty badly, but the swelling is going down. She has an air cast and crutches.

 

[WDWisTheBest]

It could take a long time to heal. And, crutches may be necessary. Just listen to the doctor's instructions.

 

[golfgal]

Take him to an ORTHOPEDIC dr, not your GP. Your gp will wrap it in an ace, give him crutches and tell him to stay off it for 2 weeks. An Orthopedic dr will have you ice, then do contrast baths, do exercises and after the first few days have you walking on it. It will heel MUCH faster that way then not using it.

 

[minkydog]

Take him to an ORTHOPEDIC dr, not your GP. Your gp will wrap it in an ace, give him crutches and tell him to stay off it for 2 weeks. An Orthopedic dr will have you ice, then do contrast baths, do exercises and after the first few days have you walking on it. It will heel MUCH faster that way then not using it.

Totally agree. GPs just don't have the expertise that an ortho has. I broke my ankle about 5 years ago. Only, I didn't think it was broken. I thought it was "only a sprain", so I didn't have it looked at(okay, it was Thanksgiving day--who wants to go to the ER on a holiday?) Anyway, I walked around on it for 6 DAYS because I mistakely believed that if it was serious I wouldn't be able to walk on it. Oy~ Nurses make the worst patients!

Anyway, I had cracked both the tibia and fibula so they put me in a non-weight-bearing cast for 6 wks--the exact distance between Thanksgiving and New Years. I got the cast off just in time to go to WDW on Jan. 1 but my ankle was really sore and swollen. I had to get an ECV. When I came home I started up with 10 wks of PT. My ankle is still unstable and very prone to rolling.

Tell your son to stay off the ankle, keep it elevated, ice off & on(NO HEAT until doctor approves!) If you have a sports medicine specialist in your area, i would highly recommend that you see him/her.

 

[rie'smom]

My husband sprained his ankle at the end of April and he is still having off and on pain.

 

[Rora]

Take him to an ORTHOPEDIC dr, not your GP. Your gp will wrap it in an ace, give him crutches and tell him to stay off it for 2 weeks. An Orthopedic dr will have you ice, then do contrast baths, do exercises and after the first few days have you walking on it. It will heel MUCH faster that way then not using it.

I totally agree with this. Your GP is just going to send you to the Ortho.

I hope your son feels better!

 

[RUDisney]

My DS has fractured the growth plates in his ankles many times over the past few years. We have always taken him to the same ortho. He's actually gone from Dr. to a first name basis because we've seen him so many times.

A month ago, DS was playing soccer with his friends. He finished the game and was running down a hill, caught a hole and twisted his ankle. He was actually crying the next morning because of the pain. Original injury happened on a Sunday night so that's why we waited until the next morning. Also, past experience showed us what to do for the meantime until we could see an ortho.

On Monday morning, we went to urgent care. (Cheaper copay than the ER.) They referred us to a podiatrist because I couldn't get into the ortho for another day or two. This woman has been a God send for us.

DS chipped a bone off from his lower ankle. He was soft-casted and booted for a week and then hard casted for 3 weeks and now is wearing the boot until Thursday when he'll get an aircast to wear in his shoe.

The reason why I'm so pleased with this dr is that she told me WHY DS is prone to ankle injuries. #1 he is as flat-footed as you can get. #2 he has one of the worst cases of hammer toes that she's ever seen. #3 his achilles tendons are very tight.

So, where the ortho told my DS to read the definition of "careful" and learn to be more careful, she actually gave me concrete reasons why my DS injures himself more than just being a gangling, clumsy boy.

When he is fully recovered, she is going to give him a gait test to fit him for orthotics and exercises for his achilles tendons. If he can't stretch them himself, because of their tightness, surgery may be indicated. She hasn't said if we need to do anything about his toes.

So, bottom line is that you have the option of going to a podiatrist if you do not have easy access to an ortho.