You take one wrong step during a workout, pivot just right during a casual game of pickleball, take a misstep on the stairs — and suddenly your ankle gives out. The swelling starts, the pain kicks in, and you’re stuck on the sidelines instead of playing.
Ankle sprains are one of the most common sports injuries, and while they can be incredibly frustrating, most sprains heal well with proper care.
But trying to jump back into activity too soon can lead to chronic pain, repeat injuries, or long-term instability. The key is taking the correct steps — from rest to rehab to prevention — so you can return to your sport confidently and safely.
In this blog, Dr. Maurice Aiken and our expert podiatric team at Bay Breeze Foot & Ankle Specialists in Dunedin, Florida, lay out the best return-to-play plan after spraining your ankle.
An ankle sprain isn’t just twisting your ankle. It’s actually a tear or a stretch of the ligaments that support your ankle joint. Most sprains happen when your foot rolls inward, damaging the ligaments on the outside of the ankle. Mild sprains typically mean you’ve stretched your ligament, but you can also partially tear or completely rupture your ankle ligaments.
Symptoms typically include swelling, bruising, tenderness, and pain when walking. In severe cases, you might not be able to put any weight on it.
When you sprain your ankle, stop your activity immediately, and then follow these strategies:
Right after the injury, the goal is to control swelling and protect your ankle. The classic R.I.C.E. method — rest, ice, compression, elevation — is still one of the best ways to do that in the first 48-72 hours.
If walking is painful, you may need to use a brace, boot, or crutches. However, babying the ankle for too long can slow recovery. Controlled movement is critical once swelling starts to decrease.
Not every sprain needs medical treatment — mild sprains may heal on their own with a bit of rest. However, it’s always better to be safe than sorry to get evaluated by Dr. Aiken, especially if you experience:
We can determine whether it’s a mild sprain, a torn ligament, or even a fracture. Early diagnosis helps prevent long-term ankle instability, something that affects many people who just walk it off.
We can recommend advanced treatments, such as Erchonia® cold laser therapy, extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT), regenerative medicine, custom orthotics, splints or casts, and physical therapy, if your ankle sprain is so severe that conservative methods are unsuccessful.
Once the pain and swelling start to fade, it’s time to bring your ankle back to life, which is where many people do too little (or too much). The goal is to restore range of motion, then gradually build strength and balance.
The best exercises include:
As movement becomes easier, resistance bands, calf raises, and balance exercises come next. These aren’t just rehab for your current injury; they help prevent future sprains by retraining the muscles and ligaments around the ankle.
You may feel ready to get back to your favorite sport, but if the ankle still feels weak, wobbly, or sore, you risk starting the injury cycle all over again.
Before returning to activity, your ankle should be able to handle movement without pain, have a comfortable range of motion, and feel stable enough to jump, cut, or pivot without giving out. You should also have regained strength in the injured ankle that matches the uninjured side.
Even after you’ve healed, your work isn’t over. Once you’ve sprained an ankle, you’re more prone to do it again. Building ankle strength and stability into your routine can protect you.
That means maintaining balance and strength exercises even after your ankle feels better, making sure you warm up before practices or workouts, choosing supportive footwear appropriate for your sport or activity, and replacing worn-out shoes before they stop giving your ankle the support it needs.
An ankle sprain may feel like a setback, but with the correct care, it doesn’t have to keep you out of the game for long.
Our best advice? Don’t rush it, but don’t give up your goals, either. Heal it right, and you can come back stronger, steadier, and more confident on your feet.
If you’ve recently sprained your ankle, call Bay Breeze Foot & Ankle Specialists or request an appointment online today to get started with your return-to-play plan.
