--- title: "Recovery Time for Sprained Ankle | Sutter Health" description: "I sprained my foot/ankle about three weeks ago. The X-rays showed that there were no breaks. The swelling has gone down but it’s still there, and my ankle is somewhat painful at times. Is swelling for this long normal?" url: "/ask-an-expert/answers/recovery-time-for-sprained-ankle-1051061191" --- 1. Home / 2. Recovery Time for Sprained Ankle # Recovery Time for Sprained Ankle * * * Medically reviewed by - Alexander M. Reyzelman, DPM ## Question I sprained my foot/ankle about three weeks ago. The X-rays showed that there were no breaks. The swelling has gone down but it’s still there, and my ankle is somewhat painful at times. Is swelling for this long normal? ## Answer Ankle sprains can take a long time to heal. Three weeks is very early in the process, and being careful with your ankle for up to six weeks is realistic. Avoid running and jumping activities for the next three weeks as your ankle heals. Using an ankle support brace is a good idea, as well, if you participate in any sports activities. You might also consider connecting with a physical therapist for some exercises to strengthen the ligaments and tendons around the ankle. ## Explore related topics Bones, joints and musclesAnkle ## Meet our care team Alexander M. Reyzelman, DPM Podiatry ## Related questions View all questions - Health Q&A ### Severe Achilles Tendinitis and Exercise I have severe Achilles tendinitis and can't even go on long walks for exercise. What workouts would you recommend while I recover? It's been weeks since I've broken a good sweat. - Health Q&A ### Achilles Tendonitis What's the fastest way to recover from Achilles tendonitis? I have a case of insertional tendonitis, and it's been six weeks since I've been able to run. I'd like to get back to my activities. - Health Q&A ### Ankle Rehabilitation After Injuries I have fractured my ankle multiple times. Do you have any suggestions for exercises that would strengthen this area? - Health Q&A ### Bunion Causes and Treatment I have a bunion on my large toe that becomes painful and swollen, especially when I wear high heels. What caused this, and how can I fix it? - Health Q&A ### Pain in Ball of Foot I have pain across the ball of my right foot, making it tender to walk on. I've been doing a new type of activity - dancing Zumba in new shoes - but this pain showed up five days after the last class. Could it be related? If not, what are likely causes? View all questions ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalOrganization","name":"Sutter Health","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org","logo":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/static/images/sutter-health-logo.svg","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"2200 River Plaza Drive","addressLocality":"Sacramento","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"95833","addressCountry":"US"},"areaServed":{"@type":"AdministrativeArea","name":"California"},"sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/SutterHealth","https://www.instagram.com/sutterhealth/","https://x.com/SutterHealth","https://www.youtube.com/sutterhealth","https://www.linkedin.com/company/sutter-health","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutter_Health"]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/recovery-time-for-sprained-ankle-1051061191#breadcrumblist","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Recovery Time for Sprained Ankle"}]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalWebPage","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/recovery-time-for-sprained-ankle-1051061191#medicalwebpage","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/recovery-time-for-sprained-ankle-1051061191","name":"Recovery Time for Sprained Ankle","description":"Ankle sprains can take a long time to heal. 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Is swelling for this long normal?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/recovery-time-for-sprained-ankle-1051061191#answer","text":"Ankle sprains can take a long time to heal. Three weeks is very early in the process, and being careful with your ankle for up to six weeks is realistic. Avoid running and jumping activities for the next three weeks as your ankle heals. Using an ankle support brace is a good idea, as well, if you participate in any sports activities. You might also consider connecting with a physical therapist for some exercises to strengthen the ligaments and tendons around the ankle.","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/recovery-time-for-sprained-ankle-1051061191","author":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/recovery-time-for-sprained-ankle-1051061191#expert"}}},"publisher":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization"},"reviewedBy":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/recovery-time-for-sprained-ankle-1051061191#expert"}} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Person","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/recovery-time-for-sprained-ankle-1051061191#expert","name":"Alexander M. Reyzelman","honorificSuffix":"DPM"} ```