What Is an Ankle Sprain?

Written by Marijke Vroomen Durning, RN
Medically Reviewed by Jabeen Begum, MD on October 21, 2025
8 min read

An ankle sprain happens when you twist, roll, or turn your ankle too far. You might land wrong after a jump, step into a hole, or slip off a curb.

Ligaments, tough bands of tissue, keep your ankles stable as you walk, run, and jump. They hold your bones together, allowing some — but not too much — movement. If these ligaments get stretched too much or even tear, this is a sprain.

Sprains most often happen on the outside of the ankle when you roll your foot, so the outside of your ankle is pointing down to the ground. This causes the ligament to stretch beyond its normal limit. It’s the classic ankle sprain, says Vandan Patel, MD, an orthopedic surgeon with The Institute for Foot and Ankle Reconstruction at Mercy Medical Center in Maryland. 

There’s also a high ankle sprain. It’s higher up on the ankle and it happens mostly to athletes, particularly those who play football or basketball, Patel says. “That is a more significant injury, higher up between the two bones in the legs. It’s a more serious type of ankle sprain compared to the ankle sprains we normally think about, which are the lower ankle sprains.”

You can sprain your ankle in many ways, and playing sports is one of the most common causes. This is especially true for games that involve a lot of jumping or a chance of stepping on someone’s foot. Those include:

  • Basketball
  • Soccer
  • Volleyball
  • Football
  • Running, especially on trails or uneven surfaces

But it can also happen with other types of sports because it only takes one misstep. it’s also just as easy to sprain your ankle in everyday life, like when you’re stepping off a curb or taking a walk on the beach. If you like to wear high-heeled shoes or platform shoes, you could twist your ankle, and even shoes that don’t fit well could cause you problems. 

Other risk factors for a sprained ankle include:

Having weak hip muscles. The muscles on the outside of your hip help keep you stable as you stand and walk. If these muscles are weak, you could be more unsteady on your feet, making you more likely to roll your ankle.

Being double-jointed. If you’re double-jointed or very flexible, the looser muscles that result can lead to ankle sprains.

Having high arches. People with high arches, called a cavovarus foot, are more prone to standing on the outside of their feet, Patel says. Your heel tilts inward, and this makes the ankle easier to roll when you take a step. Another foot issue is hindfoot varus, which involves an inward tilting heel but not a high arch.

Repeat injuries. Your risk of spraining your ankle may be higher if you’ve had a sprain before, especially if it wasn’t treated properly. “Those ligaments can remain stretched out, and then they can develop what we call chronic instability, where they’re more prone to rolling their ankle again and having recurrent sprains,” Patel says.

One very clear sign of an ankle sprain is that it hurts, especially when you put weight on it. Other symptoms you might have when your ankle is sprained include:

  • Tenderness to the touch
  • Swelling
  • Bruising
  • Limited range of motion (when you try to move your ankle, you can’t move it as you normally do)
  • Instability (the ankle doesn’t feel stable when you stand on it)
  • A popping feeling or sound at the time of any injury

In that moment when you’ve fallen and hurt your ankle, it can be hard to tell what’s happened. You might wonder, did I break it? Is it a sprain? And it’s normal not to be sure at first, according to Patel.

“Breaks and sprains present pretty similarly,” he says. “There’s a lot of swelling, a lot of bruising, and hard time putting weight down, which is pretty much how an ankle fracture presents.”

In other words, unless you have an open fracture — when your bone breaks through the skin — or there’s an obvious deformity aside from the swelling, you might not know which one happened at first. If you’re unsure, an X-ray will show if there’s a break.

Sometimes, it can be hard to decide if you should see a doctor about your hurt ankle. Patel says that if you hear a pop, feel severe pain, or have trouble putting weight on your foot, you should see a doctor as soon as possible. “I think if there’s ever any concern, it’s always good to get it checked and at least get an X-ray to make sure there isn’t a fracture.”

Ankle sprains often clear up on their own, but how quickly they heal depends on their severity. A grade 1 sprain could heal in one to two weeks, a grade 2 sprain may take up to six weeks, and a grade 3 or a high ankle sprain could take several months.

If your pain is intense, especially when you put weight on the injured ankle, it’s a good idea to see your doctor. 

“If the pain is lingering for a few weeks, definitely if it’s been more than four or five weeks, and the pain is pretty persistent, that’s a good time to get it checked,” Patel says. “There could be more than just a simple sprain going on.”

Swelling doesn’t mean your ankle isn’t healing, though. Swelling is a natural response to an injury like this. When the ligaments are stretched or torn, small blood vessels in the area break. Fluid spills into the tissues around your ankle. This causes the swelling and bruising. Swelling is also your body’s inflammatory response to an injury as it tries to protect the area. As your ankle heals, the fluid becomes absorbed, and your body’s defense system eases off. The bruising and swelling start to ease, but it can take time.

Sprains can range from minor to severe. The amount of damage done to the ligaments determines what grade of sprain you have. 

  • Grade 1: Your ankle will probably feel sore and may be slightly swollen. In this case, the ligament has been overstretched but not torn. You can probably bear weight on your ankle, and it’s not unstable.
  • Grade 2: You have a partial tear in the ligament. This causes moderate pain, bruising, and swelling. It might prevent you from putting your full weight on the ankle.
  • Grade 3: This is a complete tear of the ankle ligament. You may have heard a popping sound when it happened. This level of sprain causes severe pain, swelling, and bruising. Because the ligament is no longer able to do its job, your ankle will feel unstable and you’ll be unable to walk normally.

Aside from the grading system, doctors also look at where the sprain happens.

The most common type, in the lower ankle, is called a lateral (inversion) sprain. It happens when you roll your ankle to the side.

A medial sprain is less common. It happens when your ankle rolls inward instead of outward.

Asyndesmotic sprain, or high ankle sprain, happens when your foot twists inward or outward while your toes point up. This type of sprain can affect:

  • The ligament in front of the tibia and fibula (the two bones in your lower leg)
  • The ligament behind those bones
  • The membrane between the bones that keeps them stable

Treating a sprain at home means resting your ankle and protecting it from another injury. Patel suggests the RICE method:

Rest. Limit activities that make you put weight on your ankle.

Ice. Put ice on your ankle to ease pain and swelling. Don’t place it directly on your skin, as it can cause damage. Wrap the ice in a towel or cloth. Keep it on for about 20 minutes, then take it off for a couple of hours. Repeat this throughout the day.

Compression. Wrap your ankle with a bandage to support it and help with swelling. Don’t make it too tight. You should be able to move your toes. They shouldn’t look blue or feel cold. If they do, loosen the wrap. It should feel firm, not tight.

You can remove the bandage for short breaks to let your skin breathe, but keep it on most of the time, even at night. Taking it off for 20-30 minutes is fine, but compression helps ease pain and discomfort, Patel says.

Elevation. Keep your foot raised to help lower swelling.

Use RICE for the first day or two after the injury. Over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or naproxen can also help.

“Once the severe pain has calmed down, the next step is beginning physical therapy to help strengthen the tendons and the ligaments again,” Patel says.

If your ankle sprain is severe or not getting better with home care, your doctor might suggest an ankle brace, walking boot, or cast to support it while it heals. You might also use crutches so you don’t put weight on your sore ankle as it starts to recover.

It’s rare, but sometimes a sprained ankle needs surgery. Your doctor may recommend it if the ligaments don’t heal well and your ankle stays unstable, which can raise your risk of another injury.

A sprained ankle is a common injury, usually in the lower part of the ankle. If you hurt your ankle and it doesn’t seem broken, you can likely treat it at home with RICE (rest, ice, compression, and elevation) plus over-the-counter pain medicine. If the pain is strong or not improving after a few days, see your doctor. The injury might be more serious than it first seemed.

Should I stretch my sprained ankle?

After the first day or two, if your ankle isn’t too sore, you can start to move it gently while sitting down. Don’t force it. If it starts to hurt more, stop right away.

Should I wrap my sprained ankle overnight?

You should keep your sprained ankle wrapped overnight because it will help with the swelling and the pain. 

What are some home remedies for sprained ankles?

The home remedy for sprained ankles is the RICE method. RICE stands for rest, ice, compression, and elevation.