Discharge Advice Following an Ankle Sprain

• This injury takes six to 12 weeks to fully heal.
• It is important to rest and elevate your foot for at least the first 72 hours.
• A cold pack (frozen peas) wrapped in a tea towel can be applied for 15 minutes every two to three hours. It is most helpful in the first few days but can be used to reduce swelling and pain for as long as needed.
• You may have been given a boot to wear when standing and walking. It is important to remove this when resting and overnight.
• You can put full weight through your foot and may use crutches in the early stages if required.
• Start gently moving the foot and ankle as soon as possible. You can find further rehabilitation advice here: https://www.mskdorset.nhs.uk/ankle-pain/ankle-pain-early-management/
• It is best to avoid high impact sports such as football for at least six weeks.
• Avoid driving until you no longer require the boot and can safely perform an emergency stop.

If after three days you remain unable to move your ankle or put weight on your foot, please contact us on the below details.

Contact numbers

We hope that you have found this information useful. If you have any questions or are worried about anything, please speak to the following Dorset County Hospital staff:

Virtual Fracture Clinic: 01305 253305, Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm
VFCTriage@dchft.nhs.uk

About this leaflet

Author: Lauren Eve
Written: December 2024
Approved: February 2025
Review date: February 2028
Edition: 1

If you have feedback regarding the accuracy of the information contained in this leaflet, or if you would like a list of references used to develop this leaflet, please email patientinformation.leaflets@dchft.nhs.uk