When is the Right Time to Return to Work?
Spraining your ankle is never pleasant, if it stops you working too it can be downright stressful. As we discuss in the Ultimate Guide to Ankle Sprain Recovery, the body is very good at healing naturally yet sometimes it needs extra help along the way, and here are some guidelines on how much time it may take for you to feel ready to get back to work.
How long will a sprained ankle stay swollen?
Swelling is usually at its worst for the first 2 to 3 days, eases noticeably over weeks 2 to 3, and should be almost gone by weeks 4 to 6. If your ankle is still clearly swollen after 4 weeks, or the swelling is getting worse rather than better, see your GP or a physiotherapist.
Don't forget the PRICE guidelines discussed in the ultimate guide to help you along the way!
Days 1-3
At this point, your ankle will still be sore and probably swollen, so regular rest and icing will help greatly. Try to move the ankle to prevent stiffness and when you walk notice if you are limping.
If you are struggling to take weight through the ankle and limping heavily you are not ready to return to work!
Days 3-7
After the first few days, the initial pain should begin to subside and you may notice the bruising gets more obvious or travels into your foot. The swelling often lingers alongside the bruising at this stage, which is normal, and icing and elevation will keep bringing it down. Continue to follow the PRICE guidelines and at this point, you may also benefit from wearing an ankle support to allow you to walk and bear more weight.
If you can't get your shoe on and find it difficult to climb stairs and you have a physical type of job, you are probably not ready to go back to work!
Weeks 2-3
By this point, you should be getting your full range of movement back and be able to take weight through your ankle almost normally. It may ache if you have been standing for long periods of time, so support may be useful here but otherwise walking should be getting easy - so should stairs. Any swelling left by now should be mild, showing mainly at the end of a long day on your feet. At this point, unless your job involves long-distance driving or standing for more than 6 hours you are most likely ready to be back at work!
Weeks 4-6
Many people find things have largely settled by around this point. Swelling is usually much reduced unless you are spending a lot of time on your feet or have returned to playing sports, the limp has gone, and most of your normal shoes fit again. Two things worth being able to do before you trust the ankle: perform an emergency stop, and stand on that leg alone, barefoot, for more than 20 seconds.
If you cannot do these things, or your ankle is still clearly swollen 4 weeks on, or it keeps giving way underneath you, then please seek advice from your local GP or physiotherapist.
If you can, you are hopefully happily back at work with your sprained ankle a distant memory! Yay!
Thinking about an ankle support?
A support will not make an injury heal faster, and nothing you buy will. What people tell us it does is make the in-between period easier to get through, which matters a lot when you are trying to work.
If your ankle feels weak and unstable, or your job has you back on your feet before you feel ready, an ankle support is wearable inside a shoe, adds a feeling of stability, and the criss-cross straps let you set how firm the compression is as things change.
What actually rebuilds an ankle is time, and the balance and strengthening work in our balance guide.
