Duration of a sprain

Synonyms in a broader sense

Distortion, twisting

English: sprain

introduction

A sprain - regardless of the joint - is a very common injury and happens quickly. Athletes in particular are almost all affected at least once in their lives.
When the time comes and there is an injury, there is usually nothing left to do about it.
But how long does this injured state last?
How long does a sprain take to heal?
These questions should be answered here.
For all of the following points, however, it applies without exception that the time spans mentioned are always only rough guide values. These times can vary depending on the severity of the injury and the individual situation. Optimal healing and treatment processes are also always assumed. If an affected person does not consistently protect his sprained joint, he must of course expect greater problems and longer healing times than someone who acts exactly according to medical advice.

Duration of healing

As already mentioned, the time it takes to heal a sprain is very individual. Depending on the severity of the sprain, the mechanism of the accident and the type of joint affected, times may differ significantly from one another.
For example, an ankle sprain needs a much longer period of time to regenerate than a little toe sprain. The condition of the person affected also plays a not insignificant role: Is it a competitive athlete who has a good basic constitution and who quickly received perfect help? Or a rather moderately fit recreational athlete who may have injured himself during the first attempt at sport in years and did not see a doctor for weeks?
In addition, each body has to be considered individually: some are only slightly sensitive to pain and tend to recover quickly after injuries. Others have injuries or wounds that heal more slowly for much longer. Of course, these examples are exaggerated, but the basic idea behind them should be internalized with regard to healing times: no case is like the other! Individual (more precise) predictions can therefore only be made by the attending physician, who looks at the injury in detail and speaks to the person affected.

Length of sick leave

When it comes to the length of the sick leave that is necessary, the situation becomes even more complicated: Does the person concerned want to go back to work quickly and does the sprained part of the body only need little in everyday life? An employee who is mainly seated in the office will be less restricted in their ability to work due to a sprained foot than, for example, a postman who has to walk many kilometers every day.
For the latter, a doctor would write off sick leave generously and over long periods in order not to jeopardize his recovery.
In the case of the office worker, on the other hand, it would also be possible and justifiable to resume normal work at the desk after a few days. Individual concepts must therefore be developed for each patient, which, in addition to the severity of the injury and the exact location, also take into account the occupation of the person concerned and his main activity. This is the only way to ensure that recovery will proceed as quickly and without complications as possible.

Sprain (distortion) -
Ligament or joint capsule
injury
Tape -
Ligament
Joint capsule -
Articular capsule

1 - 1 - Upper (proximal)
Wrist -
Articulatio radiocarpalis
2 - 2 - lower (distal)
wrist
Articulatio mediocarpalis
3 - 3 - knee joint
Articulatio genus
4 - 4 - Upper ankle -
Articulatio talocruralis
5 - 5 - Lower ankle -
Articulatio talocalcaneonavicularis

PECH rule
Break Ice Compression Elevation

You can find an overview of all Dr-Gumpert images at: medical illustrations

Duration of an ankle sprain

The sprain of the foot or ankle is not only the most common type of sprain, but unfortunately it is also often the most serious and protracted. Minor ankle sprains can swell almost completely after a few days and then almost heal after about a week. After another 7 days, the joint should finally be safely stable again. From this point on, nothing speaks against resuming physical activity.
Severe sprains of the foot, on the other hand, require significantly longer before an improvement is noticeable. The ankle must remain immobilized and relieved for periods of 8 to 12 weeks so that healing can proceed without complications. Often the person affected has to wear a special bandage or splint during this period. After these 3 months, however, the more protracted sprains on the ankle are usually healed and full stress is possible again.

Please also read our article on this Ankle sprain.

Duration of a sprain on the thumb

If a sprain on the thumb heals, it is easy to distinguish when the injury is no longer painful at rest and when it has healed completely. With adequate splinting and stabilization from the outside - for example by means of a tape bandage or the like - there is usually rapid rapid pain relief. If the affected thumb hardly moves at all, the patient usually quickly stops noticing any pain. Only after a week to 10 days, on the other hand, are movements of the thumb possible again without a bandage.
By then, the swelling has subsided, the damaged ligaments have largely been regenerated and the muscles have adapted to the changed situation. From now on you can move the thumb carefully again. Soon he will have resumed his original movements.

Duration of a wrist sprain

A slightly longer healing time is to be expected for wrist sprains. As a rule of thumb, the more severe the injury that led to the sprain, the longer the healing process will take. It can take 10 days or even 2 weeks for a wrist sprain to heal safely. However, since the wrist can be spared quite well and is usually not necessary for movement, for example, a complete healing can usually be assumed afterwards. Patients who are unsure can go to their doctor for a follow-up check, who can then explain in detail which movements can be carried out again and what should be left a while longer.

Please also read our article on this Sprain of the wrist.

Duration of the swelling

After the first acute phase of the sprain, which lasts roughly the first 48 hours and in which the swelling increases steadily, the healing phase begins, which also includes the swelling of the affected joint.
If the patient has remembered the so-called PECH rule immediately after the injury and if the injury is quickly and effectively cooled and raised, the swelling will not last too long. PECH stands for break, ice, compression and elevation.
With cooling and protection, neither much blood nor water or lymph fluid can run into the affected area and the swelling that occurs remains so small that it can be quickly broken down and metabolized by the body. If, for whatever reason, there was a large bruise or severe swelling of the surrounding tissue, this may take a few days to resolve.
If the swelling is still particularly strong or the affected area is very warm, further cooling will help to avoid worse. This is followed by warming, circulation-promoting ointments, which promote blood flow and thus the removal of swelling and bruises.

Duration of a sprain on the toe

The duration of a toe sprain is, to the delight of many sufferers, in most cases a fairly short matter. The most unpleasant thing is often the event itself that leads to the sprain and the day immediately following. Especially when using a stabilizing bandage and wearing sturdy shoes, a significant improvement can often be noticed on the second day. In most cases, patients experience almost no symptoms of their toe sprains within a week. Just as quickly as the pain disappears, moderate stress, for example during exercise, can then be resumed.

Read more about this under Sprain of a toe

Duration of a knee sprain

Since the knee is a fairly large joint, which is also under heavy strain and is also rather difficult to protect, sprains on the knee often take longer to heal. If it has been ruled out with certainty that there are other injuries on or in the knee, strict rest usually leads to an improvement of the situation within 3 to 4 weeks.
If there was already suspicion of ligament or cartilage damage beyond the sprain immediately after the injury, further clarification of any existing complaints should be carried out after this time at the latest. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is best suited to clarify these questions. Nevertheless, the healing of a sprain can of course take longer than a month in individual cases even without further injuries. In case of doubt, an experienced orthopedist or trauma surgeon should be consulted.

Read our articles on this Knees twisted and MRI of the knee.