Sprained ankle: recovery time and rehab exercises

By Geoff Scott, Founder & Senior Physiotherapist, Hauora

By Geoff Scott, Senior Physiotherapist and founder of Hauora. Last updated 14 November 2026.

How long does a sprained ankle take to heal?

Most mild ankle sprains feel much better within about two weeks, but the ligament takes longer to heal fully. The NHS advises avoiding strenuous activity such as running for up to eight weeks, and severe sprains can take months. Getting back to sport safely depends on rehab, not just time.

Ankle sprains are the most common injury in sport, and we see a steady stream of them at our physiotherapy clinic in Primrose Hill: Sunday league footballers, netball and basketball players, padel players, and runners who’ve caught a kerb or a tree root on Primrose Hill or Hampstead Heath.

What is a sprained ankle?

A sprained ankle is a stretch or tear of the ligaments that hold the ankle bones together. Most happen when the foot rolls inwards, injuring the ligaments on the outside of the ankle. Sprains range from mild, where the ligament is stretched, to severe, where it’s completely torn, and that’s a big part of how long recovery takes.

Sprained ankle at a glance

  • The most common sports injury: especially in sports with jumping, landing and changing direction.
  • Feeling better isn’t the same as healed: pain often settles within two weeks, but ligaments take longer to regain their strength.
  • Rehab cuts re-injury: exercise-based rehab reduces the risk of spraining the ankle again compared with usual care.
  • Balance training works: in athletes, balance training reduced the risk of ankle sprains by around 46%.
  • Don’t ignore it: without proper rehab, many people are left with an ankle that stays weak, painful or keeps giving way.

Sprained ankle symptoms

  • Pain on the outside of the ankle, usually after rolling it
  • Swelling and bruising, which may spread down into the foot
  • Pain when you put weight on it
  • Stiffness and difficulty moving the ankle
  • A feeling that the ankle is weak or might give way

When to go to A&E with an ankle injury

Most sprains can be managed at home and with physiotherapy, but some ankle injuries need urgent care. Call 999 or go to A&E if:

  • You heard a crack when the injury happened
  • The ankle or foot has changed shape or sits at an odd angle
  • The area is numb, tingling or has pins and needles
  • The skin is blue or grey, or cold to the touch

Go to an urgent treatment centre or call NHS 111 if you can’t put weight on the ankle or walk more than a few steps, if the pain is severe or getting worse, or if the swelling or bruising is large or increasing. These can be signs of a fracture or a more serious ligament injury.

What to do in the first few days

For the first two to three days, the NHS recommends PRICE:

  • Protect the ankle with a support or supportive footwear
  • Rest: stop exercising and avoid putting weight on it where you can
  • Ice it with an ice pack or frozen peas wrapped in a tea towel, for up to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours
  • Compress it with a bandage during the day
  • Elevate it, ideally raised on a pillow

Avoid heat, alcohol and massage for the first couple of days, as they can increase swelling. Then, as soon as you can move the ankle without pain stopping you, start moving it. An evidence-based clinical guideline published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine advises against relying on rest and ice alone, and recommends exercise therapy combined with a brace or tape for support.

Sprained ankle rehab exercises

Rehab is what makes the difference between an ankle that heals and one that keeps going over. We work through these stages, moving on when each one feels easy.

1. Get it moving

Ankle circles, writing the alphabet in the air with your toes, and gentle calf stretches, little and often, from the first few days.

2. Rebuild strength

Calf raises on both legs, then on the injured leg alone, building to slow, controlled sets. Add resistance band work in all four directions, especially turning the foot outwards, which strengthens the muscles that protect you from rolling the ankle.

3. Train your balance

Stand on the injured leg for 30 seconds, then make it harder by closing your eyes, standing on a cushion or catching a ball. Balance training is the stage people skip, and it’s the one that best protects against another sprain.

4. Return to running and sport

Progress from walking to jogging in straight lines, then hopping, then cutting, changing direction and drills for your sport. In elite football we wouldn’t return a player to training until they could hop, land and change direction on the injured side as confidently as on the other. We use the same tests at Hauora.

How to stop spraining your ankle again

The biggest risk factor for an ankle sprain is having had one before. Three things reduce that risk:

  • Finish your rehab, including the balance and sport-specific stages, even once the pain has gone
  • Keep up your balance training two or three times a week. A Dutch trial found that an eight-week home balance programme after a sprain cut the risk of another one by around a third.
  • Use a brace or tape for sport in the months after the injury, especially if the ankle has gone before

A proper warm-up helps too. Try our 10-minute warm-up that cuts injury risk.

When to see a physio about a sprained ankle

Book an assessment if your ankle isn’t clearly improving after a week or two, if you’re still limping, if it feels unstable or keeps giving way, or if you want to get back to sport quickly and safely. If you’ve sprained the same ankle before, it’s worth seeing a physio early. You can read more on our Achilles, ankle and foot pain page.

How we treat sprained ankles at Hauora

Your 45-minute assessment (£155) checks how badly the ligaments are injured and screens for injuries that are easy to miss, such as fractures, a high ankle sprain and tendon damage. If you need an X-ray or a scan, we’ll refer you. You leave with a clear diagnosis, a realistic timeline and a staged rehab plan, and we test your strength, balance, hopping and agility before you go back to sport. You’ll be seen by Geoff Scott or Jason Oliveira, both senior physiotherapists with elite-sport backgrounds. Read more about how we return people to sport after injury.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a sprained ankle take to heal?

Mild sprains usually feel much better within about two weeks, but the NHS advises avoiding strenuous activity such as running for up to eight weeks. Severe sprains can take several months to recover fully.

Should I walk on a sprained ankle?

Rest it for the first day or two if it’s very painful, then start walking as soon as you can without pain stopping you, using a support if needed. If you can’t take more than a few steps, get it checked for a fracture.

How do I know if my ankle is sprained or broken?

You can’t always tell without an X-ray. A crack at the time of injury, being unable to take more than a few steps, a change in the shape of the ankle, or tenderness over the bony points of the ankle all make a fracture more likely and need checking.

Should I wear an ankle support after a sprain?

Yes. A brace or tape helps early on and for sport in the months afterwards, alongside your rehab exercises. Long periods in a rigid boot or cast are rarely needed for a standard sprain.

Why does my ankle keep giving way?

An ankle that keeps giving way after a sprain is often a sign of chronic ankle instability, caused by weak muscles, poor balance and stretched ligaments. A structured rehab programme focusing on strength and balance sorts it out for most people.

When can I play football again after a sprained ankle?

When you can walk, jog, hop, land and change direction on the injured ankle without pain or hesitation, and your balance and strength match the other side. For a mild sprain that can be a few weeks. For a severe one it can be a few months.

Related reading: returning to sport after injury, Achilles tendon injury treatment and plantar fasciitis: heel pain treatment that works.

Ankle sprain physio in Primrose Hill, St John’s Wood and Belsize Park

If a sprained ankle is keeping you off your feet or out of sport, book an assessment at Hauora, an independent physiotherapy clinic at 44 Gloucester Avenue, Primrose Hill, London NW1 8JD. We’re close to Chalk Farm and Camden Town stations and easy to reach from St John’s Wood, Belsize Park, Swiss Cottage, Hampstead, Regent’s Park, Marylebone, Kentish Town and Maida Vale. Book online at hauora.com/book or call 020 4541 8924.

Finding us: Hauora is based inside the At The Core building, but we’re a separate business from At The Core. We share the building and the phone number, so when you call, please ask for Hauora.

This article is general information, not a diagnosis. If you’re injured or unwell, see a doctor or physiotherapist.

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