Sprained Ankle - Is this much pain normal one week on?

[babymouse]

I sprained my ankle at work and earned myself a trip to A&E for my trouble. I was advised that it wasn't broken/fractured and was given a booklet to stay off of it for 48 - 72, PRICE therapy/avoiding HARM and get walking on it as soon as poss. I wasn't given crutches and told not to wrap it.

I couldn't walk on it for the first two days and could just about hobble on it for short trips to the toilet on the third. I went back to work for shorter days and have kept it elevated and iced since Friday afternoon. The bruises showed up yesterday and the swelling has gone down.

That said - the pain was bad enough last night it took me about five hours to go to sleep - paracetamol and ibuprofen isn't touching the pain anymore.

Is this normal? Has all of my walking on it aggravated the sprain?

I'm calling my GP first thing on Monday, but would like to hear other people's experiences and tips in the meantime!

Thanks!

[FiveHoursSleep]

I'd go back and get it xrayed.

[babymouse]

Sorry - left out important bit - they x-rayed it and told me that there was no break/fracture

[Nocomet]

Yes ring the GP on Monday.

It's quite possible to make ankles hurt really badly again a week or so later, without them being broken. Both me and DD2 have managed it.

The current no stapping and no crutches advice is about as much use as a chocolate tea pot when DCs need to get back to school (or you to work) and simply cannot spend 5 days taking it gently.

[BikeRunSki]

I am afraid this is normaL. Sorry. I am a vetran at sprained ankles and 3 weeks of pain, is normal ime. My best friend is a podiatrist and she has told me this too, as well as my GP and A&E docs. I last sprained my ankle at the end of Sept and it was just about OK to do a 10K run (with strapping) in Nov, but it probably hurt until Jan. It still niggles now, but I have sprained it 5 or 6 times and I run 20K or so a week.

I recommend Ibuprofen as needed and RICE a often as you can for a week. I have it on medical advice that Ibuprofen is not addictive.

[Waitingaround]

If it is still v painful, go back to A/E and they will reassess.

[GobblersKnob]

Was normal in my case, mine was 'just' a sprain and it took eighth months PhD physio to get it working fully again, the first few weeks were agony, you have my sympathies.

[GobblersKnob]

*of physio

[grimbletart]

Sprains are buggers. I sprained my ankle as a little girl - the bruising went from my toes nearly up to my knee and I was in sticky plaster up to my knee for three weeks. It took months to heal..but here's the thing. At least once a year until I was nearly 30 I would "turn it over" and it would take a couple of weeks to be able to use it again properly and for the bruising to go down. I was told that bad sprains, which really damage the ligaments, can be more of a problem than a clean break. Some really serious physic can help to prevent long term problems.