Ankle Brace: The Best Braces for a Sprained Ankle

Ankle sprains are so common that it can be difficult to know when you should and shouldn’t wear an ankle brace after an injury. After all, the vast majority of ankle sprains are relatively minor. You may slightly roll the ankle after stepping of a curb or rolling on someone else’s foot in the subway. Those may be sore for a day but by Friday night drinks, the pain on the outside of the ankle is long forgotten. Let’s go over the different grades of ankle sprains and when one might want to brace.

Grade 1 Ankle Sprain

The least severe of the three. There is light stretching or even micro tearing of the ligament in the ankle, usually the ATFL. There may be mild tenderness to the touch, swelling, and potential stiffness but overall the ankle should feel relatively stable. You may limp for the first few steps but otherwise walking quickly becomes normal.

Grade 2 Ankle Sprain

Grade 2 tears are a little bit more severe. There is increased stretching or tearing of the ligaments. The ATFL and the CFL are likely both involved but still intact. There is moderate swelling, tenderness, pain with touching, some mild bruising and maybe even difficulty walking on it without a limp for a few days up to a week or more. The ankle usually feels stable in most situations but even happy hour doesn’t take the pain away at first.

Grade 3 Ankle Sprain

The most severe of the ankle sprains with complete tearing of the ligaments of the ankle. There is often an audible “pop” that occurs with the injury. This is followed by intense pain, swelling, significant bruising, and difficulty walking. This often does require crutches to walk for the first 1-3 weeks. The ankle may feel unstable and pain can persist with long days on your feet.