Ankle Sprain Treatment in Norwest & Dural
The Short Version
Most people treat an ankle sprain as something that gets better on its own, and mostly it does. The problem is what happens next: a large proportion of people who sprain an ankle go on to sprain it again, or end up with an ankle that feels unreliable long term. That is not because the ligament failed to heal. It is because balance and strength were never rebuilt, and almost nobody does that part. Early movement beats immobilisation, and a proper rehab program plus a brace during return to sport is what actually reduces the odds of doing it again.
The Ankles We See Most
The most common version is someone who rolled it six weeks ago, walked it off, and is now back playing on an ankle that still swells after games and feels like it might go again. Nobody has tested their balance and nobody has loaded the calf. The second version is someone in the first few days who is not sure whether it is broken, has been told to rest and elevate, and is not moving it because they are frightened of doing damage.
Do You Need a Scan?
Usually not. There are validated clinical rules used to decide who needs an X ray after an ankle injury, based on where it is tender and whether you can weight bear, and most sprains do not meet them. We would refer for imaging if you cannot weight bear at all, if there is bony tenderness in specific places at the ankle or the base of the fifth metatarsal, if there is significant deformity, or if symptoms are not improving as expected over several weeks.
Whether you need imaging is something we work out with you at the appointment, using the Ottawa Ankle Rules and what we find when we examine you. Your practitioner will talk you through whether a scan would change anything, and organise it if it would.
When You Should Be Seen Urgently
Some ankle sprains come with a fracture, and there is a simple rule for working out which ones need an X ray.
Go to emergency, or get an X-ray, if you can’t put weight through it for four steps, or if you’re tender right on the back edge or tip of either ankle bone, or on the bone on the outside of your midfoot. Those are the Ottawa Ankle Rules and they’re the standard test for deciding whether an X-ray is needed. Worth knowing they’re a rule-out tool, not a rule-in one: a negative result still leaves about a one to two percent chance of a fracture, so if it isn’t behaving, get it looked at again.
Also go to emergency if the ankle looks deformed, if the foot is cold or numb, or if it’s hot, swollen and red with a fever.
Book in with us soon, and tell us when you book, if the pain is high on the ankle between the shin bones rather than below the ankle bone, because a high ankle sprain takes much longer and is managed differently. If the ankle keeps giving way. If it’s still significantly swollen and painful after two weeks. Or if there’s a deep ache inside the joint that isn’t settling, which can mean cartilage damage.
If none of that sounds like yours, you’re in the right place.
What Actually Determines Your Result
The ligament heals either way. These are the six things that decide whether you keep rolling it.
Whether you get moving early
What you do on return to sport
Balance and proprioception retraining
Calf and foot strength
Returning to sport on pain alone
Balance that was never retrained after the first sprain
How We Actually Treat It
The ankle sprain problem isn’t the first sprain. It’s the fifth.
A sprained ankle that isn’t rehabbed properly tends to become a recurring one. Having done it once makes you several times more likely to do it again, and plenty of people end up with an ankle that gives way for years off the back of one bad roll that seemed to settle fine.
The good news is that this is one of the few areas where prevention genuinely works. Balance and proprioceptive training cuts the recurrence rate by around a third, and the effect is still there a year later. It won’t guarantee you never roll it again. It is the difference between an ankle that keeps giving way and one that doesn’t.
So the plan is: settle it down and get moving early rather than resting it, restore full range including getting the knee over the toes, then balance and strength work that continues well past the point the ankle feels fine. That last part is the bit that changes anything.
What Recovery Actually Looks Like
Days one to five. Settle the swelling and start moving it. The old advice to rest and elevate for a week has been replaced by getting weight through it early, within what you can tolerate.
Weeks one to three. Range of motion and early strength. Most people are walking normally in this window and think they’re done. They’re not.
Weeks three to eight. Balance, strength and the specific movements that caught you out. This is the part that decides whether it becomes a recurring ankle.
Weeks eight to twelve and beyond. Return to sport, gated on what the ankle can do rather than the calendar, plus ongoing balance work built into your warm-up.
A grade one sprain is often fine within a couple of weeks. A high ankle sprain can be two to three months. Being able to walk on it is not the same as being ready to change direction on it.
What Else It Could Be
Not everything that happens when you roll an ankle is a simple ligament sprain.
Lateral ligament sprain. The common one. Pain and swelling below and in front of the outside ankle bone, after rolling the foot inward.
High ankle sprain. Pain higher up, between the shin bones, worse on push-off and twisting. Much slower to recover and managed differently, so worth identifying early.
Fracture. Around the ankle bones or the base of the fifth metatarsal on the outside of the foot. This is what the Ottawa Rules are for.
Osteochondral lesion. A deep ache inside the joint, sometimes with catching or a joint that keeps swelling weeks later. Often missed initially.
Peroneal tendon injury. Pain behind and below the outer ankle bone, sometimes a snapping feeling.
If it isn’t settling on the usual timeline, that’s the signal to look again rather than to keep waiting.
Related pages: Achilles Tendinopathy, Shin Splints.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does an ankle sprain take to heal? A mild one is usually functional within two to three weeks. Getting the balance and strength back so it doesn't keep happening takes closer to two to three months. A high ankle sprain is a different animal and can take two to three months on its own.
Do I need an X-ray? Often not. There's a validated set of rules for deciding: if you can weight bear for four steps and you're not tender on specific bony points, a fracture is unlikely. We use those at the appointment. They're good at ruling fractures out and not good at ruling them in, so a scan isn't automatically the answer.
Should I rest it or move it? Move it, within what you can tolerate. Early loading and movement produces better outcomes than resting it and waiting. A day or two of relative rest at the start is fine, longer than that isn't helping.
Why does my ankle keep giving way? Because the first sprain was probably never rehabbed past the point of walking normally. Around a quarter of active people report ongoing instability, and having sprained it before makes another one roughly three and a half times more likely. It's fixable, but it takes balance and strength work rather than time.
Do I need to strap it or wear a brace? A brace is genuinely useful for the first return to sport and for people with a history of repeated sprains, and it doesn't make the ankle weaker. It's a sensible bridge rather than a permanent solution, and it works best alongside the balance work.
Do I need a referral to book? No. You can book directly with any of our chiropractors or physiotherapists. If you've got a GP care plan or you're claiming through a fund, bring the paperwork and we'll work with it.
Who Treats This at Strive
Ankle sprains are treated at both clinics by our physiotherapists and chiropractors. The valuable part is not the first two weeks, which mostly look after themselves. It is the balance and strength work over the following months that decides whether you are back here next season.
Tammy Ong
Women’s Health Physiotherapist
Rehabilitation Pilates Instructor
Tammy helps women and active individuals recover from injury, improve movement, and return to the activities they love.
Warren Zhou
Chiropractor, competitive powerlifter, and trail runner who treats athletes from the gym floor to the platform to the start line.
Tegan Webster
Chiropractor
Providing evidence-based care to help patients achieve their health goals.
Richard Kan
Sports Chiropractor
Strength and Conditioning Coach
Helping athletes and active individuals recover, perform, and stay injury-free.
Rawan Haydar
Physiotherapist
Passionate about personalised care that supports recovery and long-term wellbeing.
Jess Larder
Physiotherapist
Passionate about rehabilitation, movement, and helping people achieve their goals.
Getting Here
We treat ankle sprains at both our Norwest and Dural clinics.
Norwest
301/10 Century Circuit NORWEST NSW 2153
Inside Norwest Central Building Complex - 8 - 12 Century Circuit
Entry doors next to Zaatar and Zucchero Cafe
Operating Hours
Mon - Fri 8am - 6pm
Sat 8am - 12pm
Sun CLOSED
Ready to Stop Rolling Your Ankle?
We treat ankle sprains for patients from across The Hills, including Dural, Round Corner, Kenthurst, Glenhaven, Castle Hill, Kellyville, Baulkham Hills, Cherrybrook and Bella Vista, at our Norwest and Dural clinics, and in Canberra at Giralang.