Ankle Sprain & High Ankle Sprain Treatment in Frisco, TX

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An ankle sprain is a stretch or tear of the ligaments that hold the ankle bones together. It is one of the most common sports and everyday injuries, from a rolled ankle on the basketball court or soccer field to a misstep off a curb. Most ankle sprains heal well without surgery when they are treated properly from the start. Dr. Andrew Dold, a board-certified, fellowship-trained sports medicine surgeon in Frisco, Texas, treats the full range of ankle sprains, from mild sprains to high ankle sprains and ankles that keep giving way.

On this page: Types · Grades · Symptoms · Diagnosis · Treatment · Surgery · Recovery · FAQs

At a glance

About 90% of ankle sprains are inversion injuries, where the foot rolls inward and stretches or tears the ligaments on the outside of the ankle
Most heal with bracing, protected walking and physical therapy
High ankle sprains usually take longer to recover from than common sprains
Repeated sprains or an ankle that keeps giving way (chronic ankle instability) may need ligament repair
Same-day sports injury appointments and walk-in visits are available in Frisco

Types of ankle sprains

Lateral (outside) ankle sprain

The most common type. When the foot rolls inward, the ligaments on the outside of the ankle are stretched or torn, most often the anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) and sometimes the calcaneofibular ligament (CFL).

High ankle sprain (syndesmosis injury)

A high ankle sprain injures the ligaments that connect the two bones of the lower leg, the tibia and fibula, just above the ankle joint (the syndesmosis). It usually happens when the foot is planted and twisted outward, and it is common in football, soccer, hockey and other cutting and contact sports. High ankle sprains are often more painful with pushing off and usually take longer to heal than a common ankle sprain. If the joint between the tibia and fibula is unstable, surgery may be needed.

Medial (inside) ankle sprain

Less common. The deltoid ligament on the inside of the ankle is injured when the foot rolls outward. Deltoid injuries can occur together with ankle fractures or high ankle sprains.

Ankle sprain grades

Grade	What happens to the ligament	Typical signs
Grade 1 (mild)	Stretching with microscopic tearing	Mild tenderness and swelling; usually able to walk; no instability
Grade 2 (moderate)	Partial tear	Moderate swelling, bruising and tenderness; pain with walking; some looseness
Grade 3 (severe)	Complete tear	Significant swelling and bruising; hard to bear weight; the ankle feels unstable

Symptoms

Pain, especially when you stand or walk
Swelling and bruising
Tenderness over the injured ligaments
Stiffness and reduced range of motion
A feeling that the ankle is loose or giving way

When to see a doctor promptly: you can’t put weight on the foot, there is pain directly over the bone, the ankle looks deformed, you have numbness or tingling, the swelling is severe, or the ankle isn’t clearly improving after a couple of weeks. These can be signs of a fracture, a high ankle sprain or a more serious ligament injury.

Diagnosis

Dr. Dold starts with your history and a careful examination of the ankle, checking where it is tender, how it moves and how stable the ligaments are. X-rays, which can be taken in our office, rule out a fracture. Stress X-rays can show whether a ligament is loose, and an MRI may be ordered to look at the ligaments, the syndesmosis, the cartilage and the tendons when a more serious injury is suspected or the ankle isn’t healing as expected.

Non-surgical treatment

Most ankle sprains, including many complete (grade 3) tears of the outside ligaments, heal without surgery. Treatment usually follows three phases:

Protect and calm it down: rest, ice, compression and elevation (RICE), anti-inflammatory medication if appropriate, and a brace or walking boot to protect the ligaments
Restore motion and strength: physical therapy to recover range of motion and strengthen the muscles around the ankle
Balance and return to sport: balance (proprioception) training and sport-specific drills before a gradual return to full activity

Skipping rehabilitation is one of the main reasons sprains come back. Incomplete healing can lead to chronic ankle pain, repeated sprains and, over time, arthritis.

When surgery is needed

Surgery is considered when an ankle keeps giving way or remains painful despite a full course of rehabilitation (chronic ankle instability), or when a high ankle sprain leaves the joint between the tibia and fibula unstable. Depending on the injury, Dr. Dold performs:

Lateral ankle ligament repair (Broström procedure): the stretched or torn outside ligaments are repaired and tightened back to the bone
Ligament reconstruction with a graft: when the native ligament tissue is too poor to repair, a tendon graft is used to rebuild it
Ankle arthroscopy: a minimally invasive procedure through small incisions to treat cartilage damage, scar tissue or bone spurs (impingement) and loose pieces that often accompany instability
Syndesmosis fixation: stabilization of an unstable high ankle sprain, most often with a suture-button device or screws

Recovery timeline

These are general ranges. Your own timeline depends on the type and severity of the injury, your sport and how rehabilitation progresses.

Injury	Typical recovery
Mild (grade 1) sprain	About 2 weeks
Moderate (grade 2) sprain	About 3 to 6 weeks
Severe (grade 3) sprain	About 6 to 12 weeks
High ankle sprain (athletes)	About 2 months on average, sometimes longer
After Broström ligament repair	Return to sport often at about 3 to 4 months

In a 2025 review of elite athletes with high ankle sprains, 96% returned to sport, on average about 58 days after injury, whether they were treated with or without surgery.

What the research shows

Ankle sprains are among the most studied sports injuries. Here is what the research shows:

Do you need an X-ray? The Ottawa ankle rules, a short checklist of bone tenderness and the ability to walk four steps, have close to 100% sensitivity for ruling out a fracture in adults and in children over 5, so many sprains do not need X-rays.
Early motion beats prolonged immobilization. For most sprains, functional treatment (a brace or support with early, protected walking) leads to faster recovery than a cast. For severe sprains, the large CAST trial found that a short period in a below-knee cast or Aircast brace gave faster recovery than a simple compression bandage.
Medicine and ice. Anti-inflammatory medicine has good evidence for short-term pain relief. Ice is widely used for comfort, but trials have not shown that it speeds healing, and compression wraps alone have not shown a clear benefit.
Exercise is the key treatment. Starting gentle exercises in the first week improved function in a randomized trial. Balance (proprioceptive) and strengthening programs reduce the risk of another sprain, especially if you have sprained the ankle before. Many patients can do this with a home program; others benefit from a physical therapist.
Protecting the ankle in sport. A semi-rigid brace or lace-up support reduces sprains during high-risk sports such as basketball and soccer, and neuromuscular warm-up programs reduce ankle sprains in athletes.
Not every sprain fully recovers. A meta-analysis found that a significant number of people still have symptoms a year after a first sprain, and some develop chronic ankle instability. That is why completing rehabilitation matters, even after the pain settles.
Surgery is for persistent instability. Most sprains, even complete ligament tears, heal without surgery. When the ankle keeps giving way despite thorough rehabilitation, a Broström-type ligament repair is the standard operation. Arthroscopic and open repairs give similar results, and suture-tape augmentation allowed an earlier return to activity in a randomized trial.
High ankle sprains take longer. When the syndesmosis is unstable, surgical stabilization is recommended, and a randomized trial found that a flexible suture-button device gave better function than a screw. Return-to-sport rates are high with appropriate treatment.

Why see Dr. Dold

Board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, with subspecialty certification in Sports Medicine
Sports medicine and arthroscopy fellowship at NYU Langone / Hospital for Joint Diseases; orthopedic residency at the University of Toronto
Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS), the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (FAAOS), the American Orthopaedic Association (FAOA) and the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada (FRCSC)
Author of Acute Achilles Tendon Ruptures: An Update on Current Management Strategies (Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, 2025)
Team physician and surgical consultant to Rugby Canada; has cared for professional athletes from the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLS, PGA Tour and Major League Rugby
D Magazine Best Doctors (Collin County), 2019–2026 · Rated 4.9 on Google

Related pages: Achilles tendon rupture · Turf toe · Foot and ankle conditions

Frequently asked questions

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

The two can feel alike. Pain directly over the bone, being unable to take four steps, a deformed-looking ankle or numbness are reasons to get an X-ray. Our Frisco office can take X-rays on site.

Should I walk on a sprained ankle?

For a mild sprain, gentle walking as pain allows, with a brace, is usually fine. If you can’t bear weight or the ankle feels unstable, protect it with a boot or crutches and have it checked.

How long does a sprained ankle take to heal?

Mild sprains often recover in about 2 weeks; more severe sprains can take 6 to 12 weeks. High ankle sprains usually take longer than common sprains. Individual recovery varies.

What is a high ankle sprain?

A high ankle sprain is an injury to the ligaments that hold the tibia and fibula together just above the ankle joint. It is usually caused by the foot twisting outward and generally takes longer to recover from than a common ankle sprain.

Do I need surgery for an ankle sprain?

Most ankle sprains heal without surgery. Surgery is considered for ankles that keep giving way despite rehabilitation, or for unstable high ankle sprains.

Why does my ankle keep rolling?

Repeated sprains can leave the ligaments stretched out and weaken balance, a condition called chronic ankle instability. Physical therapy helps many patients; if it doesn’t, the ligaments can be repaired or reconstructed.

Can I be seen the same day?

Yes. Same-day appointments are available for new sports injuries, and walk-in visits are welcome Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 8:30 to 10:30 am.

Should I ice my sprained ankle?

Ice can help with comfort in the first few days, but research has not shown that it speeds healing. Early, protected movement and exercise have stronger evidence.

How can I avoid spraining my ankle again?

Balance and strengthening exercises reduce the risk of another sprain, especially after a previous one. A semi-rigid or lace-up brace also helps during high-risk sports.

Ready to get it checked? Request an appointment online or call 469-850-0680. Our staff will contact you by phone and text within an hour of your request (during business hours, Monday–Friday, 8 am–5 pm). Walk-in visits are welcome Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 8:30–10:30 am at 6700 Dallas Parkway, Suite 100, Frisco, TX 75034. We see patients from Frisco, Plano, McKinney, Prosper, Little Elm, The Colony, Allen, Dallas and across North Texas. Same-day appointments available. Dr. Dold accepts most major insurance plans, including Medicare and Tricare. Please call 469-850-0680 to confirm your coverage.