In Four to Seven Weeks
Seven weeks ago, I tore a ligament in my ankle. (I was dancing, of course.) Immediately after I hurt it, I waited for the pain to dissipate as it often does soon after a tug on the muscles. This time, the pain did not go away and my ankle started to swell. Usually, I can shake off the hurt and go about my business. This time, I required crutches. For two days. Then, I had to wear a brace. For three weeks. Even now, my ankle is still tender and many movements are limited. From the outside, I look fine and no one can tell my ankle is hurt. But I can tell. If I try to move it a certain way, it yells at me. If I push it too hard, it swells again. I pay attention to what kind of pain it is and decide if it's something I need to stretch out and work through, or if it's something I need to rest. While it is annoying to have a hurt ankle and not be able to do all the things in all the ways, I also don't expect it to suddenly get all better. Immediately after I injured it, I didn