Sprain (Overview)

Expected Duration

How long a sprain lasts depends on many factors, including the location and severity of your sprain, how closely you follow your rehabilitation program, and your lifestyle (athletic or nonathletic). For example, symptoms of a mild Grade I wrist sprain may improve within just two or three days, while a Grade I shoulder sprain may take about two weeks. In the knee, a Grade I or II sprain of one of the collateral ligaments probably will heal within two to four weeks, but a severe (Grade III) sprain of the anterior cruciate ligament may take 4 to 12 months.

In general, rehabilitation programs are usually longest in athletes, especially athletes who play sports where there is a high risk of injuring the sprained joint again.