Injured ankle playing ice hockey three weeks ago

Dear Ask The Doctor: Greetings, I injured my ankle playing ice hockey 3 weeks ago. i couldn't walk without excruciating pain the next two days. So i called off work and rested and iced it. The third day i could walk fine with very minor pain. A week later i was to the point where i was easily able to go upstairs, run, and ride a bike without pain. But when i tried to play hockey the pain was terrible. (My pain is located in the outside ankle) My question is what can i do to help the healing(its been almost 4 weeks)? would it be best to rest the ankle or work it out doing stretches? It is so frustrating to be able to do everything normal except play hockey. (i am a goalie and the pain is only when i go up and down from my knees) ps. i have not been to the doctor

Dear Jon: Ankle sprains are classified in 3 grades as follows: Grade I: mild degree of swelling and stretch has occurred to the ligaments. Weight bearing is possible. Grade II: moderate swelling and an incomplete tearing of ligaments, also mild instability may be present and also pain with weight bearing. Grade III: severe swelling and pain, complete rupture of at least 1 ligament, there is remarkable instability. First thing to do: apply ice and lift the affected foot for the first 24 hours, to control the pain and swelling. Physical therapy is recommended for sprains grade II and III. For less severe injuries, grade I, the strategy would be: immediate, protected ambulation, and physical therapy should emphasize exercises to get back the normal range of motion and strengthening of the ankle muscles and ligaments. Treatment during this acute phase is aimed to minimize swelling and pain, allowing you to begin walking as soon as possible. The acute phase of treatment should last for 1-3 days after the injury. Please be patient and these are some measures that you can try in the meantime: Ice the area twice a day for 20 minutes to help to decrease inflammation and relieve pain. Freezing water in a paper cup and tearing away the top rim as the ice melts is an easy way to use ice. Do not put ice directly on the skin. Wrap it in a towel. Rest the sore area to prevent further injury and decrease pain. Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications such as Advil, Motrin, or Aleve may help decrease the pain and help the healing. If with these measures the pain, swelling and limitation do not improve I strongly recommend that you get a re-assessment by an orthopedic Doctor. The healing time is different for each patient, and also depends on the severity of the initial injury.