Have you ever sprained, or rolled, your ankle which resulted in pain, swelling and possible bruising? You then rested, iced and compressed it as you were told?  After an ankle sprain, the use of an ankle support for every day weight bearing activities is important for protection and to avoid re-injuring the ankle. Ice with elevation and compression are also important things to do early on. Ligaments take a minimum of 6 weeks to be somewhat stable (and only if they are nurtured correctly) and most often there are injured tendons and/or muscles involved that also take time to heal.  However, studies support the importance of moving the ankle, foot and knee (yes, knee) in very specific directions beginning in the acute stage of recovery to prevent excessive scarring and joint stiffness, atrophied muscles and to prevent much proprioceptive loss (our ability to make micro adjustments in ankle positioning to stay balanced).  Class IV laser kickstarts tissue regeneration and reduces swelling and can be done immediately. In addition, soft tissue manipulation, neuromuscular re-education, taping and balance are just a few things that should be implemented right away. These things will so often get you back to “normal”, with good strength, range of motion, and without pain on stairs, walking uneven surfaces and/or getting back to impact sports. Be sure you are not guessing as to what you need to be doing on your own as further injury can result. To be safe, have a Physical Therapy evaluation who will do a whole lower quarter assessment and guide you through what to do at home and to instruct you on contraindicated movements, as well.