I recently sprained my ankle. In response I iced it and took ibuprofen. The swelling and bruising has diminished, but it still hurts at certain times. How long until it is back to normal usually? Also, I've skied on it a few times, should I be wearing a wrap when I do this?

Recovery from an ankle sprain can take a variable period of time, depending on its initial severity, presence or absence of pre-existing ankle abnormalities, treatment applied in the early stages of the injury, etc. Without specifically examining your ankle and understanding exactly what happened and what the extent of the injury was, it is impossible to advise you as to whether your ankle is behaving as one might expect, or whether there is something complicated going on.

Ankle sprains are often neglected, since they usually become pain-free and functionally "normal" in 3-4 weeks. That does not necessarily mean they have healed properly, and the most important cause of recurrent ankle sprains and the feeling that one's ankle is "weak" is that the initial sprain is not adequately rehabilitated.

For some activities, ankle braces or supports are useful preventive measures, especially for people who have had previous sprains. Most ski boots are quite supportive in and of themselves. Wrapping an ankle inside a well-fitted ski boot may disrupt the normal fit of the boot, so may not be either appropriate or necessary.

I hope some of this has been helpful... If you have specific questions about YOUR ankle, I would suggest consultation with a sports medicine physician, Dr. Howe, at the Student Health Center.