It usually takes 5 to 14 days to recover from a grade one ankle sprain. This is when slight stretching and damage occurs to the ligaments. With a grade one sprain, there is slight instability, pain, swelling, joint stiffness, and trouble walking. Dr. Holman Chan, MD, Foot & Ankle Surgery, answered on behalf of Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center. How long it takes to recover from a sprained ankle can be from one week to one year, says Holman Chan, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Sunrise Hospital.