i sprained my ankle 3 weeks ago and it's still swollen. it doesn't hurt at all when i walk or run?

I'm not sure what your question is. You are healing well from what you say. I don't think that you are there yet though. You say that it does not hurt to walk, run or "lightly"play soccer. That's a good thing at this stage of the game. It's that lightly playing soccer part that's got me concerned. It's my thought that what you are really asking is if it's OK to play soccer now. My thought is no. Do not play soccer even lightly until the Dr. clears you to do it. My suggestion is to keep that ankle elevated as much as possible. Your ankle although it feels a lot better is still healing, if you over do it now, you may very well pay a permanent price for it later. I have been in your position and did not take the same advice I'm giving you, and I have regretted it almost ever since. walking is probably OK, but lay off the running and soccer until you are cleared by the doctor. Please follow his instructions to the letter.

I hope this helps you.

r.i.c.e rest Resting is important immediately after injury for two reasons. First, rest is vital to protect the injured muscle, tendon, ligament or other tissue from further injury. Second, your body needs to rest so it has the energy it needs to heal itself most effectively. Ice: Use ice bags, cold packs to provide cold to the injured area. Cold can provide short-term pain relief. It also limits swelling by reducing blood flow to the injured area. Keep in mind, though, that you should never leave ice on an injury for more than 15-20 minutes at a time. Longer exposure can damage your skin. The best rule is to apply cold compresses for 15 minutes And then leave them off for at least 20 minutes. Compression: Compression limits swelling, which slows down healing. Some people notice pain relief from compression as well. An easy way to compress the area of the injury is to wrap an ACE bandage over it. If you feel throbbing, or if the wrap just feels too tight, remove the bandage And re-wrap the area so the bandage is a little looser. Elevation: Elevating an injury reduces swelling. It's most effective when the injured area is raised above the level of the heart. For example, if you injure an ankle, try lying on your bed with your foot propped on one or two pillows. After a day or two of R.I.C.E., many sprains, strains or other injuries will begin to heal. But if your pain or swelling does not decrease after 48 hours, make an appointment to see your primary care physician or go to the emergency room, depending upon the severity of your symptoms. Once the healing process has begun, very light massage may improve the function of forming scar tissue, cut healing time and reduce the possibility of injury recurrence. Gentle stretching can be begun once all swelling has subsided. Try to work the entire range of motion of the injured joint or muscle, but be extremely careful not to force a stretch, or you risk re-injury to the area. Keep in mind that a stretch should never cause pain. Heat may be helpful once the injury moves out of the acute phase and swelling and bleeding has stopped. Moist heat will increase blood supply to the damaged area and promote healing. Finally, after the injury has healed, strengthening exercises can be begun. Start with easy weights and use good form

Since you already went to the doctor and had the x-rays I would just call them and ask them about it.