How can I tell if my ankle is sprained or fractured?
With a sprain, you feel pain. But if you have numbness or tingling, your ankle is most likely broken. Where is the pain? If your ankle hurts or is tender to the touch directly over your ankle bone, you probably have a fracture.
What would a fractured ankle look like?
You may see bruising (“black and blue”) about the joint, although not immediately. This bruising can track down toward the sole of your foot or toward the toes. In severe fractures you may see obvious deformities of bones around the ankle. Your skin may be stretched over an underlying broken bone.
Can your ankle be fractured and still walk on it?
Broken ankle — can you still walk? Typically, a minor ankle fracture won’t prevent you from walking. You might even be able to walk right after the injury. If you have a serious break, you’ll need to avoid walking for a few months.
What does a serious ankle sprain look like?
A severe sprain, which happens when you completely tear a ligament. The swelling, bruising and pain around your ankle are usually very bad. Your ankle may feel quite unstable (wobbly) and you won’t be able to put any weight on your foot without a lot of pain.
What is hairline fracture ankle?
A hairline fracture is a small crack or bruise within a bone. Athletes are prone to these injuries. Often, running or jumping could result in a hairline fracture in the foot bones, including the heel, ankle or bones at the top of the foot (navicular).
How can you tell if you have a hairline fracture?
Pain in response to pressure is often the key for your doctor to diagnose a hairline fracture. MRI: The best imaging test for determining hairline fractures is an MRI. This test uses magnets and radio waves to provide images of your bones. An MRI will determine a fracture before an X-ray can.
Can you wiggle your toes with a broken ankle?
Most believe that if they can wiggle their toes or move the ankle around that an ankle fracture has not occurred. The reason this is not true is because the nerves and muscles that allow the movement of the ankle have not been affected by the fracture.
How do you know if ankle injury is serious?
People with a more severe ankle sprain — characterized by extreme bruising or swelling and an inability to bear weight on the foot without significant pain, or when there doesn’t seem to be any improvement over the first several days after the injury — should seek medical attention, Drs.
Should I go to ER for sprained ankle?
Go to urgent care if your pain level and swelling is significant and you have difficulty walking, to the point that you need assistance, due to the pain. Go to the emergency room if your foot is bruised, deformed, or you are unable to walk at all. You may have a fracture, broken bone or serious ligament damage.