How Do You Know If Your Ankle Is Sprained?
Ankle sprains are usually an acute injury – there is usually a single, clear event that a person can point to and say, “that’s when the symptoms started”. In most cases, this involves a “rolling” of the ankle when the bottom of the foot turns inwards towards the other ankle. This is the usual cause of a “lower” ankle sprain – an injury to ligaments that support the ankle and foot. This is different to a “high” ankle sprain”, which involves the ligaments that support the ankle and shin bones. The remainder of this blog focuses on “lower” ankle sprains”.
You can expect some ankle swelling, usually around the bone on the outside near your heel, and may also experience bruising in this area. You might have also noticed a popping sensation at the time of injury. Walking on the injured ankle is usually possible unless the pain is particularly high or other structures have also been affected. You can expect to have difficulty with how much you can move your ankle – particularly if trying to point your toes towards your head, as well as difficulty balancing, and tenderness to touch.
More info: Ankle Sprain
