Possibly sprained my ankle today, advice wanted.

April 15, 2023 6:10 PM

I rolled my ankle outside this afternoon. Felt a small "pop" when the ankle "fell". Initially, it hurt pretty badly, so I sat down for a bit, then was able to walk okay on it. Arrived home, iced it, raised it, relaxed. It feels really stiff now, and some acute pain is there. Next steps? No, YANMD.

A few specific questions:

-What should I use for compression (DIY)? The drug store is closed, and I don't have any ace bandages.
-Can I take a hot shower tonight? I've read mixed recommendations online about heat on a freshly sprained/broken ankle. I feel grungy and need a shower badly, but will grudgingly skip tonight if need be.
-How do I know if the ankle is broken or if it's just sprained?

FWIW, there's no purple/blue yet. Only small signs of swelling. It still hurts acutely, but not unbearably. I can still walk on it, but limping/stiffly, and obviously trying to stay off it. It's mostly the "upper" area of my foot where it hurts, not the bottom/heel, if that makes any difference.

TIA.

posted by thoughtful_analyst to Health & Fitness (19 answers total)

Go to the doctor. Do not attempt to treat this yourself. Use the RICE protocol (rest, ice, compression, elevation) until you get in to see a provider.

I've tried to just deal with it myself in the past and it's resulted in life long (albeit low-grade) chronic pain that is now untreatable. If you're worried enough about it to post here, that's a good sign you should see a doctor.
posted by kdar at 6:27 PM on April 15, 2023 [10 favorites]

Best answer: My sympathies - I sprained my ankle badly in lockdown, so I feel your pain.

If you have an old t-shirt you no longer want, cut a couple of rings of fabric from the body, then cut those across so you have long strips, and use those to bind it. There should be enough stretch to give some compression until you can get some proper support.

Once you have access to a drugstore, I'd recommend something like this, so you can adjust the amount of compression.

Once the swelling had gone down (which took a while) I still needed compression and found these socks to be incredibly helpful and supportive. They are a beast to get on as they are designed to provide tight support, but I really noticed a difference.

It's really important that if it is still really painful after a few days that you get to a doctor or urgent care, as you might need one of those walking boot things. Because of lockdown, I wasn't able to access any medical treatment, and as a result my ankle didn't heal properly. It took the best part of 18 months for it to feel 'normal' again.

As much as you can, rotate your ankle and flex your foot, to stop it from tightening up. Unfortunately, if you've never sprained that ankle before, the odds are that you will probably sprain it again at some point - mine was the third time.

As for heat or ice, I can't really answer that one. I wasn't able to stand up to take a shower for a week (luckily I live alone). I used ice on it though and that did help.
posted by essexjan at 6:33 PM on April 15, 2023 [1 favorite]

IANYD, but I did something like this in December and in the immediate aftermath went with ice/ibuprofen, trying not to walk at all, and elevating it on a stack of pillows overnight as I slept. The next day I made it to a doctor who told me to keep doing what I was doing and wrapped it in an ace bandage for me; I ultimately tried several different supports and bandages over the next month as it gradually healed and I needed different types of support / compatibility with shoes. It would have been reasonable to go to urgent care, but all the close ones closed too early for me to make it there the same day.

I showered with a handheld shower head and sat on the edge of my tub. Ymmv depending on what you have available in your living situation.
posted by A Blue Moon at 6:52 PM on April 15, 2023 [1 favorite]

I used combat boots, laced very tightly, for compression when I sprained my ankle; it is probably not recommended but I did feel like it did the trick and it's probably fine in a pinch. (I would have had no idea how to wrap a bandage.) I'd worry more about the standing part of the shower than the heat part, since my sense is that heat isn't great but I don't think get-clean showers are long enough to matter.

How do I know if the ankle is broken or if it's just sprained?

Pain vs. agony was my rubric, but everyone is going to tell you to go to the doctor and they're right.
posted by babelfish at 7:09 PM on April 15, 2023

Do you know how to properly wrap your ankle with an ace bandage? If so , I’d probably cut up one of my t shirts that has more “elastic” to it into strips and use that to wrap it.
posted by raccoon409 at 7:16 PM on April 15, 2023

When I broke my leg, I screamed for hours and could not walk at all. I doubt you have a break unless it's a tiny one. I've had several sprains (ankle, wrist, hip ligament after a spectacular rolling fall in wet leaves on the street) and I don't remember the doctor ever doing anything for them other than getting a doctor's note to get me out of PE for two weeks, though. I don't think I even got an Ace bandage or crutches or anything back in the day, honestly.

I'd probably just keep the leg elevated and try to stay off it for the night, call urgent care/advice nurse/whatever they have like that at the hospital in the morning.
posted by jenfullmoon at 7:36 PM on April 15, 2023

Ibuprofen, and set alarms for when you should be taking the next dose to make sure you're staying on top of it. If it starts feeling better, keep taking the ibuprofen, because you want to stay ahead of the pain and swelling.
posted by Blue Jello Elf at 7:51 PM on April 15, 2023 [1 favorite]

When I fractured my foot, it was a roll of the ankle that caused it but the fracture actually occurred in the outside of my foot about halfway between the heel and my pinky toe where the ligament attached to the bone. Definitely recommend an x-ray if you're having any pain in that area. Ended up on crutches for a couple of weeks then a walking boot for 6-8 weeks after that. Elevate and ice tonight, but do get a medical opinion tomorrow if you can, especially if it starts to swell or bruise.
posted by platinum at 8:20 PM on April 15, 2023 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thanks, @essexjan — I have ordered both from Amazon with overnight delivery, so I should get them tomorrow. For now, I'll keep rising and icing as I can. Don't know how to wrap using an ace bandage, but I really like the bandage you recommended, as well as the compression socks.

I'll skip the shower for tonight and do that tomorrow, and if I'm still in pain, I'll call my advice nurse and see what they have to say. Not fond of Ibuprofen, but might take a couple before going to sleep to at least ward off extra pain, and find a way to raise my ankle overnight.
posted by thoughtful_analyst at 8:35 PM on April 15, 2023

When I sprained my ankle a million years ago I got outfitted with an Aircast ankle stirrup brace. The PT said it's better than an Ace bandage because it still allows some movement and doesn't constrict your veins. They're very affordable and very reusable since as someone mentioned above, you'll probably sprain this ankle all the time now.
posted by fiercekitten at 9:19 PM on April 15, 2023

A friend of mine sprained her ankle as a teenager and could not access medical care (she was on a school camp in a remote area and the school teachers in charge refused to arrange a medical evacuation by helicopter, because the year before a different student had faked an injury to get a medical evacuation to leave the camp.)

She's now in her early 40s, and her whole life she has had recurring sprained ankles; recurring ankle pain; and it has generally made her life more painful and more difficult than it needs to be. Go see a doctor!

In the meantime, Ibuprofen with plenty of food will help reduce the stiffness and swelling. (Don't skimp on the food unless you want to erode your stomach lining.)
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 9:52 PM on April 15, 2023

Please don't assume that if you don't have enough pain, it cannot be broken. I had an accident like yours and everyone told me that if I could put weight on my foot, it couldn't be broken. I was walking around on a broken leg (a small piece broken off just above the ankle) for four months, and it never healed right, so it still affects me badly over a decade later. Lots of good advice above, but please let a medical professional tell you whether or not it's broken.
posted by kitten kaboodle at 10:21 PM on April 15, 2023 [8 favorites]

One more datapoint on sprains: “high” sprains (above the ankle joint) can take much longer to heal than “low” ones. When I had my high sprain, a parade of docs told me they can be worse than fractures.

I strongly recommend an aircast or CAM boot for either; you can order adequate ones cheaply enough online, no Rx required.

Sounds like you’re holding off on the hot shower; speaking from firsthand experience, I’ve never worried about hot water on an ankle (IANAD), but I have worried about putting weight on it and keeping balance in a slippery environment. Do you have access to a bathtub?

I wish you the speediest and cheapest possible recovery. If prompt medical attention (tomorrow?) is an option for you, please consider it. They may recommend physical therapy, which is a giant pain in the keister but also worth the hassle.

Good luck. Take care of you!
posted by armeowda at 11:13 PM on April 15, 2023 [1 favorite]

I also want to say good luck!

I think you’re right to take it easy on the ibuprofen — take it if it’s necessary for sleep, and bind your foot & ankle as described above for movement (figure 8 basically). Inflammation is your body’s way of rushing resources to the site, you want to have breaks from it not suppress it 24/7.

A sprained ankle is a partially torn ligament. But if you felt a pop, it’s entirely possible you fully tore a ligament. Sorry, but you gotta go to the doctor ASAP. The good news is, a sports medicine clinic (if such a thing exists where you live) will see lots of these types of patients.
posted by sixswitch at 12:12 AM on April 16, 2023

I rolled my foot a week ago. No pop but the top outside of my foot hurt a lot immediately, then the pain reduced greatly within minutes and I decided to get on with the rest of my day as I‘d been about to head out to run some errands.

By the time I got home again I was in a lot of pain whenever I put weight on my foot so I iced, elevated and used painkillers. It was also Sat night by then so I didn’t feel like heading to A&E and spend hrs waiting to be seen. My plan was to head there in the morning unless things improved markedly over night and I went as far as to figure where emergency care may be obtained during a long Easter weekend.

But I woke up the next morning in a lot less pain and only the most minute area of visible swelling, no visible bruising. So I decided to keep resting instead of heading to the hospital. By Tues (first regular working day here after Easter, first day I could have gone to see my GP to access non emergency care) there was very little pain and I am mostly completely pain free again today. I do work from home and only left the house again yesterday/not walked much so I’ve done little that would aggravate it.

So my non medical suggestion would be to see where you’re at tomorrow. Probably not something you need to seek emergency care for if you have access to non emergency care. My approach would have been very different if I didn’t have the luxury to take it very easy for a few days or if there had not been very marked improvement over night and steady improvement since. It never occurred to me not to shower.
posted by koahiatamadl at 3:35 AM on April 16, 2023 [1 favorite]

When I rolled my ankle and felt a pop, I ended up with an avulsion fracture (a small piece of bone pulled away with the ligament). I was still able to walk on it, and the pain wasn’t significantly greater than other sprains. So it’s still worth hitting up urgent care for an x-ray.
posted by bluloo at 5:51 AM on April 16, 2023 [1 favorite]

The rule of thumb when it comes to icing is to ice when it is still swelling and while heat makes it feel worse. If it is not swelling and heat makes it feel better then you can switch to heating pads and hot foot soaks.

There should be lots of videos about how to put an elastic bandage on yourself, but depending on how flexible you are, you might find it helps a lot to get someone else to do it. If you have a housemate it is probably better not to struggle with it if they are willing to help.

The older you are, and the worse your circulation the more important elevation is.
posted by Jane the Brown at 6:11 AM on April 16, 2023

Response by poster: Update: woke up this morning (after having the ankle raised overnight) with significantly reduced pain. I could walk on it/move around almost normally. Continuing to elevate and ice, and relax, and compressing soon. Later on, it did hurt a bit when I walked on it, but the very minor kind of pain that you can kind of easily ignore. I'm limping right now (mainly to be careful). No visible bruising as far as I could tell, and the swelling seems to have gone down a bit. So far, I'd say my pain levels when walking is maybe a 2-4, compared to a 6-8 yesterday. Still have some mild stiffness, though.

I'm going to keep RICE'ing, with occasional exercises (walking on it a bit, doing laundry, etc) but taking it easy in general. I will also send a message describing the situation to my doctor and see what they have to say, and if they feel a X-Ray/MRI is necessary.

The bandage that @essexjan recommended came in, can't wait to try it on.
posted by thoughtful_analyst at 11:02 AM on April 16, 2023 [1 favorite]

The fact that you have a good deal less pain today is a good sign. I also had an avulsion fracture like bluloo did, and initially thought it was a bad sprain and was treating it as such. It was only when it still hurt equally as bad two days later that I went to the doctor and learned it was a break.

Usually when I sprain or twist my ankle (it happens a good deal) it improves within a day or so, and so that sounds like that maybe the case for you as well. I would still take it easy - rest, ice packs, and elevation. This is what my roommate who did martial arts and Iberian fencing taught me and it always works.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:14 PM on April 16, 2023 [1 favorite]