Sprained ankle with no bruising?!
Question: A little over two weeks ago I hurt my ankle really badly falling off a step while moving a heavy box. The side of it swelled up to about the size of my fist but there was only minimal bruising (couldn't tell unless you looked at it closely). The bruising went away almost immediately and the swelling went down pretty quickly as well. It was weak and went out every now and then for a few days but I've had no problems walking on it apart from that. However, I can't put on a shoe on that foot without great pain (especially boots, it feels like it did the day I hurt it). I can't bend my foot to the left/right side without pain, but walking I have 0 pain (unless I step on it funny, like when walking through snow).
I'm wondering if it can be sprained without bruising/swelling and if I can walk on it? I thought the pain would go away by now and everything has apart from my ability to put on shoes. Is this normal? Apart from the RICE thing, is waiting it out all I can do?
Answers: A little over two weeks ago I hurt my ankle really badly falling off a step while moving a heavy box. The side of it swelled up to about the size of my fist but there was only minimal bruising (couldn't tell unless you looked at it closely). The bruising went away almost immediately and the swelling went down pretty quickly as well. It was weak and went out every now and then for a few days but I've had no problems walking on it apart from that. However, I can't put on a shoe on that foot without great pain (especially boots, it feels like it did the day I hurt it). I can't bend my foot to the left/right side without pain, but walking I have 0 pain (unless I step on it funny, like when walking through snow).
I'm wondering if it can be sprained without bruising/swelling and if I can walk on it? I thought the pain would go away by now and everything has apart from my ability to put on shoes. Is this normal? Apart from the RICE thing, is waiting it out all I can do?
dont worry i sprained my ankle a couple of years ago (im a dancer so im always injuring myself) try just wrapping a bandage round it i took mine to the docs and he just told me to rest it so theres no point going to the docs for him/her to tell u tha same thing so yeh just wait it out and as for the shoe thing the shoes put pressure on your foot and so if it is sprained then the pressure will prevent it from healing get some slip ons and try to rest it hope your ankle gets better soon. x x x
I just fell two days ago and landed badly. The pain in my ankle was terrible. I rested it with ice on it for maybe 10 minutes and then i tried walking on it. It seemed ok except if it twisted a bit. So i thought i'd better to get to work. I tried to keep it raised periodically throughout the day as much as i could. It seemed ok not great. But late in the afternoon i stepped on an uneven surface (i guess twisting it in a way) and the pain was intense. I couldn't put weight on it at that point. I eventually went to emerg that night. They xrayed it to make sure there were no broken bones or fractures because sometimes it can be hard to tell the difference between a sprain and a fracture.
Anyway, no break. And my foot wasn't very swollen or bruised, weirdly. But a nurse-friend wondered if that's because i have poor circulation in my feet and my feet are usually pretty cold to begin with. So i guess there wasn't lots of blood down there to pool to begin with.
Anyway, they told me to rest it as much as i can for 5 days, not necessarily lie in bed for 5 days, but try to keep it fairly elevated as often as i can, and try to just rest it for a couple days at least.
That's what i've done. I've rested in bed for almost two days now and occasionally hobbled around on crutches. Im wearing one of those velcro tensor bandage-things. When i put ice on it occasionally for 20 min i do exercises at the same time. LIke pointing my toes down and then up as far as i can and holding it for a bit.
Now i'm walking around without crutches, carefully.
Hopefully your ankle is healing. On an orthopedic website i read that it can take a few weeks for it to totally, completely heal but that it helps if you do gentle ankle exercises so the ankle doesn't lose its range of motion.
Anyway, good luck. hope it's feeling better.
PS
familydoctor.org did say to avoid pivoting and twisting your ankle afterwards for 2-3 weeks.