Dr. says sprain but I think my foot is broken.

[rhino47]

On Sat I was at a picnic and did was being my usual graceful self and tripped.As I fell I twisted my ankle and landed on it.I tried to rough it out but 4 hours later the pain became unbearable.
I went to the ER and was told it was a sprain.I can not bear weight on my foot.It is still swelling /bruising.
I cant move my toes.
Is this a break?

[KitchenWitch]

1. could be a stress fracture

Go see your regular doctor, have another x-ray, and see if the radiologist will read it for you.

[Reverend_Smitty]

2. do you happen to have a tuning fork in your house...

if you put it on the bone away from the suspected fracture site and the vibrations from it cause a lot of pain...chances are it's broken. It's a neat little diagnostic tool we use

[liberalnurse]

4. Thats intersting.....

I never heard that. I'm going to try it at the next opportunity.

[Reverend_Smitty]

7. really any small vibrations will cause a tremendous amount of pain

When I test athletes who are just coming off the field who I suspect has a small fracture, I've found that the tuning fork along with a few other tests work quite well.

on edit:
small hairline fractures might not come up on x-rays right away. Usually it takes a few days for a bony callus to form, then get an x-ray the doc will diagnose it because of the callus formation.

[rhino47]

8. I tried that .(oddly I have a tuning fork )

I sent shards of pain up to my knee.How long before you can stand any weight on a sprain?Its unbearable to even put a sock on let alone bear weight on it.

[Reverend_Smitty]

9. Depends on the type of sprain

a typical ankle sprain will be quite painful the first 24-48 hours and after that it begins to get better.

I'm guessing you injured the outside of your ankle and if it's sending pain that far up your leg I would stay off of your foot and get to an ortho asap

[liberalnurse]

12. Has the pain and inability to bear weight been

from the beginning or has it evolved since Saturday?

[rhino47]

14. It somewhat evolved

When I first did injured my foot it was numb.I could walk on it.
About an hour later it started to really hurt.It has gotted progressively worse since then.It didnt help that I was somewhat embarrassed that I tripped and walked on it for a half hour or so.

[liberalnurse]

18. I'm concerned that you have tingling/pain with the

gentle application of your sock......and the pain/sensitivity has progressed rather than regressed.

[liberalnurse]

3. Did they do multi-viewed XRays?

I'd go visit an orthopedic physician tomorrow. That ain't right.....

[rhino47]

5. They took multi-veiw xrays

However same hospital (my husband pointed this out to me tonight) missed my father in laws broken neck.
I made an appointment to my pcp.Perhaps I should go straight to an ortho.

[liberalnurse]

10. If you run into problems getting into an ortho....

like tomorrow....try a podiatrist/surgeon. They specialize in just the foot. I know some great ones! They don't just trim diabetic toenails anymore!

I have seen them do some great work on impacted ankle fractures....the kind one gets in auto-accidents. Your sitting in the passenger seat and the collision "brace" posture....you slam your foot into the floorboard out of reflex....that kind of fracture.

[valis]

15. I'd say I love liberalnurse. OK?

:)

[liberalnurse]

17. Are you a podiatrist?

I'm blushing at the moment.......:pals:

[valis]

19. No... But I know you are a saint!

:)

[TheProphetess]

6. Seriously sounds like one

It could be a hairline fracture and they might have missed it on an xray. I'm assuming they took an xray - if not, be sure to get one asap.
Keep weight off of it as best as you can, but definitely see a doctor again if you feel it's necessary. I'd recommend following up with your family doctor.

BTW, my brother-in-law had broken his foot and was told repeatedly that it wasn't broken until he had damaged it very badly, so doctors do mess up now and then. Good luck!

[candy]

11. RICE

Rest,ice,compression,elevation

A severe sprain is very painful,I have had two.

I am assuming,of course,that you had X-Rays done.

Don't forget the ibuprofin.

[thecai]

13. Sprains Can Be More Painful Than Breaks

I've broken my ankle in two places but it did not hurt as bad as when I sprained my (other) ankle.

[rhino47]

16. Sorry for your injuries.

How long did it take you to recover from your sprain?
Was it longer recovery then a break?

[thecai]

20. Thank You! I'm Sorry For YOURS!

(I forgot to say that in my post)

I had my cast removed after 8 weeks when my ankle was broken, it was sore for a few months, it's still a tiny bit puffy, but never bothers me. My sprain hurt for months, but doesn't bother me now, either. Of course, I was much younger then, when I healed faster ;-)

[seemunkee]

21. Did you hear anything or feel a pop?

If you tore something it will take 3 days for it to hit maximum swelling and 2-3 weeks for it to be somewhat stable.
I dislocated my ankle about 4 weeks ago and I just stopped wearing a brace a few days ago.