Sprained Ankle or Broken Bone? How to Tell the Difference

What is an ankle sprain?

An ankle sprain is when the ligaments around the ankle are stretched or torn. This commonly happens when the foot rolls inward or outward suddenly during sport, running, gym training, uneven ground or a simple trip.

A sprained ankle may cause pain around the ankle joint, swelling, bruising, tenderness, reduced movement and trouble putting weight on the foot.

Mild sprains can improve with RICE - rest, ice, compression and elevation. More painful sprains may need medical assessment, bracing, imaging or follow-up care, especially if walking is difficult or the ankle feels unstable.

What are signs it could be a broken bone?

A broken bone, or fracture, can look very similar to a bad sprain, causing swelling, bruising and pain with walking.

Signs that a fracture may be more likely include:

• Pain directly over a bone
• A visible change in the shape of the ankle
• Severe swelling
• Strong pain after a fall, twist or impact
• Numbness, tingling or coldness
• Being unable to put weight through the foot
• Pain that is not settling
• Difficulty walking several steps

You should also seek urgent medical care if the injury happened during sport, at work, after a fall or where the ankle twisted heavily.

Did you know? In an Australian report for 2024-2025, children aged between 5-14 and adults over 65 years of age were most likely to present to ED for fractures, followed by open wounds and soft-tissue injuries.

What should you do straight after an ankle injury?

In the first few hours, stop the activity and do not push through pain. Raise the ankle, apply a cold pack wrapped in cloth and use light compression if it feels comfortable.

Avoid massage, heat or returning to the activity, especially if the ankle is painful, swollen or unstable.

Medical assessment is needed if swelling develops quickly, walking is painful, bruising spreads, the ankle feels unstable or you suspect a fracture.

For parents, ankle injuries in children can be hard to judge. If your child cannot walk, has strong pain, has marked swelling or cannot return to normal movement, it is worth having the injury assessed by a medical professional.

When to go to SmartCare UrgentCare

SmartCare UrgentCare can assess and treat many urgent, non-life-threatening ankle and lower limb injuries, including:

• Sprains and strains
• Suspected fractures
• Sports injuries
• Workplace injuries - The facility fee is waived for eligible WorkCover patients.
• Falls and twisted ankles
• Painful swelling or bruising
• Injuries where walking is difficult

Your clinician may recommend an X-ray, ultrasound or other imaging based on your symptoms and assessment. Testing is not needed for every ankle injury, but having diagnostics on site can help reduce the need to travel and the difficulty of going elsewhere during an urgent assessment.

When should you go to Emergency instead?

For life-threatening symptoms, call 000 or attend your nearest Emergency Department. Go to Emergency for:

• Major trauma
• Bone visible through the skin
• Heavy or uncontrollable bleeding
• Visible deformity
• Loss of feeling
• A cold, blue or pale foot
• Severe pain after a high-impact injury
• A person who is seriously unwell

If these warning signs are not present, but the ankle is painful, swollen or difficult to walk on, urgent care may be suitable.

Urgent Care for ankle injuries in Springfield Central

SmartCare UrgentCare is located at Shop 8, 95 Southern Cross Cct, Springfield Central QLD 4300.

The clinic supports patients from Springfield, Greater Springfield, Ripley, Redbank Plains, Goodna, Ipswich and surrounding South-West Brisbane communities.

If your ankle injury is painful, swollen or difficult to walk on, you do not need to wait for a GP appointment. Walk in for Emergency Specialist-led urgent care, no appointment necessary.