Does this sound like a normal sprain or do I need to get it checked?

[Splishsplashsplooshsplosh]

Fell down the stairs (well just a couple not the whole flight) about 6.30pn. Shooting twisting pain in ankle for a minute or 2. Subsided and I was fine able to walk as normal, drove the car, had a shower etc. About 3 or 4 hours later whilst watching telly I noticed it had started to hurt. DH got me an ice pack and some ibuprofen but I couldn't weight bare at all. Am in bed now with a couple of pillows under my foot but it REALLY hurts. Is this normal for a sprain or do I need to get it looked at tomorrow? I would rather not have to spend all day in an urgent care waiting room if possible. Am a bit stressed as to how I'm going to be able to actually do anything. At least I can WFH tomorrow and it's half term so I don't have to do the school run

Get it checked.

I went right over on mine in the summer (stepped in a hole in the grass), treated it as just a sprain and when I finally went to urgent care, I had a fracture. But I was in and out in an afternoon so not too terrible! Wish I'd got it checked sooner because it's still not right.

Oh no! Were you able.to.walk.immediately afterwards though? That's what's making me think it's probably nothing to worry about.

I'd give it another day of rest, ice, pain relief and maybe compression? Do you have a bandage? Don't sleep with it bandaged though and only use ice for a day or so. I think heat then is recommended to promote healing and gentle exercise. If you can't bear weight tomorrow I would ring your GP for advice.

My ds fell during pe at school. Twisted his ankle, but bounced straight back up and continued with his day. He came out if school with a slight limp but walked back home. The next day it was more painful, but he still managed the walk to school and back home, although complaining more. The next morning he was unhappy about putting his sock on so i took him to minor injuries, even though it wasnt red, hot, or particularly swollen. They decided to xray just in case. Yes, it was broken.

I sat there feeling like the worst mum in the world for making him walk on a broken ankle for 2 days. And not even giving calpol.

Its best to get it checked out.

Ugh how do you even get to the hospital if you can't put weight on your foot? DH will probably be able to WFH so I could leave kids with him but honestly I don't know how I'd get there. How do you walk around? FFS I'm so annoyed with myself. It was at the bloody gym as well so I was feeling all smug at how healthy I was post exercise class but not really looking where I was going on the way out and just missed the last step. 😭

Oh yeah, I walked on it straight after (didn't have much choice, being in the middle of a field 😬) drove myself to urgent care, too.

My mum did similar with me when I was 7. I actually brought it up recently (40 years later!) to give her some (good humoured) grief, and we both laughed about it - particularly as I'd just done similar with DS1! Please try not to feel bad xxx

If it's swollen and you can't walk on it then take the time to get it checked out. There could be a fracture but even if not sprain's can actually be much harder to recover from and take time to properly heal.

Get a taxi to A&E. Once there, hop. Get it x-rayed and checked out. Could go on much worse if you don’t.

You sound like a PITA, but get it checked out.

Er, what? The OP doesn’t sound like a PITA at all. Bizarre comment.

OP definitely get it looked at.

My sister fell on stairs, walked around for a week on a "bad sprain" in August.

Turns out it was shattered ankle and torn ligaments. Surgery to repair, add a metal plate, pick out shards & repair ligaments, under general anesthesia, three 8-10" incisions, and she's still not weight bearing nine weeks later.

Surgeon said had she gone in right away the ligament damage and fracture would not have got so bad. Please go in.

My sister thought that, too. It's a myth.

Definitely get it checked out. But even if it’s only a sprain, it can take a while to heal properly. Make sure to properly rest and elevate it as much as possible. I sprained mine, didn’t rest it properly and it took months to feel ok.

(and you do not sound like a PITA at all, ignore that poster!).

Go to Minor Injuries. Don't even try a GP as they don't have x-ray equipment and you'll be wasting time. I walked/limped around for a month on a broken ankle before getting it x-rayed and it fused back together wrong. Don't be me.

You need an x-ray, so if your minor injuries doesn't have one, go to A&E. Just get a cab first thing.

No wonder A & E departments are so busy! Where I live you would go to your GP and they would decide if it needed an x-ray, in which case you would just go to the x-ray department at the hospital, or elsewhere if there is one.

Going to a GP would be a waste of your and their time so urgent care or A and E. Are taxis readily available where you are? I’d need to ask a friend as for taxis where I live you need to book well in advance.

Hope it heals quickly!

No wonder A & E departments are so busy! Where I live you would go to your GP and they would decide if it needed an x-ray, in which case you would just go to the x-ray department at the hospital, or elsewhere if there is one.

I work in a GP Practice and our GPs refuse to see ankle injuries as they all get sent to MIU or A&E. A GP can't tell you if it's broken or not, so save a waste of a GP appt and go straight to somewhere equipped to diagnose!

I would get it checked out.

Even if it is only sprain though I hate to say it, but they take ages to heal. I also fell down some steps, on the last August Bank Holiday and I have only just stopped hobbling. It still aches sometimes, and I still don't have full movement (I am on the older side though)

Thanks everyone. The swelling has gone down a lot today and I can limp about so I think it's ok. I'm going to take it easy and just hobble about at home for the next couple of days unless anything changes I think. I was quite worried it was more serious last night but it's so much better today.
And to the PP who didn't realise your DC had a broken bone - I had the same. When DC was 5 he fell over at school. Hurt his elbow but I didn't get a call or anything. He told me when I collected him and he was a bit pale and quiet, said it hurt but nothing dramatic, he just wasn't quite himself. Went to bed as normal. The next morning he was screaming as I was trying to help him get dressed. I had to cut his pj top off him. Even at that point I didn't think it was anything REALLY bad but obviously decided to take him to urgent care. They also weren't too bothered until they x-rayed him. Turned out it was a really bad break to his elbow, he very nearly needed an operation. I felt awful. The school were very apologetic too!

@Splishsplashsplooshsplosh Just because you can walk on it doesn't mean you haven't broken a bone. You really should get it x-rayed.