Sprained Ankle Symptoms

There are several symptoms of ankle sprain, the most obvious being pain affecting the ankle area. The symptoms of ankle sprain include: pain, swelling, bruising, pain on bearing weight, pain on standing up, reduced mobility of the ankle, and sometimes immobility.

Ankle Pain – There are 40 different possible causes of ankle pain. An ankle sprain is only one of those possible causes. Understand that not all pain in the ankle is caused by ankle sprains.

Ankle Swelling – Ankle swelling can be caused by injury and/or the retention of fluid. There are about 92 possible causes of ankle swelling.

Ankle Bruising – An ankle bruise is defined as a haematoma in the ankle. A haematoma (also spelled hematoma) is the collection of blood outside the blood vessels. It is the result of internal bleeding.

Ankle Pain On Bearing Weight – A sprained ankle will become more painful when you try to walk or stand on the affected limb.

Reduced Ankle Mobility/ Ankle Immobility – This symptom is related to ankle pain. You may have difficulty moving the affected ankle as it becomes painful to do so.

You can usually tell how severe an ankle sprain is based on the degree of the symptoms. You can gauge the severity of an ankle sprain from the severity of the pain and swelling. Here are the symptoms that you can expect in relation to the degree of the sprain.

Grade I, Mild Ankle Sprain

In a mild sprain, you can expect to experience some pain and see some swelling. Crutches may not be required for most patients to continue walking. Jumping or jogging may be painful though. The ligaments are stretched beyond their normal range. Microscopic tears are possible.

Grade II, Moderate Ankle Sprain

This involves partial tearing of the ligaments. Swelling and bruising are more pronounced. The affected area becomes tender and difficult to move. It is still possible to walk but it becomes very painful.

Grade III, Severe Ankle Sprain

The ligaments are completely torn. You can expect severe pain and significant swelling and bruising and tenderness. Walking becomes very difficult.

As you may have noticed, pain and swelling are the two most noticeable symptoms of ankle sprains. It is also common to observe bruising on the affected ankle. The bruising becomes noticeable in the other parts of the foot as the blood moves the toes over time.