Foot injuries are one of the most common health problems people will experience in their lifetime. Sprains and fractures, two of the most common foot injuries seen can look very similar on the surface but can have some key differences that can help you distinguish one from the other. If you have a question as to whether your foot injury is sprained vs broken foot, this article will help give you some insight into these two injuries. With any foot pain or injury, always see your local foot doctor or podiatrist for a diagnosis.
7 Key Differences Between a Sprained Foot vs Broken Foot
What is a Sprained Foot?
A sprain is when the ligaments, which are bands of tissue that connect bones are damaged. This damage includes being stretched more than what is normal, and being partially or completely torn. A sprained foot can lead to instability, or weakness in the foot since one of the jobs of the ligaments is to stabilize bones.
What is a Broken Foot?
A fracture or broken foot means that one or more of the bones in the foot have been cracked or broken. The foot has 26 bones. A small crack in a bone, that doesn't completely break the bone in two is known as a stress fracture. A complete fracture is when the bone breaks in two. A compound fracture is when one-half of the broken bone punctures the skin.
7 Key Differences Between a Sprained Foot vs Broken Foot
Both a sprained foot and a broken foot usually will have some pain, swelling, and difficulty walking, there are certain differences between the two that can help you and your doctor tell the difference between a sprained foot vs a broken foot. These differences include:
Location of Pain
In a sprain, the pain typically spreads out along ligaments, tendons, and soft tissues. The pain in a sprain can be more diffuse. In a fracture, the pain is more localized, directly where the bone is broken.
Severity of Pain
With sprains, pain usually is mild to moderate. A lot of time, over-the-counter NSAIDs can help manage this pain, but many people don't feel the need to take much if any pain medication during this time. Fractures, especially if it is a complete fracture, will be very painful. This pain can be sharp to intense, making it usually very difficult, if not impossible to walk on the affected foot.
Deformity
With a severe fracture, you may notice a deformity or a change in the shape of your foot. This is because bones provide much of the structure to your foot. If a bone is broken, and if it is severely out of place, you will see a noticeable change in how your foot looks in comparison to the healthy, uninjured side. Sprains that are mild to moderate rarely cause a visible deformity, but in the case of a dislocation, when the joint is completely out of place, sprained or torn ligaments, surprisingly without any bone breaks or fractures can happen, and then the foot will be obviously out of place.
Walking ability
With a sprain, especially a mild one, you might still be able to put some weight on your foot, although it will be uncomfortable to painful. With a fracture or bone break though, it is often really hard to impossible to place any weight on the foot without significant pain.
Bruising and Swelling
Both sprains and fractures can cause swelling and bruising, but fractures usually lead to more severe bruising and swelling.
6. Confirmation of type of injury
To confirm a fracture on bone break, x-ray is the go-to method. Xray is great for viewing bones. In the case of a stress fracture though, because the break is too small, and doesn't break the bone completely in half, these fractures can take several weeks to eventually show up on xray. For more complex fractures, with multiple breaks in one or several bones, a CT scan helps to map and pinpoint these types of fractures.
On the other hand, a sprain cannot be seen on x-ray because a sprain involves soft tissue including ligaments and tendons, and these cannot be seen easily or in detail on x-ray. Sprains are best seen through either an MRI or ultrasound.
7. Recovery time
Healing time usually for a bone fracture is 8-12 weeks usually. At times, this can take longer than 12 weeks, but most people will heal under this time. Unfortunately for sprains, even though healing time is usually around the 12 week mark, it's not uncommon for healing time to take much longer than this. This is because most bones have a rich blood supply. Blood is crucial for healing and regeneration. Ligaments and tendons, on the other hand, receive much less blood flow than bones do. And because of this, the regeneration of these structures can be a lot slower.
When to See a Doctor For a Sprained vs Broken Foot
Any type of foot injury should be checked out by a doctor to give a final diagnosis of a sprained vs broken foot. See a local foot doctor or podiatrist if:
Your pain is severe or doesn’t get better after a few days
You can’t put weight on your foot at all
You see a deformity in your foot
The swelling or bruising is severe, not getting better, or getting worse
You heard pop, crack, or snapping sound at the time of the foot injury
Keep in mind, that even mild sprains can become severe if not properly treated in time, and lead to chronic inflammation and degeneration of the ligaments and or tendons. Walking on a fracture can cause bones to take much longer to heal, leading to the bone healing in a deformed position, or chronic pain.
Key Takeaways
Knowing the difference between a sprained vs broken foot can be tough. Both sprains and fractures can cause pain, swelling, and make it harder if not, impossible to walk. Even though there are many similarities in a sprained vs broken foot, there are many differences as well including healing time, how to confirm a sprained vs broken foot, pain level, and possibility of deformity. Knowing the symptoms of each can help you take action and avoid long-term complications and chronic pain. Again, with any foot injury, if you are not feeling better after 3 days, see your local foot doctor or podiatrist.
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Are you in need of a podiatrist in Phoenix? My name is Dr. Tarr, and I am the owner of Direct Podiatry Arizona in Tempe. To view my available appointment times, click here here.
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