Ankle Injury Physiotherapy: Is Your Ankle Sprained or Broken?

Ankle injuries can be painful and confusing—how do you know if it’s a sprain or a fracture? At Physio Labs, we specialize in ankle injury physiotherapy, helping Gold Coast locals distinguish and treat these conditions. A sprain involves overstretched ligaments, often from twisting, while a fracture is a break in bones like the tibia, fibula, talus, or calcaneus. Both can result from sports injuries, uneven surfaces, or accidents, but they require different management.

Key signs of a fracture include a “cracking” sound at injury, deformity or crookedness, numbness, extreme pain, or inability to bear weight. Sprains may produce a “popping” sound and significant swelling but less severe symptoms. The Ottawa Ankle Rules guide when X-rays are needed, assessing bony tenderness and weight-bearing ability. Research supports their accuracy for fracture detection (BMJ, 2003).

• Manual Therapies: Trigger point MFR and IASTM to reduce pain and swelling.
• Dry Needling: Relieves muscle tension for faster recovery. Learn more.
• Reformer Pilates: Strengthens ankles for injury prevention. Explore Pilates.
• VALD Technology: HumanTrak and ForceDecks for precise movement analysis.

Our client, Tom from Coomera, recovered from an ankle injury in weeks with our tailored physiotherapy, returning to soccer with his kids. “Physio Labs gave me my mobility back,” he says. Led by Dr. Sean Yates, a Doctor of Physiotherapy with expertise in sports rehab, our team ensures accurate diagnosis and effective treatment. Meet our team.

If pain or swelling worsens after 24-48 hours, seek our expert ankle injury physiotherapy. Book now at physiolabs.com.au/book.

Our clients’ stories highlight the impact of our ankle injury physiotherapy. Watch this testimonial to see how Physio Labs transformed a local’s recovery:

See more success stories on our testimonials page.