How long should you wait to see a foot doctor about ankle pain treatment?
With some foot and ankle injuries, you can simply monitor your symptoms at home and get a check up when it’s convenient. For more severe injuries, getting an early diagnosis and treatment plan can help avoid longer recovery and permanent instability.
How long you should wait to see a doctor for ankle pain depends on how the injury happened, the severity of your symptoms, and if they are improving.
Generally speaking, you should see a foot doctor immediately if you have:
- Severe pain or you can’t bear weight on your ankle.
- An obvious deformity where the bone looks out of place.
- A distinct popping sound or feeling when you were injured
- Significant swelling or bruising right after the injury that does not go away.
- Numbness, tingling, weakness, or cold feeling in your toes.
- An inability to walk or bear weight on the injured ankle.
- Fever, redness spreading up your leg, or worsening warmth and swelling that might indicate signs of infection.
You can often wait to make an appointment within 24-72 hours if:
- Your ankle pain does not improve after a few days of at home care.
- Swelling or bruising stays the same or gets worse after a few days.
- You can walk, but it’s painful and you may have a limp.