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Zhoenish t1_ixqdhuz wrote

A physician can tell it's a sprain by physically examining the injury and by the symptoms. The x-ray is just to make sure there isn't any damage to the bone. And they only need that because sometimes* it changes how they treat the injury.

Injuries to tendons and ligaments, because there is a lot less blood flow to that tissue, takes longer to heal. Bones have a lot of blood, and heal relatively faster. But if you've had enough energy to break a bone, you have also injured all the tendons and ligaments around it - but when you treat the broken bone - it's the same treatment that allows tendons and ligaments to heal (most of the time*.)

This isn't quite the question you asked, but other people have already answered that. I'm sorry you are hurting, and I hope you heal well.

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*If it isn't healing well, and there isn't a bone fracture, then they may want an MRI - which is more sensitive, but also more expensive.

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