After a knock, a twist or a fall, it is natural to wonder whether the foot needs a picture taken or whether it will settle by itself. This page sorts out who decides and what the decision looks like.
The short answer
A health care provider orders an X-ray when a broken bone is suspected. Cleveland Clinic says that to make a proper diagnosis, your provider may request a foot X-ray, and nobody can take one at home, so the step in your hands is asking a provider to examine the injury.
What the sources say about imaging
For an ankle that stays painful and swollen, or is weak or gives way easily, MedlinePlus says your health care provider may order an x-ray to look for a bone fracture, or an MRI scan to look for an injury to the ligament. In other words, an X-ray looks at bone and an MRI looks at ligament. Neither is a test you decide on alone.
If you want to read about the scans themselves, MedlinePlus has a joint x-ray article and a page on a leg MRI scan. RadiologyInfo.org explains musculoskeletal ultrasound, another way a provider may look at soft tissue.
Cost, skill and whether you can undo it
Asking for an exam takes no skill, and it does not commit you to any treatment. Cost depends on your coverage and the provider, so ask about it when you book. Resting the foot and keeping weight off it while you wait are gentle, reversible steps, and you can stop them at any time.
Notes to bring when the foot is examined
Write down when the injury happened, what you were doing and what the foot looks like now. Share that with a podiatrist or your regular provider, and keep the foot supported until you are seen. Readers in Wood Dale and nearby towns can keep that list on a phone and bring it along.
Stop guessing and ask a professional if the foot or ankle stays painful and swollen, feels weak or gives way, or if you cannot put weight on it.
A note for your first time
Getting an injury looked at can feel like a big step. It is a routine one, and asking a question early is far easier than waiting and wondering.