Sprains Are a Common Misdiagnosis for Gout: How to Tell the Difference

Gout is a type of arthritis caused by uric acid in the body's system. An acute gout attack shares many symptoms of a sprain and is easily misdiagnosed, especially in younger patients. Gout usually does not affect patients (normally men) until middle age, so it can be common to misdiagnose it in younger patients because doctors aren't looking for it. Sprains exhibit similar symptoms as gout such as pain and inflammation of a joint. Swelling and redness can be present in both instances and the pain from gout can be severe. Acute gout attacks, however, may not last as long as a severe sprain. Gout attacks may last as long as ten days when first experienced, and if they do it can be hard to tell the difference between a severe sprain, but when they first start occurring it is common that the symptoms disappear in a couple of days. A sprained joint will not recover in this short amount of time. Bloodwork is a good way to determine if gout is present.

Sprains are usually caused by the hyperextension of a joint, or pulling it out of its normal range of motion. For example, falling down and twisting your ankle might cause an ankle sprain, or pulling your finger back while catching a football might sprain your finger. A sprain is the stretching or tearing of the tendons around the affected joint, and is caused by a trauma to that area. The area, depending on the severity of the sprain, can become inflamed, red, and hard to walk on (if it's in the foot or ankle). Gout usually starts by an attack in the toe, but it can start in any joint including the ankle, which is the most common site for a sprain. Regardless of where it starts, gout attacks come on with no trauma to the affected joint area. Again, sprain symptoms usually last for an extended period of time, where gout symptoms may disappear in a couple of days.