Sprains, Strains and Suspected Fractures in Alanya
For a twisted ankle or a knock: rest it, put ice on it, wrap it and raise it. See a doctor the same day if you cannot put weight on it, if the joint looks deformed, if there is numbness, or if pain and swelling are severe — those are the signs that separate a sprain from a fracture.
What it is
Wet pool surrounds, marble hotel steps, scooters, uneven pavements and football on the beach account for most holiday injuries. Almost all are sprains and bruises; a minority are fractures, and the two can look identical from the outside in the first hour.
A sprain is a stretched or torn ligament. A strain is a muscle or tendon. A fracture is a broken bone. Deformity, inability to bear weight, bone tenderness at a specific point and rapid severe swelling all point towards a fracture and mean an X-ray.
Symptoms
- Pain, swelling and bruising around a joint
- Inability to put weight on the leg, or to use the arm
- Visible deformity, or a limb at an unnatural angle
- A snap or crack heard at the moment of injury
- Numbness, tingling, or a cold, pale hand or foot below the injury
- A joint that feels unstable or gives way
Clinic hours: 09:00–19:00, seven days a week
House calls: 24/7
First aid for the first 48 hours
- Rest. Stop using it; do not walk it off.
- Ice. A cold pack wrapped in a cloth, 15–20 minutes every two to three hours. Never place ice directly on skin.
- Compression. An elastic bandage, firm but not tight enough to cause numbness or tingling.
- Elevation. Above the level of the heart as much as possible.
Avoid heat, alcohol, massage and hot baths in the first 48 hours — all increase swelling. Paracetamol is a good first painkiller; ibuprofen also reduces swelling if you can take it.
If a limb is obviously deformed, do not try to straighten it. Support it as it lies, keep the person still and get help.
When to call a doctor
- Obvious deformity, or bone visible through the skin — call 112
- Inability to take more than a few steps on the injured leg
- Numbness, tingling, or a cold, pale or blue hand or foot below the injury — urgent
- Severe pain or swelling that develops within minutes
- Any head injury with loss of consciousness, vomiting, confusion or worsening headache — call 112
- A joint that cannot be moved at all
- An injury in a child that stops them using the limb normally
- No improvement after two to three days of proper rest, ice and elevation
112 is the emergency number in Turkey — free from any phone, answered in English.
Prevention
How to avoid it
- Watch the wet marble around pools and in hotel bathrooms — it is the commonest cause
- Shoes with a grip on boats and rocks
- Warm up before beach sport; most holiday muscle tears happen cold
- Helmets on scooters, always
What we do
Getting seen in Alanya
Oguzhan Care sees this at the clinic in Oba and on house calls to hotels and apartments across Alanya, 24 hours a day. The doctor examines you, treats what can be treated on the spot, and writes the report your insurer will want.
FAQ
Injuries, Sprains & Fractures: common questions
Often you cannot tell without an X-ray. Being unable to bear weight, point tenderness directly over a bone, deformity and immediate severe swelling all raise the suspicion of a fracture.
No — X-ray requires a clinic or hospital. The doctor can examine the injury, treat the pain, splint or support it, and arrange imaging where it is needed.
Ice for the first 48 hours to limit swelling. Heat afterwards, once the swelling has settled, to ease stiffness.
Usually, but airlines have rules about recent fractures and plaster casts, particularly within 24–48 hours of injury. Tell your airline and your insurer, and get the injury properly documented before you travel.
Read next
Related pages
Medical disclaimer. This page is general health information, not a diagnosis and not a substitute for a consultation. If someone is unconscious, struggling to breathe, bleeding heavily or having chest pain, call 112 — the Turkish emergency number — immediately.
Written and medically reviewed by Dr. Oğuzhan Özkan, physician, Alanya. Last reviewed: 11 August 2026.
Feeling ill in Alanya right now?
A doctor can be at your hotel within the hour. Call or message — we answer 24/7.