I landed on my foot pretty hard during an athletic event and my ankle hurts on the heel and on the left side of the right foot. is it a sprain, break, jam?

The : The only way to tell if anything is broken is to have an x-ray. Even then, sometimes tiny hairline fractures are not evident on an x-ray, and an MRI or ct scan is needed. The best initial treatment, without knowing exactly what's going on, is ice, compression, rest & elevation. If you don't feel better by tomorrow, i recommend you see an orthopedic surgeon or podiatrist and find out what's going on. Good luck!

Get an x-ray: Twisting ones’ ankle can lead to a sprained ankle. Often times, this may result in ligament or tendon injuries which may lead to ankle swelling, pain, and possibly instability. An x-ray of the foot and ankle will be able to assist in differentiating a sprain form a fracture.