Strains and sprains happen all the time, and can be very painful. The severity of the injury depends on the damage that occurs, and how many muscles or ligaments are involved. Knowing what to do if a strain or sprain happens to you will help you to heal properly, and get you back to normal activity as quickly as possible.

What is a Sprain?

Ligaments are the ropes of tissue that connect our bones at our joints. When the ligaments are pulled too far, or torn, this is known as a sprain. Therefore, only areas of our bodies connected by joints can be sprained – including ankles, wrists, thumbs, and knees.

What is a Strain?

In contrast, a strain involves injury to either a muscle or tendon. A tendon is the tissue that connects the muscles to the bones. If a muscle or tendon is pulled too far, or torn, that is known as a strain. A strain can occur anywhere there is muscle, but back or hamstring strains are most common.

How Will I Know if I Have a Sprain?

Only a medical professional can diagnose a sprain, but common symptoms include:
• Pain where the injury occurred
• Swelling or bruising around the joint
• An inability to move or use the joint
• Some people have reported hearing a “pop” when the sprain occurs

How Will I Know if I Have a Strain?

• Pain in the affected area
• Swelling
• Muscle spasms and muscle weakness
• Cramping
• The muscle might be hard to move

Once the medical professional evaluates your injury and determines you have a sprain or strain, he or she will likely recommend the RICE method be used for the first 24 – 48 hours to prevent long-term damage and speed healing:
• Rest the injured area. That means you must refrain from putting weight on or using the injured ligament or muscle. This might mean using crutches.
• Ice the injury for 20 minutes at a time, perhaps up to 8 times per day, to help with the swelling
• Compress the injured muscle or ligament. The medical professional might recommend the use of special boots, splints, casts, or bandages. Follow the practitioner’s recommendation of how tight to keep these devices
• Elevate the injured area. Prop the injured body part up on a pillow

The medical professional might also recommend that you start gently exercising the injured body part after the swelling goes down – to prevent stiffness. In some cases, physical therapy may be ordered to help you strengthen the injured area.

Most strains and sprains take several weeks to heal completely. Be careful to follow medical advice about the amount of time you should wait before returning to normal activity. If you return too soon, you could risk long-term injury.

The post Ouch! I Rolled My Ankle! – Strain or Sprain? appeared first on Quick Med Care.