Sprains and Strains

Sprain and strain get used as if they mean the same thing. They do not, and the difference is simply which tissue took the damage.

What Is It

A sprain is an injured ligament, the tissue connecting bone to bone at a joint. A strain is an injured muscle or the tendon anchoring it. Sprains come from twists and rolls, most often the ankle or the wrist. Strains come from lifting, pulling, and overuse, most often the lower back, hamstring, or shoulder.

Symptoms

Sprains swell and bruise around a joint and feel unstable. Strains ache, cramp, and hurt most when you contract the muscle. Both come in degrees, from stretched fibers that settle in days to complete tears that need a specialist. Rapid swelling, an audible pop, or a joint that will not hold weight all suggest the more serious end.

Treatment

The first two days are for ice, compression, and elevation. After that, gentle movement beats rest, because tissue heals better under light load. Anti inflammatory medicine helps early. Heat is for stiff, older injuries, not fresh swelling. Most mild injuries improve in one to three weeks, and strengthening afterward is what keeps them from repeating. If we cannot rule out a fracture on exam, we X-ray it here.

If it swelled fast, will not take weight, or is no better after a week, come in and let us look at it.

When to Come to Urgent Care vs Emergency Department

Come to Urgent Care	Go to the Emergency Department
Swelling, bruising, or a joint that feels unstable	An obvious deformity in the limb or joint
You cannot put full weight on it	Numbness, coldness, or paleness past the injury
You heard a pop at the moment of injury	A wound over the injured joint or bone
No improvement after a week	Injury from a crash or a fall from height