Sprain and strain are one of the most common health issues people face. When many people suffer from them, most of them don’t even know the difference between the two. Sprain is when we have an injury to our ligament while strain is when we get an injury to a muscle or a tissue.
A few important notes on sprain and strain-
- A sprain is an irregular stretching or tearing of a ligament supporting the joints.
- A strain is an irregular stretching of a muscle.
- They can be caused by injury.
- They can also be caused by regressive exercising on a regular basis.
- They can be easily diagnosed due to pain and can be confirmed by taking further actions such as X-rays, CT scans and MRI.
- RICE (rest, ice, compression, and elevation) are the keys to prime treatment.
- Sprains and strains usually resolve with time but one can also require surgery and physical therapy in some cases.
- Anti-inflammatory medications can be helpful to lessen the pain.
Causes
Sprains occur when a joint gets twisted while lifting some weight. It also can occur by stepping or falling off a higher platform like stairs or sidewalk. Sprains occur most of the time accidentally in the ankle by jumping, wrist by twisting and knee by pivoting. There are not many precautions that can be taken to avoid sprains and strains as they can happen at any point of time while doing regular work and can result in stretching or tearing of the ligament. However, a sprain can be severe causing ligament rupture, tissue damage or in some cases instability of the joint.
On the other hand, strains are caused when too much pressure is applied on the muscles. Strains are very common if a person goes to gym. Strain usually occurs due to heavy weight bearing activities that result in stretching or tearing of the muscles. Strains are also known as pulled muscles and can be mild as well as severe depending upon the level of muscle damage.
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