The one thing which needs to get clear here is the difference between the words Sprain and Strain. These words are not the synonym for each other. People often consider it to be the same which it is not. So let’s understand the meaning and physiotherapy treatment of sprain and strain.
The stretch or tear of a ligament is called a sprain. Ligaments are fibrous bands of tissue that link bones at joints.
A strain is a type of stretch or tear that occurs in the muscle or tendon. Tendons connect muscles and bones.
Both of these are equally serious and you are required to be vigilant towards them.
This situation usually occurs when a person falls or twists in a way that body loses the control or loses its normal position. Getting a sprain is quite a normal thing, in fact around 25,000 people get sprained ankle daily.
With the sportspeople, this has been more common than in other professions. Imagine a cricketer is running on the ground to catch a ball from hitting the boundary and gets his ankle sprained, or think of any athlete, a sprain is a very common problem that occurs in life. Sprain often happens on the foot, ankle, knee, wrist, and fingers.
Majorly the reasons are quite similar; strain is caused while playing any sport or if you get your ankle or muscle twisted. When using any muscle with full strength or putting stress over it, you can get a strain. This can happen in gyms while lifting heavy equipment, dumbbells, and working out on machines.
Also, people playing sports like tennis, golf, hockey, football, and any such thing, are prone to strain in the muscles hands, and forearm.
Broadly there is not much difference in both of these. You get inflammation (redness on the skin), swelling, stiffness, and pain in the injured area. All the symptoms depend on the severity of the injury. The severe injury will have more pain, swelling, stiffness, and inflammation.
In case of a sprain, you will feel a tear or pop in the joint. After that, the injured area may feel stiffness and instability.
In the case of Strain, you will feel cramps in the muscles. The area will be stiff and redness will be there.
As the pain increases, it becomes very difficult for a person to move to that area. With a mild ankle pain, you can just move your ankle a little bit and move it around and it might get better. It is very difficult to move with the severe pain in your ankle.
“RICE” treatment is the gold standard of care for sprains and strains. Its meaning is:
Rest for 24 to 48 hours without putting any weight on the afflicted region. Lifting with an afflicted wrist or elbow is prohibited. Consult your doctor if you are unable to put weight on an injured knee or ankle.
For the first three days, apply a bag of ice to the damaged region for 10 minutes at a time, then remove it for at least 30 minutes. Put the ice in a plastic bag or wrap it in a moist towel. (Avoid putting ice on your skin.) Cold constricts blood vessels and inhibits the inflammatory response, reducing discomfort and swelling. However, using ice for too long might result in harm, so take pauses.
You can use an elastic bandage or a compression sleeve to wrap an injured wrist, ankle, knee, or elbow. Compression, like ice, helps to reduce edema.
Lie down and elevate the wounded region above the level of your heart using a cushion. This will prevent fluid from pooling in the region, resulting in less edema.
If you are suffering from some major injury and severity then you have to take the next step and do something more. Other than all these basic treatments you can go to physiotherapy for strain/ sprain.
You may not take it seriously, but sprain and strain can lead to some severe injury if it is not treated properly. Consulting a physiotherapist who can understand every nerve of the body is very important. The physiotherapist in Gurgaon will treat you without putting you on heavy medications.
