MUSCLE SPRAIN VS STRAIN: DIFFERENCE, CAUSES, AND TREATMENT

Muscle strains and sprains have become commonplace injuries, even for non-athletes. They have often been used as interchangeable terms to describe the exertion of muscles and tissues. However, is that what they are? How do you understand the difference between a muscle sprain and a muscle strain? How does knowing the difference help? Well, we have it all here for you!

Understanding muscle strain vs muscle sprain

While the symptoms of a muscle sprain and a strain are similar, they are fundamentally different based on the areas they affect.

A muscle sprain occurs due to the tearing, twisting, or overstretching of a ligament. A Ligament is a tough band of tissue that joins either a bone to another bone or a bone to a cartilage. Ligaments are typically present in the joints. One of the most common examples of muscle sprains is when you twist your ankle. The joint that undergoes a sprain here is the ankle, which connects the bones of your leg to those of your foot. Other joints prone to strains include the wrists, knees, and thumbs.

Since ligaments are tougher, it takes a lot of sudden pressure, especially in the wrong direction, to cause a sprain. In contrast, muscle strain occurs due to the tearing, twisting, or overstretching of a muscle or a tendon. A tendon is a tissue that connects a muscle to a bone. Tendons accompany major muscles such as those present in the back, feet, legs, or knees.

Muscle strains are more frequent than sprains, and are typically caused due to overuse of muscles over a long period.

Causes of sprains and strains

Sprains and strains are both examples of joint injuries. However, they may be caused due to different traumatizing experiences to the joints, which form the basis of sprain vs strain.

Certain situations make you more likely to contract either a sprain or a strain, such as athletic activities, accidents, over-exerting the body, heavy lifting, awkward posture/movements, and prolonged repetitive actions. However, both strains and sprains also have specific causes.

Causes of a sprain

• Walking or exercising on an uneven surface

• Making an awkward landing from a jump that exerts pressure on the joints

• Pivoting or twisting a joint, such as a knee or an ankle suddenly

• Falling on any joint in a way that exerts excessive pressure

• Playing racquet sports, such as badminton, tennis, squash, etc.

• Injuries attained during contact sports, such as rugby, basketball, etc

It is to be noted that sprains are typically observed due to overexertion of a ligament or a joint during activities that may cause the joint to sway from its normal range of movement.

Causes of a strain

Strains can be sudden (acute) or occur due to the accumulation of minor strains over time (chronic). They can be caused by:

• Indulging in heavy lifting as a hobby or due to occupation, over a prolonged duration

• Athletic activities like running, throwing, jumping, etc.

• Accidents like slipping or falling

How to treat a sprain or a strain?

Strains and sprains are often localized in similar regions in the body. Thus, they are treated with a similar technique called RICE, especially in case of mild injuries.

• Rest: Rest, denoting the R in RICE, is the first treatment strategy for any area affected by a strain or a sprain. This means keeping any possible pressure off the injured area, thus allowing the ligaments/joints time to heal.

• Ice: Ice, denoting the I in RICE, is used as a preliminary treatment to reduce swelling and inflammation accompanying the strain or the sprain. However, it is not advised to apply ice directly to the skin surface as it may cause cold-induced damage. Ice can be wrapped in a thin towel, or a bag of ice can be used instead. This treatment can be used for the first 24-48 hours.

• Compression: Compression, denoting the C in RICE, is used further to cause a reduction in swelling of the area. Compression can be practiced by wrapping the area in a bandage. However, care must be taken to ensure that the bandage is not placed too tight, or it may constrict the blood supply to the area.

• Elevation: Elevation, denoting the E in RICE, refers to the practice of ensuring that the affected joint is placed at a height to allow drainage of the fluid in the area. This helps reduce swelling of the area and also prevents the build-up of unwanted pressure. Ideally, the affected joint must be elevated to a level above the heart. If that is not possible, parallel to the ground is also okay, especially in the case of knees or ankles.

RICE is a treatment strategy used to make the strain or the sprain-affected area comfortable. However, it is effective only for mild injuries. Most mild injuries can easily be treated at home with RICE. Muscle pain relief is possible using over-the-counter painkillers. You can find them on Wellness Forever website, along with other essentials like bandages or ice bags. Order online and get them delivered to your doorstep.

It may be noted that severe strains or sprains may require surgery in case tearing of muscles, ligaments, or tendons has taken place. If you’re concerned about your pain, consult a physician as soon as possible. To learn more about muscle strain vs muscle sprain, keep following Wellness Forever.