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Joint Sprains and Muscle Strains
Two of the most common causes of pain and reduced function are joint sprains and muscle strains. These are often sustained in the sporting arena but also occur with normal daily activities at home and the workplace.
Sprains refer to an injury of the ligaments and capsule of a joint. These are the structures joining two bones together. Damage to a ligament means that fibres within the ligament have torn; the number of fibres damaged will determine the grade and severity of the injury. The tissue damage will result in inflammation at that joint which can be recognised by pain, swelling, heat and redness to the skin.
Strains refer to an injury of a muscle. In this case muscle fibres are pulled apart/torn; again the number of fibres affected will determine the extent of the injury. As a result, bleeding can occur into the muscle which may or may not be visible at the surface by the presence of bruising.
In both cases the initial medical management is similar. PRICE is the easy way to remember the following steps:
- PROTECTION – stop what you are doing and prevent further injury
- REST – avoid excessive activity for few days
- ICE – apply an ice pack to the affected part for 10mins every hour. Wrap the ice pack in a damp towel. Do not place ice directly on the skin in case you sustain an ice burn.
- COMPRESSION – help reduce the swelling by applying a compression bandage (e.g. Tubigrip).
- ELEVATION – when resting the affected limb, elevate it to help drain the fluid. Ideally this should be placed higher than your heart to be efficient.
This line of management should be continued for 24-72 hours and should be complimented with gentle movement of the affected part. This is crucial to avoid stiffness developing and should involve gentle bending and straightening of the limb.
Generally this will aid the recovery process of a straight forward sprain or strain before physiotherapy treatment can be received. It should be noted that if the symptoms fail to settle with this management or if you are concerned about the injury, then you should seek a specialist’s opinion immediately.