Sprain or Strain? Knowing the Difference Helps You Recover Faster
It can be a literal pain to have an accident while doing something to keep you and your body healthy, such as jogging, running, playing a sport, or working out.
Whatever injury you may have, it doesn't matter if it's a strain or a sprain—it hurts! It's hard to see through that pain initially too. That being said, knowing the difference between a sprain and strain on the body can speed up your recovery time as well as help your doctor and physiotherapist understand your injury needs better. Here's what you need to know.
So what IS the difference?
The real answer lies in your very body and the way certain tissues have been hurt: the ligaments and/or the tendons. Ligaments are the tissue in your body that connect two or more bones at a joint. The tendons are the fibrous cords of tissue that connect muscles to the bones. From the outside, self-diagnosis of either of these injuries is too difficult to do, and we don't recommend it.
What are the symptoms?
The number one reason behind why telling the difference between the two injuries can be tough is because the symptoms are skin deep—an injury to a muscle or ligament can't be seen by the naked eye. It doesn't help that the symptoms of each are very similar to one another. These symptoms include:
Pain
Swelling
Bruising
Not being able to use the joint
Muscle spasms
Cramping
Trouble moving
How does a sprain or strain happen?
The thing is, occasionally spraining or straining our bodies is not as uncommon as you would think. That's because daily, even if our lifestyles have become more streamlined to working at a computer all day, we tend to work our bodies very hard. And in certain cases, you're more likely than not to bring harm to your joints. Some examples of situations are:
Accidental slipping and falling
Overexerting your body, such as while working out
Any athletic activities or exercise, running and/or jogging especially
Lifting heavy objects
Prolonged repetitive movements, such as bending, reaching, and grasping (these are causes of other conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome and tennis elbow)
Even sitting and standing, especially in awkward and unnatural positions
Though practically anyone can experience going through a sprain or a strain at any given time, you may be at further risk of causing one by following one or more of these actions:
Staying out of shape. Not taking care of yourself or staying active can lead to your joints and muscles weakening and thus reducing their capacity to support regular movement.
Using the wrong equipment. Relying on old running shoes that are worn thin or sticking to ill-fitting shoes even though they're new are not going to improve your life, rather they are going to increase your risk of injury. Any equipment you need for your workouts or athletic activities should be maintained and kept in good condition.
Ignoring warm ups. Any form of exercise or athletic activity should be started by warming up and then cooling down when done. These are what help prevent injury in the first place. Cooling down will minimize lactic acid build up, strengthen your muscles, and promote proper joint support, while warming up will gently stretch out your muscles and increase your range of motion.
Not enough sleep. If you don't get enough sleep and go about your day while being tired, it's less likely you'll practice good posture and form for your body and so you won't carry yourself the way you should. Rest days in between exercise can help your body rest up and heal, and don't skimp out on sleep either.
The environment. When it's cold or raining out, sidewalks become a danger for walking and running outside. While this is a factor we can't control, being aware of your own surroundings such as when the weather is wet or icy will help you prevent an injury.
How long does it take for a sprain or strain to heal?
Healing time for either injury depends on several factors. These factors can include your current lifestyle, weight, the location of the injury itself, and your age. It's much harder for older people to recover from something as severe as a sprain, and the healing time for them takes longer.
It takes typically 6 weeks to recover from a moderate ankle sprain. But this does not mean that you are sidelined from your activity for 6 weeks. Your physiotherapist can guide your activity participation to maximize your function safely while you are healing.
What helps a sprain or strain heal fast?
Although at-home care measures can help, such as OTC medicine, keeping your body's weight off of your ankle or the place where your injury happened, and resting, if you need to get back on your feet sooner than later then professional help is key. Triumph Physio and Wellness can offer the following services to help you heal fast:
Physiotherapy
Acupuncture
Massage therapy
In the meantime, you can always prevent these injuries from happening in the first place. Simply remember to stretch your body before any strenuous activity, whether it's before a workout or a long shift on your feet while at work. Strengthening exercises can also help to prevent major injury from occurring. Regular conditioning to your body and to the muscles surrounding the joint where injury has taken place will also help.
At the end of the day, it doesn't matter which is worse, a sprain or a strain--if you've hurt yourself, your natural instinct is to seek treatment. Sprains and strains can happen to anyone, at any age. That's why when it comes to the healing process, it doesn't matter what happened—physio can help!
Contact us today for effective treatment from an injury, whether it's a sprain or a strain!
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