A sprain happens when a ligament is stretched beyond its limits. Sprains are a very common kind of joint injury with many thousands of individuals seeking treatment for new injuries each day. Sprains are particularly common in sports. In tennis, a player stretches his or her leg too far to reach for a passing ball. You could set a foot wrong while running. These include normal athletic injuries. You'll need to be extra careful beginning an workout regime, too. The ligaments aren't accustomed to the load. Everyday living can be just as packed with hazards. Reaching to the top shelf or twisting an ankle heading down some steps are equally likely to produce a sprain.
Sprains are that much easier to understand - and therefore avoid - if we get to know our joints a little better. Any part of our skeleton that allows movement is a joint. The movement is allowed by ligaments, connective tissues that bind different bones together. They are designed to take some amount of stretching in day to day activities. When they cannot bear the excessive stretching, however, a sprain occurs.
The symptoms are pain, followed by swelling and bruising at the affected joint. In some extreme cases, one may hear a popping sound when the ligaments tear. There will be difficulty in using the affected limb as well. An x-ray is usually used first to check for bone damage, though an MRI may also be used to check for ligament damage.
The first line of treatment is to STOP the movement to avoid further damage to the ligament. Sit tight until help arrives. Trying to reach medical attention all by yourself you will do more damage than taking rest. It's especially important to be careful with sprains of the ankles and knees. Ice - either as a bag of ice or a cold pack - is also an important step to preventing painful swelling. It is possible to over-use ice, though. Make sure to allow the joint to warm to allow healing.
Using some kind of elastic wrap to compress the injury is also important. By tying a wrap looser at the point closest to the heart, you can prevent loss of circulation. Good circulation is essential to natural healing. Elevating the damaged joint will also stop some of the swelling.
Sprains can be allowed to heal naturally, a
The symptoms are pain, followed by swelling and bruising at the affected joint. In some extreme cases, one may hear a popping sound when the ligaments tear. There will be difficulty in using the affected limb as well. An x-ray is usually used first to check for bone damage, though an MRI may also be used to check for ligament damage.
The first line of treatment is to STOP the movement to avoid further damage to the ligament. Sit tight until help arrives. Trying to reach medical attention all by yourself you will do more damage than taking rest. It's especially important to be careful with sprains of the ankles and knees. Ice - either as a bag of ice or a cold pack - is also an important step to preventing painful swelling. It is possible to over-use ice, though. Make sure to allow the joint to warm to allow healing.
Using some kind of elastic wrap to compress the injury is also important. By tying a wrap looser at the point closest to the heart, you can prevent loss of circulation. Good circulation is essential to natural healing. Elevating the damaged joint will also stop some of the swelling.
Sprains can be allowed to heal naturally, a
The first line of treatment is to STOP the movement to avoid further damage to the ligament. Sit tight until help arrives. Trying to reach medical attention all by yourself you will do more damage than taking rest. It's especially important to be careful with sprains of the ankles and knees. Ice - either as a bag of ice or a cold pack - is also an important step to preventing painful swelling. It is possible to over-use ice, though. Make sure to allow the joint to warm to allow healing.
Using some kind of elastic wrap to compress the injury is also important. By tying a wrap looser at the point closest to the heart, you can prevent loss of circulation. Good circulation is essential to natural healing. Elevating the damaged joint will also stop some of the swelling.
Sprains can be allowed to heal naturally, and may heal quickly or slowly depending on their severity. Torn ligaments, though, especially in major joints like the knee or elbow, could result in permanent injury.
Part of rehabilitating a damaged ligament is exercise. This will restore strength and elasticity to the joint. Regular, controlled exercise is essential to the full recovery of any injury. When exercising your sprain, however, always follow the advice of medical experts to assure a speedy recovery.
About the Author:
Using some kind of elastic wrap to compress the injury is also important. By tying a wrap looser at the point closest to the heart, you can prevent loss of circulation. Good circulation is essential to natural healing. Elevating the damaged joint will also stop some of the swelling.
Sprains can be allowed to heal naturally, and may heal quickly or slowly depending on their severity. Torn ligaments, though, especially in major joints like the knee or elbow, could result in permanent injury.
Part of rehabilitating a damaged ligament is exercise. This will restore strength and elasticity to the joint. Regular, controlled exercise is essential to the full recovery of any injury. When exercising your sprain, however, always follow the advice of medical experts to assure a speedy recovery.
About the Author:
James K Zane is a exercise and wellness nut. To improve the enjoyment of physical activity for everyone, he has collected a website about sprains here. Follow this link to find out the answer to What is a sprain?.