Sprains and Strains

Sprains and Strains Overview

People are able to move because muscles contract and make the joints that they cross, move. Muscles attach on each side of the joint to bone by thick bands of fibrous tissue called tendons. When a muscle contracts, it shortens and pulls on the tendon, which allows the joint to go through a range of motion.

A strain occurs when the muscle tendon unit is stretched or torn. The most common reason for this is the overuse and stretching of the muscle. The damage may occur in 3 areas.

• The muscle itself may tear.
  
• The area where the muscle and tendon blend can tear.
  
• The tendon may rip away from the bone.

Joints are stabilized because thick bands of tissue called ligaments surround them. These ligaments only allow the joint to move in specific directions. Some joints move in multiple planes; therefore, they need more than one group of ligaments to hold each joint in the proper position. The ligaments are anchored to bone on each side of the joint. If a ligament is stretched or torn, the injury is called a sprain.

Sprains and Strains Causes

Sprains and strains occur when the body is put under stress. In these situations, muscles and joints are forced to perform movements for which they are not prepared or designed to perform. An injury can occur from a single stressful incident, or it may gradually come on after many repetitions of a motion.

Sprains and Strains Symptoms

The first symptom of a sprain or strain injury is pain. Other symptoms, such as swelling and spasm, can take time (from minutes to hours) to develop.

• Pain is always a symptom that indicates that there is something wrong with the body. It is the message to the brain that warns that a muscle or joint should be protected from further harm. In work, exercise, or sport, the pain may come on after a specific incident, or it may gradually progress after many repetitions of a motion.
  
• Swelling almost always occurs with injury, but it may take from minutes to hours to be noticed. Any time fibers of a ligament, muscle, or tendon are damaged, some bleeding occurs. The bleeding (such as bruising on the surface of the skin) may take time to be noticed.
  
• Because of the pain and swelling, the body starts to favor the injured part. This may cause the muscles that surround the injured area to go into spasm. Hard knots of muscle might be felt near the site of the injury.
  
• The combination of pain, swelling, and spasm causes the body to further protect the injured part, which results in difficulty with use. Limping is a good example of the body trying to protect an injured leg.