Super Fitness Health BlogSprain – What is It?
A sprain is a very unpleasant injury caused to the connective tissues of the joint if you stretch them beyond their ability to stretch. Sprains are a quite normal kind of joint injury with large numbers of people seeking treatment for new injuries every day. Athletes are particularly prone to sprains. A tennis player may reach too far to return a serve. Or a jogger slips without finding a solid foothold. These and many more injuries are commonplace among active people. A lot of people injure themselves starting a fresh training program too quickly, too. Enthusiasm is good, but one should still be careful. In everyday living, the main causes are exerting yourself too much or losing your foothold due to uneven terrain while walking.
Sprains are that much easier to understand – and therefore avoid – if we get to know our joints a little better. A joint is anywhere two bones come together. They are held together by elastic fibers called ligaments. They are designed to take some amount of stretching in day to day activities. It’s when a ligament stretches too far that we get a sprain. 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. The common diagnostic methods are physical examination for swelling, an x-ray to rule out the possibility of fracture, and a MRI if a torn ligament is suspected, but only after the swelling subsides.
Immediately after a sprain, the injured person should immediately allow the joint to rest. The exact time to wait varies on the severity of the sprain, but rest will sometimes let the joint regain some immediate function. If you need to find first aid on your own, do so carefully to avoid additional injury. Be extra careful to put as little weight as possible on injured ankles and knees. For both pain relief and reducing future swelling, apply a bag or ice or an ice pack to the sprain. It is possible to over-use ice, though. Make sure to allow the joint to warm to allow healing. Compression will help to reduce pain and give support to the affected part. By tying a wrap looser at the point closest to the heart, you can prevent loss of circulation. Loss of circulation can be just as damaging as the sprain itself. Elevating the damaged joint will also stop some of the swelling.
While most sprains heal fully with time and care, some very sever sprains can cause lasting problems. In a game like rugby, when there is a sprain to the knee and the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)is injured, there is a risk of disability.
Part of rehabilitating a damaged ligament is exercise. This will restore strength and elasticity to the joint. There may be a bracing or taping at the affected joint for support, but to get back the normal movement and strength it is important to give exercise the joint after a sprain as per to the advice of the medical personnel.
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