Sprains or Strains
It's likely to be a sprain or strain if you have pain, tenderness or weakness – often around your ankle, foot, wrist, thumb, knee, leg or back, the injured area is swollen or bruised, you cannot put weight on the injury or use it normally, you have muscle spasms or cramping – where your muscles painfully tighten on their own.
How to treat sprains and strains yourself:
or the first couple of days, follow the 4 steps known as RICE therapy to help bring down swelling and support the injury:
- Rest – stop any exercise or activities and try not to put any weight on the injury.
- Ice – apply an ice pack (or a bag of frozen vegetables wrapped in a tea towel) to the injury for up to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours.
- Compression – wrap a bandage around the injury to support it.
- Elevate – keep it raised on a pillow as much as possible.
To help prevent swelling, try to avoid heat (such as hot baths and heat packs), alcohol and massages for the first couple of days.
When you can move the injured area without pain stopping you, try to keep moving it so the joint or muscle does not become stiff.
There is sadly only one way to diagnose the difference between a sprain, strain or fracture and therefore if your pain gets no better, worsens or begins to swell or you experience any new symptoms you will need an x-ray, however, remember most minor injury units are fully equipped with X Ray Departments leaving Emergency Departments free for Life threatening emergencies.
REMEMBER THIS IS GENERIC ADVICE E.R MEDICAL ALWAYS RECOMMEND YOU SEEK PROMPT MEDICAL TREATMENT SHOULD YOUR SYMPTOMS CHANGE, WORSEN OR YOU ARE IN ANY WAY CONCERNED.
NHS 111 IS AVAILABLE 24/7 BY CALLING 111.
999 SHOULD ONLY BE USED IN LIFE THREATENING EMERGENCIES