There is always a risk that you’ll find yourself with some form of a soft-tissue injury. However, those who play sports or who are extremely active are more prone to inflicting these injuries. The most common soft-tissue injury is a sprain, which is commonly referred to as a tear.
When suffering from a sprain, your mobility can be severely constrained for a period of time. Since strains or tears can affect nearly any muscle in your body and have a lengthy healing time, it is important to understand the injury in order to improve the healing process.
What is a Sprain or Tear?
Most people use the term sprain and tear interchangeably. A sprain occurs when a ligament stretches or tears. Since ligaments are the bands of fibrous tissue that connect two bones together, the stretching or tearing can leave you in extreme pain. You’ll also find that the signs of a spring or tear are highly recognizable. In most cases, swelling, shooting pain, and discomfort arise immediately after you’re injured. The pain can also vary depending upon where you strained yourself.
Most Common Sprain or Tear Locations
A sprain or tear can occur anywhere on the body. This type of injury is most common in areas such as the lower back, the ankle, the calf, and neck. Upon experiencing this type of injury, your mobility will be instantly limited. Therefore, if your job entails a high level of activity or if you are active at the gym, you may need to give yourself some time to heal before you are able to resume your normal activities. In addition, you should also visit your doctor and explain how the injury occurred, what you are feeling, and if you are in severe pain.
Symptoms Involved
The main issue with a sprain is that some people mistake it for other conditions, such as a strain. Unlike a sprain, a stain is a stretch or tear that occurs to the muscle itself. While the symptoms and level of pain involved in both conditions are fairly similar, there are notable differences. Those who experience a sprain will often notice bruising, pain, swelling, and an inability to move the joint. It is also common to hear or feel a “pop” at location of the joint. On the other hand, unlike a sprain, those who have a strain experience muscle spasms.
Visiting Your Doctor
If your sprain is minor, then you may not need to visit a doctor. In the case of a minor injury, you will need to relax at home and to refrain from doing any activities that puts pressure upon the sprain. You should also put ice on the area to reduce the swelling.
Alternatively, if the injury is extremely painful and severe, then you should visit your doctor. The most severe injuries prevent you from moving the affecting joint and in some instances, you won’t be able to feel anything in the affected area.
