Muscle Injuries – Sprains and Strains

Your muscles can be injured easily during sports activities or during any significant physical exertion, and the type of injury you may cause to your muscles can be different depending on the type of activity you are involved in and how the injury happened.

Imagine one scenario where a football player is injured during a tackle, and suffers an injury to his calf muscle when a larger player lands on it with significant force.Now imagine an injury suffered during a weightlifting session where someone uses a weight that is too large, and that this participant suffers from sore muscles the following day. These are two very different types of muscle injuries, but both can be very painful and debilitating.

A sprain occurs when muscles are stretched or torn when a joint is contorted into an unnatural position. These most often occur during fast-paced sports, impact sports, or incidents involving a slip and fall or even a car accident. A strain most often occurs when a muscle is flexed beyond its capacity causing stretching or tearing of muscle fibers.

Symptoms of a Sprain
Sprains can be classified as mild, moderate, or severe. A mild sprain occurs when a ligament stretches or perhaps sustains slight tears. This is most often accompanied by soreness or tenderness. A moderate sprain involves tearing of ligaments tear partially. This will cause difficult movement and you may experience swelling and possible discoloration of the tissue surrounding the tear. This is most often caused from internal bleeding at the injury site. The most severe type of sprain involves a complete tear, this will be accompanied by severe pain and discomfort, and movement will be very limited. Severe sprains will also exhibit swelling and discoloration. The pain associated with a severe muscle sprain can often be confused with a fracture. This type of injury should be checked out by a physician.

Muscle Strain Symptoms
Strains occur when a muscle is contracted quickly or stretched beyond a muscle’s normal capacity. Strains can be classified as acute or chronic. An acute strain will occur suddenly, most often involving an attempt to lift something heavy, or after a sudden reaction during sports or to avoid a fall down. Chronic strains are very common with athletes who over-use a muscle during workouts or competition. This type of injury is often referred to as a “pulled muscle”.

Treatment for mild sprains and strains can involve rest, and the application of ice to reduce swelling. Anti-inflammatory medications may also help to alleviate pain. More severe muscle tears should be examined by your physician. In most cases, these types of injuries will resolve with an appropriate immobilization of the muscles involved and rest.

If you have a sprain or strain that you are concerned about, contact us at PCP For Life at one of our many convenient locations throughout the greater Houston Texas area.