Physical injury to your muscles and joints can occur with workplace, household, sporting, and recreational activities. Common mechanisms of injury include slip and fall or collision-impact type accidents, overstretching a body part, twisting awkwardly, or performing repetitive movements or activities. This can cause pain, stiffness, and swelling in a joint or muscle, leading to injuries such as sprains, strains, and contusions.
A sprain refers to a stretching or tearing
of a ligament. Ligaments are tough bands
of fibrous tissue that connect one bone to another. They help stabilize joints, preventing
excessive movement. One or more
ligaments can be injured at the same time.
Common locations for sprains
are the ankle, wrist, and knee joints.
A strain refers to a stretching or tearing
of a muscle or tendon. Muscles are
responsible for producing force and causing motion, whereas tendons are the
tough fibrous extensions of muscle that attach to bone. A strain
injury can occur when the muscle-tendon complex suddenly or powerfully contracts,
or when it is overstretched. This is
called an acute strain. Overuse of certain muscles over time can lead
to a chronic repetitive strain. Strains
are commonly referred to as “pulled muscles” or "tendinitis". The shoulders, forearms, low back, and leg
regions are common locations for strains
to occur.
Contusions are
commonly called “bruises”, and occur when small blood vessels in the skin,
muscles, or bones are subjected to trauma.
Sprain, strain, and contusion
injuries can exist on their own or in combination with each other.
Initial conservative
management and first aid of such injuries should follow the P.R.I.C.E. principle (Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression,
Elevation). This can significantly reduce swelling,
tissue damage, inflammation, muscle spasms, pain, and recovery time. With
a mild injury you should experience progressive improvement within 2 to 3
days. You should gradually begin using
the injured area after this time. Mild
injuries usually heal completely without any residual consequence in 1 to 4
weeks. Moderate injuries usually require 4 to 12 weeks to heal and may require
basic rehabilitative treatment and exercises.
Severe injuries will take longer to heal. Healing times may also vary dependent on a
persons age, physical condition and general health.
You should seek immediate medical care under the following
circumstances: a popping sound heard
during the injury accompanied by a feeling of joint instability or inability to
weight bear; obvious evidence or suspicion of a broken bone, fracture or joint
dislocation; or injuries at risk for infection.
For less serious injuries, you should contact a licensed
health professional who deals in the diagnosis and treatment of muscle and
joint pain if symptoms do not subside. A
qualified health professional can determine the cause of your pain and
prescribe appropriate therapy, exercises, and rehabilitation strategies
specifically for your circumstance. Join
us next month when we take a closer look at muscle and joint first aid
utilizing the P.R.I.C.E. principle.
This
article is a basic summary for educational purposes only. It is not intended, and should not be
considered, as a replacement for consultation, diagnosis or treatment by a duly
licensed health practitioner.
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