Being athletic may not be enough to avoid minor injuries, especially if you play sports, do intense workouts, or play extreme sports like biking, cycling, skateboarding, or surfing.
Yes, sports and getting fit can be fun, but the risks of injuries are always there.
If that is the case you can benefit from knowing the difference between sprains and muscle strains.
This information will allow you to prevent these minor injuries, treat your injury properly and know when you are fully healed before you can continue with your physical activity.
What are sprains?
A sprain is stretching and tearing of ligaments. These are the tough bands of fibrous tissues that connect two bones and they are located in your joints.
The ankle is the most common body part that experiences sprains from playing sports like football, basketball, skateboarding, and more.
Some of the symptoms of sprains are:
- Pain
- bruising
- Swelling
- Limited range of movement
Mild sprains can be treated at home with an ice pack and rest.
However, if you cannot move or feel excruciating pain, you will need to see a doctor.
What is muscle strain?
A pulled muscle typically occurs during sprinting and sudden movements.
It may happen to your calf muscles if you don’t have enough sleep and do not warm up properly before
performing physical activities.
Some of the symptoms of pulled muscles or muscle strain are:
- Bruising
- Pain
- Couldn’t flex calf muscles
- Swelling
- Limited range of motion
Treating muscle strain depends on the severity and damage.
Some of the mild injuries only require enough rest, while completely tearing the muscles will require surgery.
