Sprains & Strains

Sprains & strains are common injuries that can mainly be treated without any further medical intervention. A sprain is an injury to a ligament and a strain is an injury to muscle.

Sprain	Caused by a sudden stretching, twisting or tearing of a ligament. This injury is very common in falls and tends to affect ankles, knees and wrists.
Strain	Caused by pulling or tearing a muscle or tendon. This tends to happen suddenly when a muscle is overstretched or due to overuse (repetitive strain injury).

Recognition

• Pain, tenderness, weakness to affected area
• Swelling 
• Bruising
• Can not weight bear affected area
• Muscle spasms or cramping

Sprains and strains come with very similar signs and symptoms to fractures. The only way to rule out a fracture is by x-ray. 

Treatment

• Rest; help the child to sit or lie down 
• Ice; cool the area with a cold compress for no more than 20 minutes at a time, do not let anything frozen directly touch their skin. Allow the skin to return to a normal temperature before repeating this step. This will reduce pain and swelling.
• Compression; apply a firm but not constrictive bandage to the area to help minimise swelling
• Elevation; support the injured area in a raised position as this also helps to minimise swelling and bruising