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Understanding Sprains and Strains - Symptoms
What Are the Symptoms of Sprains and Strains?
Sprains affect your joints. Strains affect your muscles. Both usually occur after a fall or sudden movement that violently pulls or twists a part of your body. Chronic overuse of muscles or joints can also cause strains and sprains.
Symptoms of a sprain:
- Pain in the affected joint
- Rapid swelling of a joint, often accompanied by bruising
- Stiffness and difficulty moving a joint
- Increase in skin temperature near the swelling, and redness of the skin
Symptoms of a strain:
- Sharp pain at the site of an injury
- Pain followed by stiffness and tenderness, and in some cases, swelling, and bruising
- Inability to fully bear weight on one's knee or ankle
- Limited range of motion of the shoulder, elbow, or wrist
Call Your Doctor If:
- The pain, swelling, or stiffness does not improve in 2 to 3 days.
- You feel a popping sensation when you move a sprained joint; this may indicate a serious injury that requires immediate medical treatment.
- You can't move or bear weight on an injured joint. You may have a broken bone.
- The bones in an injured joint don't seem to be aligned properly. The ligaments that hold the joint together may be badly torn, requiring surgical repair.
- An injured muscle doesn't move at all. The muscle may be torn completely through and require immediate medical attention.
- You have repeated sprains or strains, indicating a chronic weakness that should be evaluated by a doctor.
- You have difficulty moving or walking after straining any back muscle.
- You have a fever, and the injured area is red and hot; you may have an infection.
WebMD Medical Reference
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