Your muscles connect to joints and bone by tissues called tendons. When a muscle contracts, the tendon is pulled, allowing the joint to move. If the tendon becomes stretched or torn, you’ve got a strain. Another kind of tissue — ligaments — helps stabilize your joints. If the ligament is stretched or torn, you’ve got a sprain.
So what causes a sprain or a strain? Stress. If your muscles and joints are moving in a way they aren’t ready for or just aren’t supposed to be moving, you can end up with a sprain or strain.
If you do have a sprain or strain, just remember RICE:
- Rest: rest the injured body part. You won’t get better if you keep moving on an injured limb.
- Ice: apply ice to limit swelling and ease pain. Don’t keep the ice on constantly; try to spend equal amounts of time with the ice on and off.
- Compression: limit swelling with a wrap, but don’t wrap yourself up so tightly that you lose circulation.
- Elevation: keep the injured body part elevated to help reduce swelling. Keep it above your heart so fluid and blood will drain downward.
Other things you can do to ease the pain of a strain or sprain and help your body heal faster:
- Use an over-the-counter pain medication to relieve pain and reduce inflammation.
- Mix a few drops of lavender, chamomile, or tea tree essential oils into a carrier oil or lotion for a soothing sprain rub that will help promote healing. Just don’t rub too hard!
- Wear a sling or splint to help rest the injured body part.
You can prevent sprains and strains by warming up before your exercise! Always do some gentle stretching before any sort of exercise, to get your muscles, tendons, and ligaments ready to perform.
If the sprain or strain is severe, your doctor may have you wear a plaster or fiberglass cast or splint. Some injuries to tendons or ligaments may need surgery to repair.