If you experience a strain or sprain, the pain can be difficult to distinguish from that of a broken bone because they are so similar.
However, proper diagnosis and treatment are crucial to ensure optimal healing.
Don’t let pain keep you from doing the things you love. Visit Alamo City Urgent Care for sprains, strains, and fractures.
What Is a Sprain?
A sprain is an injury that occurs when a joint is forced into an unnatural position, resulting in stretched or torn ligaments. Ligaments are tough, connective tissues that help hold your muscles to your bones, stabilize joints, and prevent excessive movement. Common causes of sprains include:
- Twisting or turning a joint beyond its normal range of motion.
- Falling and landing on an outstretched hand, resulting in a thumb or wrist sprain.
- Falling, tripping, and landing unnaturally (common when walking or running on uneven surfaces), resulting in an ankle sprain.
- Stopping or changing directions suddenly (common during sports), resulting in a knee sprain.
If you’re looking for expert urgent care for a sprained ankle, visit Alamo City today.
What Is a Strain?
A strain is an injury that occurs when a muscle or tendon is stretched or torn. Common causes of strains include:
- Lifting heavy objects improperly
- Tripping or falling
- Participating in athletics
- Overexerting during physical activity
- Moving or changing directions suddenly
- Keeping a poor posture or performing repetitive movements
Both strains and sprains can cause swelling and pain in the area that has been affected. Keep reading to learn about strain and sprain symptoms.
Strain and Sprain Symptoms
Sprains can lead to limited joint mobility and bruising. There typically will be a popping sound along with a popping sensation when the injury happens. Strains can also cause you to have a limited range of motion and muscle spasms.
Common symptoms include:
- Pain, swelling, and bruising
- Weakness and stiffness
- Limited range of motion
- Difficulty or inability to bear weight, which can be managed with effective treatment for minor injuries at home or at an urgent care center.
Often, mild sprains and strains can be safely treated at home using the RICE treatment:
- Rest the injured area as much as possible.
- Ice the injured area for 15-20 minutes every 2-3 hours during the first 48 hours after injury.
- Compress the injured area using an elastic bandage or compression wrap to reduce swelling and prevent excessive fluid buildup.
- Elevate the injured area above the heart as often as possible, especially during rest or sleep, to reduce swelling.
- Over-the-counter pain medications
If your injury does not improve within 48 to 72 hours, or you experience significant pain, swelling, or loss of function, go to your nearest urgent care for sprained wrist, ankle, or knee treatment.
When to Seek Immediate Care
Visit Alamo City Urgent Care right away if you experience any of these symptoms following a sprain or strain:
- Numbness in the injured area
- Unable to walk without severe pain
- Cannot move the joint that is affected
Urgent Care Treatment for Sprains
Before the doctor decides on any treatment, they will evaluate the injured area and review your overall health. They will also ask questions about your general health, health history, what happened before the incident, and any medications you currently take.
Next, they will perform a physical exam, which helps your doctor diagnose the problem. Diagnosing depends upon the severity and location of your injury, and diagnostic imaging, which gives them a deeper look into the injury.
The physician working with you might give you a compression device (a specialized medical brace for immobilizing the injured area) and pain relief medication. If there is severe damage to the tissue around the injured site, surgery may be required to restore proper functioning in the injured area.
How to Tell Between a Sprain and a Fracture
It can often be difficult to distinguish between a sprain and a fracture. Here are three ways to help you differentiate between the two:
- Deformity
Fractures are more likely to cause visible deformity or misalignment of the affected bone. - Pain
Sprains are more likely to cause localized pain in and around the soft tissues. On the other hand, pain from a fracture may be more focused directly over the bone. - X-ray
The most reliable way to tell the difference between a sprain and a fracture—and get the appropriate level of care—is to seek an X-ray evaluation at an urgent care center.
Visit Alamo City Urgent Care Today for Expert Strain and Sprain Treatment
Visit Alamo City Urgent Care for a comprehensive evaluation of your strain or sprain. All Alamo City Urgent Care centers are equipped with on-site advanced high-definition x-ray and imaging services.
If your injury required more than what we can offer to make you well, we provide professional transportation to a facility that is equipped to handle the needs of your injury.
At Alamo City Urgent Care, you can expect prompt, top-notch urgent care for sprains tailored to your needs. For faster urgent care services, find a location near you and book an appointment to start feeling better today.
