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Strains and Sprains

The majority of sports injuries are caused due to some minor trauma to muscles, ligaments or tendons. Generally, these injuries are often recognized by the onset of swelling, pain, and/or discoloration.

Many sports place participants at risk for sprains and strains; these include football, basketball, gymnastics, volleyball, and many others. These injuries also often occur in normal everyday activities such as a slip on ice, a fall on your wrist, or jamming a finger. Repetitive activities may also cause a sprain or strain.

Among the major type of injuries, the two common ones are sprains and strains.

Sprain

A sprain is an injury to a ligament--a stretching or a tearing. One or more ligaments can be injured during a sprain. The severity of the injury will depend on the extent of injury to a single ligament (whether the tear is partial or complete) and the number of ligaments involved.

The most frequently sprained ligaments are in the:

Ankle and some other types of sprains can usually be treated conservatively with treatments such as icing and physical therapy.

Strain

A strain is an injury to either a muscle or a tendon generally caused by overuse, force, or stretching. Depending on the severity of the injury, a strain may be a simple overstretch of the muscle or tendon, or it can result in a partial or complete tear.

Causes

Strains are injuries to muscles or the tendons that attach the muscles to your bones. By pulling too far on a muscle, or by pulling a muscle in one direction while it is contracting (called an 'eccentric contraction') in the other direction can cause injuries within the muscle or tendon.

Types of Strains

This injury often occurs in activities such as running, hiking, and basketball. People sometimes fall or step on an uneven surface (as in basketball) and roll their foot to the inside.