Sports Injuries
Whether you experience a pain during or after getting exercise, you may wonder what kind of injury you have actually incurred. Most often, you’ll have a foot or ankle sprain or a strain. How do you know the difference and how do you treat them?
Sprains
A sprain is a stretch and/or tear of a ligament in the foot or ankle. A ligament is the fibrous band of connective tissue that joins two bones together. Ligaments stabilize and support the body’s joints.
A sprain is caused by direct or indirect trauma that knocks a joint out of position, overstretches it or, in severe cases, ruptures the supporting ligaments. Typically, this injury occurs when an individual falls and lands awarkardly on the foot and ankle or after running on an uneven surface.
Symptoms of a sprain include: pain, bruising, swelling, and inflammation. The individual may feel a tear or pop in the joint. In severe cases this may make the joint nonfunctional. In other cases, where the sprain partially tears the ligament, some swelling may occur and you may still be able to function “I’ll walk it off.“
Strains
A strain is an injury of a muscle or tendon. Tendons are fibrous cords of tissue that attach muscles to bone.
Chronic strains are the result of prolonged, repetitive movements of muscles and tendons. Insufficient breaks during intensive training oftentimes lead to a strain. Symptoms of a strain include pain, muscle spasm, muscle weakness, swelling, inflammation, and cramping. In severe strains, the muscle and/or tendon are partially or completely ruptured, often incapacitating the individual and limiting the ability to walk properly.
Use of bracing or splints are some of the treatments we can do for you at Podiatry Associates of Virginia.
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