This article was published on: 01/3/22 9:51 AM
A sprain takes place when a ligament is stretched or torn. A ligament is a strong, fibrous rope-like tissue that connects two bones at a joint. When a person has injured one or more ligaments, it leads to a sprain. A sprain is very different from a strain but at times the terms can get used interchangeably. A strain is known as a tear, stretch or pull of where a muscle attaches to a bone, whereas, a sprain directly impacts the joint involved. The level of severity of a sprain can range from the ligament being pulled, stretched, partially torn or completely torn. It depends on the degree of sprain and the number of ligaments involved to understand how bad is the injury.
A person is likely to have a sprain in any joint in the body but the most vulnerable spots include those at higher risk of injury from falls and trauma within both the upper and lower parts of the body. The most common spots for sprains are the knee, ankle and wrist. A sprain in an ankle is most likely to happen when the foot turns inward as you run, land or turn on the ankle after a jump. What mostly happens in a knee sprain is that it occurs after a blow to the knee or a sudden twist or a fall, resulting in a sprain. In a wrist sprain, a person often happens to fall and land on an outstretched hand which leads to a painful sprain in the wrist.
Anyone can be at a risk of getting a sprain. It can happen to both the young and old, as well as the athletic and those engaging in typical daily activities. A person can be at an increased risk if they have a history of sprains, a poor physical condition or are overweight, participate in a lot of physical activity that happens on uneven surfaces or are fatigued – tired muscles are less likely to provide good support.
A sprain can be caused by either a direct or indirect injury that knocks the joint out of position and leads to overstretching and sometimes tearing of the supporting ligaments. The injuries that can cause a sprain include running, falling or slipping on a wet surface or uneven ground and taking a blow to the body that causes a direct hit or a shift in balance.
