Strains and sprains are often the result of taking part in sport.
First Aid procedures: sprains and strains
Strains and sprains are often the result of taking part in sport.
Strains are injuries to the muscles moving the bones (usually sustained by overstretching). Sprains are injuries to the joints.
Symptoms
- Sharp pain and tenderness
- Swelling and distortion of limb
- Signs of bruising
- Difficulty moving injured part of body
First aid aims
- Reduce pain and swelling
- Get medical help, if necessary
Actions
RICE procedure:
- R - rest and support affected limb
- I - apply ice or a cold compress to reduce swelling
- C - comfortably support by using effective support bandaging
- E - elevate limb to reduce blood flow to affected area
This treatment may be sufficient to relieve the symptoms, but if you're in doubt about the severity of the injury treat it as a fracture and seek medical advice.
Further action
If the injury seems serious, get medical help.
The British Red Cross last medically reviewed this article in December 2009.
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