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Sprains and strains sounds similar and we sometimes unnoticeably interchange terms one from the other. But no, these two is completely different.
Sprain is an injury involving the tearing of ligaments (tissues which connects bones of a joint) when overstretched. Sprains in the ankle and wrist area were very common among athletes. These sprains are classified based on the level of its severity.
- Grade 1 - when ligament fibers were stretched but not torn
- Grade 2 - there were some torn fibers however the ligaments were functionally intact
- Grade 3 - this occurs when the ligaments were totally torn and is the most severe level
The kind of serious sprain which I usually notice that affects most of the athletes I know is the ACL injury.
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Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury is commonly known in its abbreviation ACL injury. By the name itself, its pretty obvious that it has something to do with the anterior cruciate ligament which is the major of the four ligaments (Anterior Cruciate Ligament, Posterior Cruciate Ligament, Medial Collateral Ligament and Lateral Collateral Ligament) present in the knee and helps in stabilizing it. Among the four ligaments, the anterior cruciate is the most commonly injured ligament. This injury occurs when there is a hyperextension of the knee (over straightens) followed by a sudden twist at the same time towards the opposite direction thus making the anterior cruciate ligament to stretch and tear.
ACL injury can be acquired in both contact and non contact sports. In contact sports, it happens when there is a direct blow to the knee or if there's a collision between athletes such as in football. In non contact sports, this happens when the athlete changes direction quickly and making a sudden stop or when an athlete has an awkward landing after he/she jumps such as in basketball and in volleyball. Signs and symptoms of an ACL injury is as follows:
- when you hear a loud popping sound as the ligaments tear during the injury
- severe pain and knee swelling
- being unable to move and/or there's a difficulty in moving your joint
Women are more likely to experience this injury compared to men because women have less muscle mass and differs in the body structure.
Strains on the other hand is an injury involving the tearing of tendons (tissues that connects the muscle to the bone) when overstretched. It can be acute or chronic. Acute strain is caused by over stressing the tendons or sometimes by improper ways of lifting heavy objects while chronic strains are the result of overusing the muscles or tendons. Back strains, Hamstring strains and Tendonitis are common types of strains. Just like sprains, strains were classified also based on there level of severity.
- Grade 1 is a mild muscle pull or strain.
- Grade 2 is a moderate strain which involves a partial muscle tear
- Grade 3 is a severe strain which involves a complete muscle tear
The type of strain that most athletes encountered is the hamstring injury.
Hamstring injury by the name itself has something to do with the hamstring or the tendons that are present at the back of the thigh. It is a kind strain that occurs when any of the tendons and/or muscles were stretched beyond their limit causing it to tear. Mild hamstring strains don't hurt too much but severe hamstring strains can be very painful.
Symptoms of Hamstring injury are as follows:
- muscle spasms
- swelling
- bruising
- sudden and severe pain during exercises
Good thing minor and moderate hamstring strains heal on its own while severe hamstring strains may need some surgery.
When experiencing hamstring injury, it is advisable to do the following: (RICE therapy and taking in some pain relievers)
- Rest the leg and if possible, avoid putting weight in the leg
- Ice your leg to reduce the swelling and pain just don't apply it directly to your skin.
- Compress your leg, put some bandage around your leg to lessen the swelling
- Elevate your leg
- Take anti-inflammatory pain killers that is prescribed to you by your doctor
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To be injured is one of the worst thing that might happen to a player of any sports. If it'll happen, this will only mean one thing and that is for a player to stop playing his/her sport in a couple of weeks or until he/she is fully recovered. And once you were cleared to play again, you'll have to face yet another battle. You have to start things up and do some conditioning until you became comfortable and found your perfect shape.
