Sprains occur in what type of tissue

Initial treatment includes stopping the activity that caused the fracture, elevation, ice, and anti-inflammatory medicine. Continued treatment includes rest, decreasing weight-bearing on the affected area, shoe inserts or braces, and possibly cast immobilization.

If the crack in the bone progresses further to a complete break, surgery may be required. A strain is an injury to a muscle or tendon, and is often caused by overuse, force, or stretching. The treatment for a strain is rest, ice, compression, and elevation R. If a tear in the muscle occurs, surgical repair may be needed.

Health Home Conditions and Diseases. Click image to enlarge. Muscle Strain Injuries of the Hip. What is tendonitis?

What is bursitis? Elbow strains frequently occur in racquet, throwing, and contact sports. The recommended treatment for a strain is the same as for a sprain: rest, ice, compression and elevation.

This should be followed by simple exercises to relieve pain and restore mobility. Surgery may be required for a more serious tear. A contusion is a bruise caused by a direct blow or repeated blows, crushing underlying muscle fibers and connective tissue without breaking the skin.

A contusion can result from falling or jamming the body against a hard surface. The discoloration of the skin is caused by blood pooling around the injury. Most contusions are mild and respond well with the RICE protocol. If symptoms persist, medical care should be sought to prevent permanent damage to the soft tissues. Tendinitis is an inflammation or irritation of a tendon or the covering of a tendon called a sheath.

It is caused by a series of small stresses that repeatedly aggravate the tendon. Symptoms typically include swelling and pain that worsens with activity. Professional baseball players, swimmers, tennis players, and golfers are susceptible to tendinitis in their shoulder and arms. Soccer and basketball players, runners, and aerobic dancers are prone to tendon inflammation in their legs and feet. Tendinitis may be treated by rest to eliminate stress, anti-inflammatory medication, steroid injections, splinting, and exercises to correct muscle imbalance and improve flexibility.

Persistent inflammation may cause significant damage to the tendon, which may require surgery. Bursae, are small, jelly-like sacs that are located throughout the body, including around the shoulder, elbow, hip, knee, and heel. They contain a small amount of fluid, and are positioned between bones and soft tissues, acting as cushions to help reduce friction.

Bursitis is inflammation of a bursa. Repeated small stresses and overuse can cause the bursa in the shoulder, elbow, hip, knee or ankle to swell. Many people experience bursitis in association with tendinitis.

Bursitis can usually be relieved by changes in activity and possibly with anti-inflammatory medication, such as ibuprofen. If swelling and pain do not respond to these measures, your doctor may recommend removing fluid from the bursa and injecting a corticosteroid medication into the bursa. The steroid medication is an anti-inflammatory drug that is stronger than the medication that can be taken by mouth. Corticosteroid injections usually work well to relieve pain and swelling.

Although surgery is rarely necessary for bursitis, if the bursa becomes infected, an operation to drain the fluid from the bursa may be necessary. In addition, if the bursa remains infected or the bursitis returns after all nonsurgical treatments have been tried, your doctor may recommend removal of the bursa. Removal excision of the bursa can be done using a standard incision open procedure , or as an arthroscopic procedure with small incisions and surgical instruments. Fiberglass casts are stronger, lighter, and longer-lasting.

After a week or so, the swelling goes down. Then, the plaster cast can sometimes be replaced with a fiberglass cast to fit the limb more snugly. People who require a cast are given special instructions for its care. If a cast is not correctly cared for, problems can develop.

For example, if the cast becomes wet, the protective padding under the cast may become wet, and drying it completely may be impossible. As a result, the skin can soften and break down, and sores may form. Also, if a plaster cast gets wet, it can fall apart and thus no longer protect and immobilize the injured area. People are instructed to keep the cast elevated as much as possible at or above heart level, especially for the first 24 to 48 hours. They should also regularly flex and extend their fingers or wiggle their toes.

These strategies help blood drain from the injured limb and thus prevent swelling. Rarely, casts cause pain, pressure, or numbness that remains constant or worsens over time.

Such symptoms must be reported to a doctor immediately. These symptoms may be due to a developing pressure sore Pressure Sores Pressure sores are areas of skin damage resulting from a lack of blood flow due to prolonged pressure.

Pressure sores often result from pressure combined with pulling on the skin, friction, In such cases, doctors may have to remove the cast and apply another one. When bathing, enclose the cast in a plastic bag and carefully seal the top with rubber bands or tape or use a waterproof cover designed to cover a cast. Such covers are commercially available, convenient to use, and more reliable.

If a cast becomes wet, the padding under the cast may retain moisture. A hair dryer can remove some dampness. Otherwise, the cast must be changed to prevent skin from breaking down. Check the edges of the cast everyday, and if they feel rough, place soft adhesive tape, tissues, cloth, or another soft material to pad them and keep them from injuring the skin.

When resting, position the cast carefully, possibly using a small pillow or pad, to prevent the cast's edge from pinching or digging into the skin. Contact a doctor immediately if the cast causes persistent pain or feels excessively tight. These symptoms may result from pressure sores or swelling, which may require immediate removal of the cast.

Contact a doctor if the cast gives off an odor or if a fever develops. These symptoms may indicate an infection. Contact a doctor if the cast causes worsening pain or numbness or weakness. These symptoms may indicate compartment syndrome. A splint can be used to immobilize some sprains and other injuries, particularly if they need to be kept immobile for only a few days or less. Splints allow people to apply ice and to move more than a cast does. A splint is a long, narrow slab of plaster, fiberglass, or aluminum applied with elastic wrap or tape.

Because the slab does not completely encircle the limb, there is room for some expansion due to swelling. Thus, a splint does not increase the risk of developing compartment syndrome. Some injuries that eventually require a cast are first immobilized with a splint until most of the swelling resolves. A sling by itself can provide some support. Slings can be useful when complete immobilization has undesirable effects.

For example, if a shoulder is completely immobilized, the tissues around the joint may become stiff, sometimes within days, preventing the shoulder from moving called frozen shoulder. Slings limit movement of the shoulder and elbow but allow movement of the hand. A swathe, which is a piece of cloth or a strap, may be used with a sling to prevent the arm from swinging outward, especially at night.

The swathe is wrapped around the person's back and over the injured part. Arthroscopic surgery Surgery Through a Keyhole Surgery is the term traditionally used to describe procedures called surgical procedures that involve manually cutting or stitching tissue to treat diseases, injuries, or deformities. For this procedure, a pencil-sized viewing tube is inserted in the joint through a tiny incision.

This procedure is done most often to repair ligaments in the knee knee sprains Knee Sprains and Related Injuries Knee sprains occur when the ligaments that attach the thighbone femur to the shinbone tibia are torn.

The cartilage pads menisci , which act as shock absorbers in the knee, may also be Most soft-tissue injuries heal well and result in few problems. However, some do not completely heal even though they are diagnosed and treated appropriately. For example, children heal much faster than adults, and certain disorders including those that cause problems with circulation, such as diabetes Blood vessel complications in diabetes People with diabetes mellitus have many serious long-term complications that affect many areas of the body, particularly the blood vessels, nerves, eyes, and kidneys.

See also Diabetes Mellitus Most often, doctors use the term peripheral arterial disease to describe poor circulation Partial tears in ligaments, tendons, and muscles tend to heal spontaneously, but complete tears often require surgery. Being immobilized makes joints stiff, and muscles weaken and shrink because they are not used. If a limb is immobilized in a cast, the affected joint becomes stiffer each week, and eventually people become unable to fully extend and flex their limb.

Such problems can develop quickly and become permanent, usually in older people. After wearing a long leg cast upper thigh to the toes for a few weeks, the muscles usually shrink so much that people can insert their hand into the formerly tight space between the cast and their thigh.

When the cast is removed, their muscles are very weak and look noticeably smaller. To prevent or minimize stiffness and to help people maintain muscle strength, doctors or physical therapists recommend daily exercise, including range-of-motion exercises Range-of-motion exercises Physical therapy, a component of rehabilitation, involves exercising and manipulating the body with an emphasis on the back, upper arms, and legs. It can improve joint and muscle function, helping While the injury is healing, people can exercise the rest of their body, as instructed by their doctor or physical therapist.

After the injury has healed sufficiently and the joint is no longer immobilized, people can start exercising the injured limb. When exercising, they should pay attention to how the injured limb feels and avoid exercising too forcefully. If the muscles are too weak for people to exercise them, a therapist moves their limbs for them called passive exercise Increasing the Shoulder's Range of Motion Physical therapy, a component of rehabilitation, involves exercising and manipulating the body with an emphasis on the back, upper arms, and legs.

However, ultimately, to regain full strength of an injured limb, people must move their own muscles called active exercise. Exercises to improve range of motion and muscle strength and to strengthen and stabilize the injured joint can help prevent injuries from recurring and help prevent long-term impairment. Most people feel some discomfort during activities, even after injuries have healed enough to allow them to put their full weight on the injured part.

People who are over 65 are more likely to injure muscles ligaments, and tendons, partly because they are more likely to fall. They are more likely to fall for the following reasons:. Some normal age-related changes Changes in the Body With Aging The body changes with aging because changes occur in individual cells and in whole organs.

These changes result in changes in function and in appearance. See also Overview of Aging. As cells Some older people feel dizzy or light-headed when they sit or stand up Dizziness or Light-Headedness When Standing Up In some people, particularly older people, blood pressure drops excessively when they sit or stand up a condition called orthostatic or postural hypotension. Symptoms of faintness, light-headedness They are more likely to have side effects of drugs such as drowsiness, loss of balance, and dizziness , which can make falls more likely.

In older people, recovery is often more complicated and slower than it is in younger people because. Older people typically have less overall strength, less flexibility, and poorer balance than younger people. Thus, compensating for the limitations caused by an injury is harder, and returning to daily activities is more difficult. When older people are inactive or immobilized by casts or splints , they lose muscle tissue more quickly than younger adults, Thus, immobilization can lead to muscle weakness.

Sometimes muscles become permanently shorter, and scar tissue forms in tissues around the joint such as ligaments and tendons. This condition called joint contractures limits movement of the joint. Older people are more likely to have other disorders such as arthritis or poor circulation , which can interfere with recovery or slow healing. Blood clots, usually in the legs as occurs in deep vein thrombosis Deep Vein Thrombosis DVT Thrombosis is when a blood clot called a thrombus blocks a blood vessel.

Deep vein thrombosis DVT is when a blood clot forms inside a large vein. Usually the vein is deep in your leg, but Twist a knee. Strain A strain happens when you twist or pull a muscle or tendon. A sudden or acute strain is caused by: A recent injury. Lifting heavy objects the wrong way. Overstressing the muscles. Chronic strains usually happen when you move the muscles and tendons the same way over and over. Is there a test? Is there a test for sprains and strains?

Your doctor checks for a sprain or strain by: Asking about the injury. Examining the area of the injury. How are they treated? How are sprains and strains treated? To reduce swelling and pain in the first day or two, doctors usually say to: Rest the injured area. If the ankle or knee is hurt, your doctor may tell you to use crutches or a cane. Put ice on the injury for 20 minutes 4 to 8 times a day.

Compress squeeze the injury using special bandages, casts, boots, or splints. Your doctor will tell you which one is best for you and how tight it should be. Put the injured ankle, knee, elbow, or wrist up on a pillow.

Take medicines, such as aspirin or ibuprofen. Living With Them. Living with sprains and strains The goal is to get you back to your normal everyday activities, including sports if possible. It is important that you have the following before returning to normal activity or sports: Normal motion. Can I prevent them? Can I prevent sprains and strains? You can help prevent sprains and strains by: Avoiding exercise or playing sports when tired or in pain.