Strain: Tendons are tissues that connect our muscles to bones and injury to this tissue is known as Strain. Strain can be of mild, moderate and severe based on tearing of tissue, pain, and swelling.

Sprain: Ligaments are the thick fibrous connective tissue that connects one bone to other bone and injury to the ligaments causes sprain in the body.

Causes:

The Strain is caused when excessive pressure is put on the muscles due to which they get stretched or pulled away from the bone whereas Sprain is caused due to an injury to the ligament which makes the joint difficult to move in the right direction. 

Symptoms:

Symptoms for sprains and strains are similar which include pain and swelling in the injured area, difficulty using or moving the injured area in a normal way, warmth, bruising or redness in the injured area.

Areas Affected:

In Sprain: most common is ankle joint, then knee, fingers, toes, and wrist.

In Strain: Lower Back, legs, Elbow. Elbow strain can be of two types: tennis elbow and Golfer’s elbow.

Treatment

Both Sprains and Strains are treated in a similar way. Mild sprains and strains can be treated using home remedies and over-the-counter medications.

The main treatment for all sprains and strains is RICE: Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation.

Rest: Stay away from any physical activities that would put any pressure on the affected area.
Ice: Apply ice to the affected area every 2 to 3 hours for about 20 minutes each time.
Compression: Reduce swelling by wrapping the affected area with a stretchy bandage.
Elevation: Raise the injured area if possible.

For pain, over-the-counter pain relievers can be helpful.

If pain persists even after doing RICE treatment, evaluation by a specialist doctor or Orthopedician is required then. An orthopaedician will diagnose the root cause of the problem and determine how much damage has been caused due to an injury. If the injury is severe, like a complete tear, he may recommend surgery.

Knee exercises:

Straighten your knee and hold it for 5 to 10 seconds

Lift your leg several inches for 5 to 10 seconds.

Do ankle pumps by moving your foot up and down rhythmically by contracting your calf and shin muscles. Perform this exercise for 2 to 3 minutes. This will help in reducing swelling on the ankle and lower leg.

Sitting, standing and assisted Knee bends

Cycling

Stair climbing and descending

Hip exercises:

Do Ankle pump and Ankle rotation for 5 or 10 minutes daily.

Do buttock contractions by tightening the buttocks and holding it to a count of 5.

Slide your leg out to the side as far as you can and then back. Do it 10-15 times.

Do standing exercises which includes knee raises (stand straight and bend your knee upward to create a 90-degree angle at the hip),

Hip abduction (Stand with your back against the wall, slide down until your hip is at a 45-degree angle. Hold for 5 seconds and then return to a straight position)

 Hip extension procedure

Dr. Amit Saini recommends that patient should exercise for 20 to 30 minutes, 2 or 3 times a day for early recovery in any joint replacement surgery. Proper walking is the best way to help your knee and hip recover. In the starting months, walk with a crutch or walker to maintain the balance.

 Dr. Amit Saini, Consultant orthopedician at Sapra multispeciality Hospital, Hisar aware that Spine osteoarthritis is common among all and extremely painful. In this case, joint become stiff due fluid buildup during the long inactivity of bones. That’s why stiffness became worse in the morning but with some physical activity, it reduces later on.

The symptoms of spinal Osteoarthritis include back pain. When a person sits upright or stand, the pain became worse. The flexibility of the joints reduces in the spinal osteoarthritis. A sensation of pinching, tingling, or numbness in a nerve or the spinal cord can occur. Sound of bone rubbing can also be heard in some extreme cases.

As this is a progressive degenerative disease, it became worse with the passage of time. Dr. Amit Saini said “early diagnosis with the help of orthopedic surgeon and following the steps prescribed can help in treating the spinal osteoarthritis:

• Do strengthening exercises

• Reduce weight

• Anti inflammatory medications

• Heat or cold therapy

• Make some changes in lifestyle. Include walking, swimming, aerobic activities, and yoga.

Never ignore the symptoms and talk to your orthopedician if you have pain, numbness, weakness, or swelling in your back — or in any part of your body.