Sprains and Strains

hellonotarealdr
Jun 9
2 min read

Updated: Jun 24

Sprains and strains are soft tissue injuries, especially around bones and joints. They usually happen because of overexertion*, especially with sport.

What you might see:

Swelling
Tenderness
Bruising
Difficulty moving the affected area.

This image shows the difference between strain and sprain.

What to do:

You can treat strains and sprains using the RICE method.

Rest: rest the injured part. Help the casualty* to sit or lie down in a comfortable position.
Ice: ice the area. make sure to wrap the ice pack in a sweatshirt or towel before applying it to the affected area, so that the ice does not directly touch the skin.
Comfortable support: provide comfortable support by putting cushions/folded up blankets under the affected area. If necessary, you can give a paracetamol* or ibuprofen* to the casualty. Make sure to check the age allowance on pain medication, especially when working with children.

Stretch!

Ibuprofen is an NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug), so it reduces both pain and inflammation, whereas paracetamol reduces pain, but has little anti-inflammatory effect.

Elevate: elevate the affected limb to minimise swelling and bruising. You could do this using cushions under the body part.

Summary:

Sprains and strains are soft tissue injuries, meaning they only affect the muscle and flesh and don't affect the bone. You can treat them using the RICE method, which stands for rest, ice, comfortable support, and elevate.

Glossary:

Overexertion: working too hard.

Casualty: the person that's hurt in a first aid scenario.

Paracetamol: a type of painkiller (medicine that makes an injury stop hurting)

Ibuprofen: another kind of painkiller. If someone is taking ibuprofen, make sure they have eaten something before, because if they haven't, this medicine could damage their stomach.

For Older Learners:

Use these questions to challenge yourself!

How might advice for treating sprains and strains differ when treating athletes compared to elderly individuals?
What pros and cons could there be if we invented technology that allowed people to be monitored constantly for micro-sprains?
When might you change your treatment for a sprain/strain from the RICE method to something else? Why?