In the human body there are many bones that can connect motionless, semi-mobile and mobile. Most of the movements of our body are ensured through joints. These formations are both strong and, thanks to the ligaments, very mobile.
Quite often, an unsuccessful movement, a fall, can lead to injury. Let's see what are the signs of bruising, sprain and dislocation. We discuss what first aid should be provided for such injuries.
What is stretching?
For people who lead an active lifestyle, such an injury is not uncommon. One wrong movement is enough - and now stretching limits mobility. Ligaments of a person, despite their strength, are still able to stretch and damage under the influence of a load.
Stretching refers to trauma in which the fibers of the connective tissue break, of which the ligaments are made. Since a large number of nerve endings and blood vessels pass through them, the signs of sprain almost immediately appear in the form of pain and swelling. Damage to the ligaments can be of varying degrees, the most serious is their complete rupture.
The severity also depends on the number of affected fibers. Any sudden movements, a heavy load can lead to the fact that signs of joint sprain will be obvious. Such injuries are not uncommon in children, athletes and those who prefer to lead an active lifestyle.
What can provoke sprain
Ligaments are connective tissue, which is responsible in the joints for their strength and attaches muscles to the bones. The fiber structure is quite strong and able to withstand heavy loads, thereby ensuring mobility. If there is an inadequate physical effect, then signs of stretching appear right there. Most often, such injuries occur:
- If mechanical damage to the joint occurs.
- Excessive physical exertion occurs.
- For a long time, joints and ligaments are exposed to the same load.
- Sharp movements in the joint that exceed normal amplitude.
Factors Increasing Stretch Risk
Athletes are always at risk. Despite intensive and regular training, ligaments do not always withstand excessive loads. In children, the ligamentous apparatus has not yet been fully formed, so they can also be attributed to this group. There are some other factors that increase the risk of getting a stretch:
- If a person leads an inactive lifestyle, then any increased physical activity can result in signs of sprains that will not take long to wait.
- Many, going to the gym or doing their own work, incorrectly distribute the load when running, jumping, which is fraught with injury.
- The risk of stretching will be significantly reduced if at least a small warm-up is performed before performing the main group of exercises.
- You should not continue classes if you feel very tired. In such situations, coordination can fail, and any awkward movement will stretch.
- With age, the elasticity of the ligaments decreases significantly, so the frequency of such injuries increases.
- In the second half of pregnancy, the ligamentous apparatus is already preparing for the upcoming birth and becomes excessively elastic, which increases the risk of stretching with awkward movements.
From all of the above, it becomes clear that almost everyone can get such an injury. It is now important to recognize the signs of sprains in time and provide first aid to the victim.
Types of sprain
Sprain can occur in almost any joint, the following types of such injuries are distinguished from here:
- Stretching in the acromioclavicular joint. Such damage often occurs if a person falls or gets hit on the top of the joint. Immediately, pain is felt over the outer end of the clavicle when moving the arm across the body.
- Stretching in the sternoclavicular joint can occur if you fall on your outstretched arm.
- Wrist sprains occur if the hand is sharply extended.
- Knee injury is also diagnosed quite often. This can be a direct hit or twisting.
- Damage to the cruciate ligament can occur with strong twisting of the thigh with a fixed lower leg. At the time of injury, a feeling is created that the knee is “falling apart”.
- Ankle sprain . It often happens if you tuck your leg or accidentally land on the leg of a person standing nearby.
The signs of distension for different types of injuries are almost the same, and we will get to know them later.
Degrees of stretching
The severity of stretching can be different, from here several degrees are distinguished:
1st degree is the easiest. Damage to a small area of the ligament occurs. The victim feels pain, but this does not affect the movements. Edema may be absent altogether.
2nd degree - moderate. As a rule, this is a partial rupture of ligaments. In the injured area, severe pain is felt, swelling appears and hemorrhage under the skin.
The most severe degree is 3rd. A complete rupture of the ligaments occurs, severe acute pain appears, large swelling, bruises. If an ankle injury is observed , then the victim cannot even step on his leg.
Signs of sprains
When stretched, almost all victims note the appearance of pain. This is due to the large number of nerve endings in the ligaments and blood vessels, so there is also a swelling.
Pain and swelling are the first signs of a sprain, but there are other symptoms:
- Bruising, hemorrhage in the tissue.
- The damaged area swells.
- Redness of the skin.
- Limited motor activity.
- If you touch the injured place, then you feel pain.
- Temperature increase (not always).
- Hyperthermia at the site of damage.
Signs of bruising, sprains are quite similar. In both cases, sometimes it happens that the victim in the first moments do not feel pain, therefore, continues to move on. But this is dangerous because stretching only intensifies, since the mobility of the joint injures the tissue.
In addition to sprains, rupture of the ligaments is possible, and this will require a completely different help and treatment. In addition, signs of dislocation, signs of sprain are also quite similar, so you need to be able to distinguish between them.
Manifestations of dislocation
With a dislocation, the following phenomena occur:
- Ligament rupture.
- Bone displacement.
- The surfaces of the articular bones cease to touch or partially do so.
- The joint changes its external form.
- Motor function is impaired.
Of course, dislocation and fracture are more serious injuries, but the first manifestations may resemble a sprain, so it is necessary to diagnose as soon as possible and begin effective therapy.
Signs of muscle strain
In addition to sprain, one can observe the same injury, but affecting muscle fibers. If you stretch or contract them excessively, then there will already be signs of muscle strain:
- Pain in the muscle during movement and palpation.
- The muscle swells and becomes swollen.
- Perhaps the formation of hematomas.
- A painful seal appears at the site of damage.
- The functioning of the muscle is completely or partially disturbed.
If the injury is mild, then after a few days it will cease to bother. More serious injuries require the intervention of a doctor.
Distinguish muscle stretching from sprain can be on the following grounds:
- If there is an injury to the ligaments, then pain appears almost immediately or after a short period of time.
- With muscle strain, pain usually appears the next day.
How to help the victim?
So, we already know which signs indicate sprain. And first aid can be provided to the victim in a timely manner, which will significantly reduce the risk of complications. The algorithm of actions will be as follows:
- An injured limb must be immobilized as quickly as possible. This will help relieve pain and reduce the risk of developing negative reactions.
- Cold can be applied to the site of injury - this will relieve swelling, reduce pain. In such situations, any improvised means can be used, from snow from the street to a piece of frozen meat from the freezer.
- Give the joint a natural position and apply a tight bandage.
- You can give the victim an anesthetic to relieve pain.
- If bruising appears, then the limbs must be given an elevated position, which will prevent the growth of edema.
- Visit a doctor to rule out sprains and ligaments.
If there is a slight sprain (signs), and first aid is provided, then after about 5 days the symptoms will begin to subside, and disability is fully restored.
Taboo sprain
Everyone should also know what to do when stretching:
- It is forbidden to rub the injured place or warm it. Thermal procedures can be used only a few days after the injury to improve blood circulation, speedy resorption of hematomas.
- You can not take alcohol as a painkiller - it can increase bleeding, if any, and slow down the tissue repair process.
- Only complete peace will help the ligaments recover faster, but if you continue to train or work through pain, this can lead to the development of complications.
If you follow all the recommendations of the doctor and ensure complete rest of the affected limb, then the injured area will heal much faster.
Urgently to the doctor!
If the healing process is delayed and the following symptoms are observed, then you must consult a doctor:
- Severe pain, an injured limb cannot be moved.
- Numbness in the injured joint or lower is felt.
- The injury site turned red.
- Already in the past there have been cases of joint damage.
- The mobility in the joint is impaired, “crackling” is felt.
- Within a few days, improvement does not occur.
- Body temperature has risen.
If one or more of these signs have a place to be, you will have to call a doctor.
Sprain treatment
Therapeutic measures include the following:
- Physiotherapeutic procedures.
- Injections of anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Physiotherapy.
- The use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
If stretching without tearing the ligaments, then physiotherapeutic procedures have a good effect. But it is not always possible to visit such rooms, so with a slight stretch, a pressure bandage is quite suitable. Recently, orthopedic devices for immobilization made of natural or synthetic materials are becoming more popular.
In the first couple of days, you can use cooling compresses, and then move on to warming ones. A good help in the treatment of sprains is the use of ointments and gels, such as Voltaren, Diclofenac. They not only help reduce swelling, but also relieve pain.
After the swelling subsides and the pain disappears, you can begin to perform some exercises that will help restore normal joint motor activity.
Strong stretching sometimes requires the use of steroid hormones, such as ointments with prednisone and hydrocortisone. Such drugs have anti-inflammatory effects, relieve pain and swelling of the tissues.
If serious injury occurs, surgery may be necessary to stitch the torn ligaments.
Home Therapy
If the victim does not want to see a doctor, then, as a rule, they start home-based methods of therapy. The first step is to apply a bandage to the leg and an anesthetic injection. You can use "Diclofenac", "Ketanov" for these purposes.
Home treatment comes down to the use of ointments, compresses that help relieve swelling, get rid of pain. You can recommend this recipe for a home remedy:
- Grate one potato and onion.
- Grind a leaf of cabbage.
- Dilute a tablespoon of clay yogurt.
- Combine all components and make a compress overnight.
You can use another recipe:
- Grind 10 cloves of garlic and pour 0.5 l of apple cider vinegar or 100 ml of vodka.
- Leave to infuse for 2 weeks in a dark place.
- After 14 days, filter and add 20 drops of eucalyptus oil.
- The composition can be used for compress.
If the injury is minor, then most likely, such methods will have an effective effect, and the symptoms of sprains will soon cease to bother.
Do not ignore even minor injuries: without appropriate treatment, complications may develop, and this will require more serious therapy.