Treatment Options for Sprains at Lake Conway clinic

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Are you struggling with a minor or severe sprain? At Lake Conway Medical Clinic, we understand that sprains can be frustrating and painful injuries. You need an experienced physician to take the necessary steps to ensure your injury can heal back to full strength. We are skilled in devising an effective and safe plan for each of our patients.

Sprains can Occur in a Variety of Joints, Such as the Following

• Knee
• Ankle
• Finger
• Thumb
• Shoulder

One of our medics will form a plan for you to follow and know you are doing what is most conducive to your recovery! It is important to understand your particular plan and faithfully follow the steps given to you by your physician. Do not hesitate to find treatment for your injury!

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Sprains are caused by injuries from falls or during sports activities. The ankle can be twisted due to uncomfortable shoes as well. Overweight people are at risk (this increases the load on joints and ligaments).

Joint ligaments are strong, dense formations. They strengthen the connections between bones and limit the range of motion in the joints. If there is a sudden movement that exceeds the normal range of motion for the joint, a partial or complete rupture of the ligament occurs.

When the ligaments are sprained, the main symptom is sharp pain, the appearance of swelling. On the second or third day, the skin may turn blue. Sometimes, when injured, you can hear a characteristic sound that resembles a pop. It may indicate a rupture of most of the fibers of the ligamentous apparatus.

You may suspect a sprain if you feel.

• Pain when moving the joint, significantly aggravated when trying to turn the joint in the direction in which it was stretched during injury.
• Pain when pressing on the area of torn ligaments and the place of their attachment to the bones.
• When the ligaments of the leg are stretched - pain when stepping on the leg, sometimes (rarely) a complete impossibility of stepping on it.
• The emergence and gradual increase of joint edema, which gives the joint an "elephant" appearance.
• Hematoma, redness and increased skin temperature in the area of injury; often, the hematoma appears on the second day and just below the site of injury.
• With a moderate injury, there is a significant limitation of joint mobility; with a complete rupture of the ligament, on the contrary, the joint becomes excessively mobile and unstable, which becomes especially noticeable after swelling.

First Aid for Sprains

• If your ankle is damaged, you need to take off your shoes. After the onset of swelling, this is harder to do.
• Apply a cold compress to the damaged area (for no more than 15 minutes) to reduce hematoma and prevent further spread of the swelling.
• Apply an elastic bandage. The injured limb must be immobilized as much as possible.

There are no symptoms characteristic only of sprains, so you should see a physician and have a CT scan done. This is necessary to exclude the more severe consequences of the injury — a rupture of ligaments or fractures. 

With proper treatment, the ligament is completely restored within 3-4 weeks (with the first and second degree of damage). If you do not adhere to a partial-load mode and begin to load the injured ligament before complete recovery, a long-term pain syndrome may develop, which is very difficult to treat.

Physicians at Lake Conway Clinic will determine what medications and analgesics are needed to eliminate symptoms and speed up the regeneration process. When the ligaments are completely healed, your physician will select a complex of rehabilitation exercises for you. Exercises are needed to prevent complications and to strengthen the damaged ligaments. The physician selects a set of exercises individually, depending on the injury, the degree of damage, and the physical condition of the patient. 

5 Rules to Prevent Sprains

• Warm-up before training.
• Do not play sports until you are completely exhausted; in a state of fatigue, the risk of an accident increases.
• Avoid falls - keeping your stairs, hallways, and garden tidy and sanding the paths next to your house in winter is an excellent prevention of injury.
• Try not to walk or run on uneven surfaces.
• Eat healthily and keep your vitamin D levels in the body to keep muscles strong and bones and joints sturdy.

4 Strict "NO" With Torn Ligaments

To Heat the Injured Area

A joint that has suffered from a torn ligament should not be heated for the first 3-5 days after injury. Avoid hot baths, heating pads, warm compresses. Failure to comply with this rule can provoke purulent inflammation.

Play Sports and Move Actively

By loading a limb during the treatment of a sprain, a person exposes himself to a new danger - a complete rupture of the ligaments. Prevent сomplications heavy physical work, sports, choreography, and gymnastics should be completely excluded during treatment. Also, you should not participate in hikes, expeditions, long walks.

Massage the Injured Area

Massaging and rubbing the injured joint can lead to profuse hemorrhage and increased pain. To prevent сomplications, it is necessary to abandon these manipulations for the duration of treatment. 

Drinking Alcohol

Alcohol dilates blood vessels, and this is a fact. When stretching the ligaments, it is better not to provoke profuse hemorrhage and acceleration of blood flow since this will not only aggravate the patient's condition but can also lead to some complications.

Signs of Sprains in Children

Children are surprisingly active and restless beings. And no matter how closely the parents watch the child, they cannot fully protect him from all unpleasant accidents and injuries. Bruises, sprains, dislocations in children are very common, so parents should know what to do in such a situation and how to help them.

Ligaments of the wrist, ankle, and knee joints most often suffer from sprains in children. At the time of injury, the child feels a sharp pain in the area of the affected joint, after which, after a few minutes, a rapidly growing swelling appears, and a little later, bruises may form. The joint itself is not deformed, and although the child complains of pain, he may well move the injured hand, clench his fingers into a fist, or step on the injured leg. Therefore, if after an injury, the child cannot lean or move the injured limb, it is important to get him to the physician as soon as possible.

With the right treatment tactics, children recover faster than adults. Dr. Dang will help you choose the right drugs and rehabilitation mode.