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Sprain treatment is selected according to the severity of a clinical case. In most cases, a slight sprain of the ligaments of the joints is not particularly dangerous and passes on its own.

Sprain of the arm or leg is a common injury that occurs due to a sharp movement when the limb joint is not positioned correctly. Injuries are primarily affected by athletes who overload their limbs with excessive load, in many cases sprains of the arm and leg are of a household nature.

Despite the apparent ease of this injury, sprain of the ankle, wrist or knee requires a long recovery, during which the main requirement for the patient is maximum immobilization of the damaged joint.

Types of sprains

Clinical picture with sprain depends on which joint was damaged:

  • Sprain of the foot, ankle – occurs due to excessive physical exertion. Most often, this type of injury occurs among athletes involved in active sports, but cases of domestic injury are not uncommon. The main symptoms are pain and swelling at the site of joint damage.
  • Sprain of knee ligaments is a rather complex type of injury that affects athletes and people with degenerative joint diseases. For preventive purposes, people at risk are recommended to fix the knee with a special elastic bandage.
  • Stretching of the elbow ligaments, wrists. The main symptom is pain that occurs immediately after an injury and intensifies with movements of the limb. For athletes and the elderly, it is recommended to wear a special bandage to prevent joint stretching.

Sprain treatment

In case of joint injury, accompanied by a sprain, it is necessary to provide emergency assistance, which in the future will help the ligaments to stand in a normal position. First of all, the damaged joint must be completely immobilized and tightly fixed with bandage.

If the injured limb becomes excessively mobile, this may indicate joint rupture, in such cases it is necessary to apply splints on both sides of the limb using sticks, boards and other flat, hard objects.

To prevent the appearance of severe hematomas and oedema, it is necessary to apply cold to the damaged joint – ice, or a rag soaked in cold water. To prevent the appearance of bruising, the limb must always be kept a little on an elevation to the whole body.

If the pain does not subside, severe swelling appears, the limb becomes cold, self-medication is strictly prohibited. Such signs may indicate severe joint injuries, bone fractures requiring immediate medical attention.

Treatment of sprain of the joints of a mild degree, in absence of intense pain, can be carried out independently at home, but only after examination and diagnosis. The main thing is to temporarily fix the damaged joint and not exert strong physical load on it.

For the relief of pain, you can use drugs of topical spectrum of action – ointments and creams. How quickly the ligaments are restored depends on many factors – the severity of the sprain, the presence of concomitant diseases of the musculoskeletal system, and the age of the patient. In sprains, doctors prescribe following drugs of topical spectrum of action:

  • ointments with cooling effect – Menovazin, Gevkamen;
  • drugs with warming effect – Viprosal, Finalgon;
  • drugs of the topical spectrum of action of the non-steroid group – Voltaren, Fastum gel, Nurofen.

Sprain is a common trauma that resolves quickly enough with proper treatment.