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May 16, 2012
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Sprains and Strains

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Sprains and Strains Overview

The body is meant to move. Muscles allow that movement to happen by contracting and making joints flex, extend and rotate. Muscles attach on each side of the joint to bone by thick bands of fibrous tissue called tendons. When a muscle contracts, it shortens and pulls on the tendon, which allows the joint to go through a range of motion.

A strain occurs when the muscle tendon unit is stretched or torn. The most common reason is the overuse and stretching of the muscle. The damage may occur in three areas:

  • The muscle itself may tear.

  • The area where the muscle and tendon blend can tear.

  • The tendon may tear partially or completely (rupture).

Joints are stabilized by thick bands of tissue called ligaments which surround them. These ligaments allow the joint to move only in specific directions. Some joints move in multiple planes; therefore, they need more than one group of ligaments to hold the joint in proper alignment. The ligaments are anchored to bone on each side of the joint. If a ligament is stretched or torn, the injury is called a sprain.

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Sprains and Strains

Neck Strain Overview

Neck strain is injury to the muscles and tendons that support and move the head and neck. The neck is susceptible to injury because it is capable of extensive range of motion and is therefore less stable that many other body areas.

The neck contains many vital anatomic structures, the most critical being the airway (breathing tube), the spinal cord, and the blood vessels that supply the brain. Neck strain injuries do not typically involve serious injury to any of these vital structures and also are not typically associated with fractures or dislocations of any of the bones of the cervical spine.

Injuries of tissues that contract and move, such as muscles and tendons, are termed strains. Similar injuries to nonmoving structures, such as ligaments, joint capsules, nerves, bursae, blood vessels, and cartilage, are termed sprains. Both strains and sprains of the neck may involve tears to ligaments covering the cervical vertebrae, the...

Read the Neck Strain article »


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