Sprains and Strains
Medical Author:
Benjamin Wedro, MD, FACEP, FAAEM
Benjamin Wedro, MD, FACEP, FAAEMDr. Ben Wedro practices emergency medicine at Gundersen Clinic, a regional trauma center in La Crosse, Wisconsin. His background includes undergraduate and medical studies at the University of Alberta, a Family Practice internship at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario and residency training in Emergency Medicine at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Medical Editor:
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical EditorMelissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.
Sprains and Strains OverviewThe 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:
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. |
Living Better
Find the secrets to longer life.
From WebMD
Fitness Resources
Featured Centers
- Eating Out? Cut Calories, Heartburn
- 5 Good Ways to Save Money on Medicine
- 8 Ways to Treat Your Allergies
Health Solutions From Our Sponsors
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 What Your Physician is Reading on Medscape
Lumbosacral Spine Sprain/Strain Injuries »
Low back pain (LBP) is a well-known health concern in the United States.
Featured Topics
Medical Dictionary
Pill Identifier on RxList
- quick,
easy,
pill identification
Find a Local Pharmacy
- including
24 hour
pharmacies
