The last thing most people expect when they’re on a family vacation (or just out for a jog) is to end up needing to frantically search for “urgent care near me.”

But accidents do happen, and it’s important to understand the difference between sprains, strains and fractures. Learn what to do in the immediate aftermath of an injury — as well as when to seek urgent care for a sprained ankle, broken wrist, strained back or other unexpected injury.

What’s the Difference Between a Break, Sprain and Strain?

If you’re like most people, you tend to use “sprain” and “strain” interchangeably, sometimes with “break” thrown in the mix, too.

When you’re in pain after an injury, you probably don’t care what the proper term is. You just want it to get better, fast. But which kind of injury you have will determine the kind of treatment you need.

Simply put, a break describes a partial or complete fracture of one of your bones. Strains happen to muscles. Sprains occur in ligaments.

Diagnosis of Sprains and Strains

When you’re concerned about the nature and extent of an injury, it’s always smart to have it professionally assessed.

A doctor will examine the area for swelling and asking questions about your level of pain or tenderness. An MRI test might be called for if the ligament or muscle injury is moderate to severe. If a broken bone is also suspected, the doctor is likely to order an X-ray.

Short-Term Treatment for Strains and Sprains

For immediate first aid, or for mild to moderate injuries as directed by your doctor, the “RICE” treatment is often used. It stands for:

Rest

Although you don’t need to take to your bed 24-7 in most cases, it’s important to avoid over-stressing your injured area, especially for the first 48-72 hours. You may be prescribed crutches, a splint or a brace for support.

Ice

Putting an ice pack on the injured area for 15-20 minutes helps ease pain, as well as reduce swelling. Do this every few hours. If your strain or sprain is in your foot, ankle, wrist or hand, you might prefer to rest it in a slush bath (a bucket or bin of ice) for the same amount of time.

Compression

To reduce the amount of swelling after you’ve been hurt, wrap the area in a bandage. Elastic bandages are ideal, but make sure you don’t wrap yourself up too tightly in them.

Elevation

When your injured area is a limb, it’s helpful to keep it raised above heart level while sleeping or resting. Set your leg or arm on a stack of cushions, or use a recliner. As with compression, elevating the area decreases the amount of inflammation around the injury, which speeds healing.

It can take several weeks for severe sprains and strains to improve, but gradually resuming activity when it is deemed safe to do so is a good way to get back to normal.

Assessing a Break

As you already know, it’s rare that a broken bone doesn’t require immediate medical attention. When you see bones protruding from the skin, it’s obvious a break has happened. But sometimes it’s not always obvious that a break has occurred.

Here are a few telltale signs that you should call 911 or go to an emergency facility:

Heavy bleeding at the wound site.

Even slight movement or pressure causes intense pain.

The bone is visibly protruding from the skin.

Toes or fingers become numb or discolored at the tips.

The injured area looks bent strangely or otherwise “deformed.”

The neck, back or head is hurt.

The injured person loses consciousness and can’t be roused.

Actions to Take Before Reaching Urgent Care

Depending on the severity of the injury, you may need to administer first aid while trying to reach an urgent care facility:

Perform CPR on the unresponsive person.

If shock is suspected, lay the person down, with legs elevated and the head slightly below the torso.

Apply pressure to control bleeding. Try to use clean material, such as a bandage, cloth or clothing.

Put ice or packed snow on the injured area – but not directly on the skin. This helps reduce swelling.

Immobilized the wounded area. An improvised sling can be made with a scarf for arm and wrist injuries. If you’ve had first aid training or can direct someone, turn padded materials like jackets and something like a branch or ski pole into a splint above and below the suspected break.

 If you’re the one with the wound, ask for assistance.

Break, Sprain & Strain Urgent Care at Mississippi Sports Medicine

While a broken bone or excessive bleeding is an obvious sign that the injured person needs immediate medical treatment, too many people wave away their pain after an injury if those factors aren’t present.

That can be a mistake, because some sprains and strains can be just as serious as a broken bone.

And not all of them happen just after a dramatic fall. Some people experience pain and loss of mobility as a result of repetitive motion. Repetitive strain injuries can happen to the knees, elbows, fingers and shoulders, among other areas.

Whatever the suspected cause and nature of your injury may be, you shouldn’t have to guess whether your injury “deserves” treatment.

If you’re experiencing pain caused by a sprain, strain or break, let the experienced physicians at Mississippi Sports Medicine help! Make an appointment today.