Safety At Home

Strains & Sprains

[st_box title=”INFO” type=”info”]It can be difficult to tell whether the injury is a fracture, dislocation, sprain or strain. If in doubt, always treat as a fracture. [/st_box]

Signs & symptoms

Sprain

• intense pain
• restricted mobility
• rapid development of swelling and bruising.

Strain

• sharp, sudden pain in region of the injury
• loss of power
• muscle tenderness.

What to do

1. Follow DRSABCD.

2. Follow the RICE management plan:

• REST the patient and the injured part.
• Apply ICEPACK (cold compress) wrapped in a wet cloth to the injury for 15 minutes every 2 hours for 24 hours, then for 15 minutes every 4 hours for 24 hours.
• Apply COMPRESSION elastic bandage firmly to extend well beyond the injury.
• ELEVATE the injured part.

3. Seek medical attention if no improvement.

Source