Sprain

Injury to a ligament (attaches bones together) that supports a joint e.g. knee, ankle, elbow/wrist, hip, neck, and becomes inflamed (hot, red and swollen) as a result of excessive force due to their occupation, sports injury or fall.

Most common sites:

Ankle
Knees
Shoulder/neck
Normal sprain i.e. wrist, thumbs, fingers.

Source: OrthoInfo - AAOS

Source: Deelat Industrial USA

Source: Orthopaedic Institute for Children

Source: Core objectives

The healing process and inflammation

There are three overlapping phases in the healing process accompanying an injury:

The initial inflammatory response promotes the influx of inflammatory mediators/agents produced by our own bodies (e.g. leucocytes and macrophages), which effectively clean the injury site of unwanted debris through phagocytosis (the process of engulfing/capturing and destroying particles such as bacteria, parasites, dead host cells, and cellular and foreign debris by a cell).
Inflammatory mediators/agents produced by our own bodies also provide some protection against infection and the presence of inflammation is in itself part protective, as it significantly reduces movement.
The vascular element (blood circulation) of the early inflammatory process includes clot formation, scar tissue and rapid increase in the number or amount of blood vessels. The amount of inflammation is related to the extent of vessel damage.

Early appropriate treatment of an injury can enhance recovery by limiting the inflammatory process at an appropriate phase of recovery, hence its important on when to use what medication, the right medication and other treatments and when.

International Association of Athletics Federations. Medical manual Chapter 9: soft tissue damage and healing. Available at: https://www.iaaf.org/about-iaaf/documents/medical (accessed July 2016)

The Pharmaceutical Journal, PJ, August 2016, Vol 297, No 7892;297(7892):
DOI:10.1211/PJ.2016.20201530

Symptoms

Does one have:

Pain and swelling in the front of the shoulder and side of the arm?

Pain in shoulder triggered by raising or lowering the arm?

Clicking sound when raising the arm?

Aching, painful muscles, muscle cramps/spasms/stiffness?

Joint stiffness and pain?

Pain in shoulder that causes you to wake from sleep?

Pain in shoulder when reaching behind the back?

Loss of mobility and strength in the affected arm?

Aching, painful muscles, muscle cramps/spasms/stiffness?

Intense pain in the back or side (or moving pain from back to side) or in groin area?

Pain in pelvis area and/or lower back?

Sudden sharp pain in the groin area, either in the belly of the muscle or higher up where the tendon attaches to the pelvic bone?

Pain and tenderness in the groin and the inside of the thigh?

Pain in groin when you bring your legs together?

Pain in your groin when you raise your knee?

Twist or jerk that joint (sprain) and/or muscle (strain)?

Instant and considerable pain?

Inflammation (swelling, hot and red)?

Not able to move the area properly?

Standing for long periods of time (Apply to back and/or leg and/or ankle and/or foot only)?

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