You’re always hearing about athletes injuring themselves either on television, or perhaps from one of your peers, but a lot of the time people may get confused on the terminology used to describe the injuries. Fortunately, University of Wisconsin graduate assistant athletic trainer Ryan Dean has clearly defined two terms that are commonly used that people may not fully understand; these terms are sprain and strain.
According to Dean, a strain is an injury to a muscle or tendon (bands that connect muscles to bone) inside the body. Strains occur when there is stretching or tearing to the fibers of the muscle or tendon. Some examples of strains are a calf strain, a hamstring strain, and a back strain.
A sprain is an “injury to the ligaments of the joints in the human body…and can be classified in one of three degrees or grades,” says Dean. A Grade 1 sprain means the ligament has been stretched but not torn. A grade 2 sprain means the ligament has been stretched and partially torn. And a Grade 3 sprain means the ligament has been completely torn; Grade 3 sprains may sometimes require surgery. An example of a sprain is a knee sprain where damage is done to any or all of the ligaments, including the MCL, ACL, PCL and LCL.
If you are suffering from a sprain or strain, find a sports medicine specialist near you who can help.
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