Sprain & Strain Treatment

A sprain stretches or tears a ligament — the tissue connecting bone to bone — and a strain injures a muscle or tendon. Ankles, knees, and wrists absorb most of them: a wrong step off a curb, a hard landing in a rec-league game, lifting something awkwardly. The swelling can look dramatic, but the real question is whether anything is broken, which is why we image rather than guess.