Excel Spine

Sprains and Strains

What Are They?

Sprains and strains are common injuries that share similar signs and symptoms but involve different parts of your body.

A sprain is a stretching or tearing of ligaments, tough bands of fibrous tissue that connect two bones together in your joints.
A strain is a stretching or tearing of a muscle or tendon. A tendon is a fibrous cord tissue that connects muscles to bones.

Symptoms

Sprains
•bruising
•pain around the affected joint.
• limited flexibility
• difficulty using the joint’s full range of motion

Strains
• muscle spasm
• pain around the affected joint
• swelling
• limited flexibility
• difficulty using the joint’s full range of motion

Treatment

Gentle stretching may help relieve back and neck pain. Nonoperative treatments such as chiropractic treatments and physical therapy can help alleviate symptoms.

Meet Excel Spine

Dr. Choll Kim graduated cum laude from Harvard Medical School and completed fellowship training in complex spine surgery at the Mayo Clinic. He holds double-board certification from the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American Board of Spine Surgery. Internationally recognized as an expert... Learn More »