What is the difference between a sprain and strain?
A sprain is an injury to a ligament. A ligament is a thick, tough, fibrous tissue that connects bones together. Commonly injured ligaments are in the ankle, knee and waist. The ligaments can be injured by being stretched too far from their normal position. The purpose of having ligaments is to hold your skeleton together in a normal alignment – ligaments prevent abnormal movements. However, when too much force is applied to a ligament, such a in a fall, the ligaments can be stretched or torn; this injury is called a sprain. A strain is an injury to a muscle or tendon. Muscles move your skeleton in an amazing variety of ways. When a muscle contracts it pulls on a tendon, which is in turn connected to your bone. Muscles are made to stretch, but if stretched too far, or if stretched while contracting, an injury called a strain may result. A strain can either be a stretching or tear of the muscle or tendon.
