• Sprains and strains are some of the most common injuries in youth athletes.
• Sprains happen around a joint and include tendons, ligaments and connective tissue.
• Strains occur in either the body of the muscle or edges of the muscles.
• Proper care and treatment will allow full recovery and return to the teams in a timely fashion

Management of the injury using PRICE :

• Protection – protect from further injury using supports
• Rest – avoid activity for the first 48 hours after injury
• Ice – apply ice for 20 minutes every 2 hours for the first 48 hours after injury
• Compression – wrap with elastic bandage or compression sleeve for the first 72 hours after injury
• Elevation – rest with the injury elevated on a supported device like a pillow as much as possible

Things to Avoid in the first 72 hours include HARM :

• Heat – hot baths, heating pads, saunas
• Alcohol – increases bleeding and swelling and decreases healing
• Running – may cause further damage
• Massage – increases bleeding and swelling

Use of analgesia and anti-inflammatory medicines can be used if necessary

For Sprains :

• Do not immobilize the joint for longer than 48 hours
• Begin flexibility range of motion exercises as soon as they can be tolerated without excessive pain

For Strains :

• Immobilize the injured muscle for the first 48-72 hours after the injury
• Consider use of crutches or slings and splints for severe injuries
• Start active mobilization in 2-3 days if athlete has pain-free use of basic muscle movements
• Assess improvement by comparing stretching and strength to the same muscle on opposite side of body