Sprain Treatment

What is a Sprain?

A sprain is an injury to a ligament, the type of tissue that connects two bones together. These types of injuries occur when the tissue is stretched and joints are forced into extreme ranges of motion (as occurs with rolling an ankle for example) or a joint going in a direction it is not supposed to. The symptoms can be very similar to a fracture and include:

Swelling
Pain with moving the joint
Tenderness to the touch
Limited range of motion

How is a Sprain Diagnosed?

After reviewing the history of the injury and mechanism of injury, one of our providers will preform a detailed physical exam of the affected joint to test range of motion, strength of the joint in each motion, look for and note any swelling, and mark where the maximum point of tenderness is. With this information, he/ she will decide if an X-ray is appropriate.

What is the Treatment of a Sprain?

Once your medical provider at Pinnacle Urgent Care has diagnosed you with a sprain, the treatment plan will include:

Bracing or splinting the joint
Icing the joint 15 minutes at a time 4 times a day for up to 5 days
Prescribing an anti-inflammatory pain reliever
Elevating the affected joint to reduce swelling

What Types of Sprains can Urgent Care Treat?

At Pinnacle Urgent Care, we are prepared to treat sprains of any part of the body. The most common sprains we treat are ankle sprains, although we also treat sprains of the knee and wrist.