How do fractures differ from sprains?
91703
A sprain you can wrap and will heal on its own, a fracture needs to be set.  I thought I sprained my ankle last year and after 6 weeks of it only getting worse, went to the doctor, had an MRI, and found that I fracture my ankle bone and would never heal on its own.  I was in a hard cast, then walking cast, then physical therapy for about 4 months total.  If I had gone to the doctor sooner, I could have cut the hard cast out and my healing time in half.
235135
A foot fracture is a break in any of the bones in the foot.\n\nThe foot is made up of 26 small bones. The tarsus is the name for the 7 bones that make up the hindfoot and the midfoot. The forefoot consists of the 5 metatarsals and the 14 phalanges. There are two phalanges in the big toe and three in each of the remaining toes.\n\nA foot fracture can happen in any foot bone, but metatarsal fractures are the most common.\n\n\nPhalanx Fracture of the Foot\n\n\n\n\n\nCauses\nA foot fracture is caused by trauma to the bone. Trauma includes: \n\nFalls\nBlows\nCollisions\nSevere twists\n\nIn addition, when a bone is subjected to repeated stress over a long period of time, small cracks may form in the bone. These are called stress fractures, and certain bones (metatarsals and the talus) in the foot are particularly susceptible to this type of fracture.\n\nRisk Factors\nA risk factor is something that increases your chance of getting a disease, condition, or injury. \n\nAdvancing age\nDecreased muscle mass\nOsteoporosis\nCertain congenital bone conditions\nParticipating in contact sports\nCertain sports that cause repetitive stress such as running\nViolence\n\nSymptoms\nSymptoms include: \n\nPain, often severe\nBruising and swelling in the injured area\nNumbness in toes or foot\nDecreased range of motion\nInability to walk comfortably (although you may be able to walk)\nA lump or visible deformity over the fracture site\n\nDiagnosis\nThe doctor will ask about your symptoms, physical activity, and how the injury occurred, and will examine the injured area. The doctor will order x-rays of the foot to confirm the diagnosis.\n\nTreatment\nTreatment will depend on the severity of the injury. Treatment involves: \n\nPutting the pieces of the bone back in place, which may require anesthesia and/or surgery\nKeeping the pieces together while the bone heals itself\n\nNonsurgical Treatment\nIn a less severe foot fracture, the bones can be realigned without surgery. You may only need crutches and flat-bottom shoes to help protect the fracture. Toes may be splinted together by taping to protect the injured toe.\n\nA more serious fracture may require a splint or cast to hold the bones in place. You will need to use crutches to help you walk.\n\nSurgery\nIn certain severe cases, you will need surgery to realign the bones. The doctor may use a small metal plate with screws, screws alone, or pins to hold the bones in place while healing takes place. A cast or splint will be placed on the foot after surgery. You will need to use crutches to help you walk. The doctor will order more x-rays while the bone heals to ensure that the bones have not shifted.\n\nExercises\nWhen your doctor decides you are ready, start lower body range-of-motion and strengthening exercises. You may be referred to a physical therapist to assist you with these exercises. Do not return to sports until your foot is fully healed.\n\nHealing Time\nMetatarsal bones and the phalanges may heal in 3-6 weeks, but the tarsal bones will take 6-10 weeks to heal.\n\nPrevention\nTo prevent foot fractures: \n\nAlways wear well-fitting, supportive athletic shoes when doing physical activity.\nWear proper shoes for each type of activity to protect your feet.\nEat a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n \n\nCopyright 1999-2006 \nehc.com All rights reserved. \nTerms & Conditions of Use| \nPrivacy Statement  HUGHSTON ORTHOPEDIC HOSPITAL\n100 Frist Court\nColumbus,GA31909Telephone: 1-866-HUGHSTON\nFax: (706) 494-2446
628535
compression is the best thing you can do. I'm an athlete and have suffered some pretty bad sprains and compression has always worked but only if it's a sprain.\n\nbut in your case it sounds more like a fracture than a sprain. temporarily put crushed ice in a plastic bag and put it on ur ankle and put a little pressure...not too much pressure or you'll make it worse. depending on how much cold your skin can take do this for an hour or so.\n\ngive an hours break and then put your ankle in a tub filled with hot water...again as hot as you can take. it'll sooth the pain. keep it in until the water cools off.\nthen if u have bandages at home, apply a little pain relief cream on your ankle and wrap up your ankle properly and carefully.\nbe very careful about how tight you tie it. if it's too tight you'll hurt yourself worse.\n\nif you don't wanna risk the bandages alternate the compression and hot water treatment.\notherwise just the hot water treatment will do.\nhope this helps...best of luck\n\nn yeah try not to move around much...use a walking stick.
585963
If someone hits you real hard.  You can't see to get up for awhile.  You can slip and fall on the ice, i do that all the time.  My friend broke her shoulder that way.
129372
there is no average, it depends on whether or not it is a soft tissue injury or if bones were injured.
408242
Could be bruised or even fractured, if its causing you alot of pain, go see a doctor.
529121
a bruised bone takes a while to heal.  i really don't know anything that will healing up.  but as far as it not coming back, don't do what caused it to bruise in the first place, or find a way that it dosen't cause trauma to the bones.
82924
A bruise?  a contusion?
857554
Not a lady, and never had plates inserted, but I have had an ankle injury that lingered for months. About 10 years ago, I twisted my ankle while running in dress shoes to my commuter bus for work. It wasn't broken; just a bad sprain. However, I found out that a sprain can be worse than a break. It literally hurt me for five months. I couldn't put full weight on it and was limping around the entire time before the pain went completely away. In high school, I had a similar type of ankle sprain from playing football, and again it took a few months before it completely went away. \n\nUnfortunately, ankles are very delicate and heal very slowly because we are constantly putting weight on them. They do get better, eventually, but it's agonizing going through it. Not sure if the discomfort of the plates/screws will ever go away. But tell your friend to hang in there, and do the treatments and therapy as the doctors have prescribed, which should help significantly.
802192
Ankle sprain: stretched or torn LIGAMENT\nAnkle strain: stretched or torn TENDON\n\nRegardless of the injury, you should go to the doctor.  A 10 on a scale of 1 to 10 usually means you should be in the ER, unless you are exaggerating.  And, as you obviously know, you should be utilizing RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) to decrease the swelling and pain.
208920
When you get hit your body takes a beating.  Everything in your body shifts forward then back from the impact.  The bruising is caused from the injury when something is hit to a certain force causing bleeding under your skin.
361597
What is a low back strain or lumbar sprain?\nMuscle strains and lumbar sprains are the most common causes of low back pain. A low back muscle strain occurs when the muscle fibers are abnormally stretched or torn. A lumbar sprain occurs when the ligaments, the tough bands of tissue that hold bones together, are torn from their attachments. Differentiating a strain from a sprain can be difficult, as both injuries will show similar symptoms. Many doctors refer to both injuries as a category called "musculoligamentous injuries" of the lumbar spine. In general, it doesn't matter what you call the problem because the treatment and prognosis for both back strains and sprains is the same. \n\nWhy are sprains and strains of the low back so common?\nThe spine is supported by large muscles called the paraspinal muscles. These muscles both support the spinal column as well as the weight of the upper body. The five lumbar vertebrae are connected by tough ligaments that help to maintain the position of the spinal column. \n\nThese muscles, ligaments, and bones all work together to provide control and strength for nearly all activities. The lumbar spine and its muscles are needed for most all movements and activities. For this reason, the lumbar spine is prone to injury, and when an injury has been sustained, we are prevented from performing many activities\n\nWhat causes these symptoms of low back pain and spasm?\nWhen the lumbar spine is strained or sprained, inflammation of the soft-tissues results. This inflammation causes pain and can cause muscle spasm. People are often surprised at how painful and debilitating a lumbar strain or sprain can be--these are not small injuries. They often force patients to remain in bed for a day or two, and can cause intermittent symptoms for weeks. That said, over 90% of patients are completely recovered from an episode of lumbar muscle strain or sprain within one month. \n\nWhy do some patients tend to have low back strains and sprains more often?\nGood question! We do know some factors that tend to influence the development of this type of problem, but often these symptoms strike in unexpected situations. Most commonly, patients who develop a lumbar strain or sprain are doing an activity that places their back at risk. This may be a sudden forceful movement, lifting a heavy object, or twisting the back in an unusual manner. Knowing how to properly lift can help to prevent many back injuries. \n\nSome well known factors that contribute to low back pain include: \n\nPoor conditioning \n\nObesity \n\nSmoking \n\nImproper use/lifting technique \nIf you have persistent problems with your lumbar spine, consider these issues. If you smoke, are overweight, or do not perform regular back strengthening exercises, then you have steps that you can take to help control your symptoms.\n\nProper conditioning is important to both avoid this type of problem and recover from this injury. By stretching and strengthening the back muscles, you will help control the inflammation and better condition the lumbar back muscles. The exercises should not be painful. Without some simple exercises, the low back muscles can become "deconditioned," or weak. When the low back muscles are deconditioned, it is very difficult to fully recover from low back injuries. \nIt is also important to understand that even if you are "in good shape," you may have weak low back muscles. When you have a low back muscle injury, you should perform specific exercises that stretch and strengthen the muscles of the low back, hips and abdomen. These exercises are relatively simple, do not require special equipment, and can be performed at home.
426096
No, this sounds like an additional injury that was not previously noticed or is something new. They could be connected only by the means of that by working on your feet that particular foot/ankle is compensating for the other one now due to a shift caused by the previous injury. Get it looked at im sure it is fixable more easily that you think. physical therapy im sure will work wonders. Similar thing happened to me.
1068225
thats hard to tell (anywhere between 4-6 weeks, and even several month), depends on how complicated the fracture is and to what parts of the ankle are broken. then an other influence on the heal time is the treatment that had been conducted.\nin general it can be said that children heal fractures and other injuries a lot faster than adults do. \n\nto make sure ask the doctor who is taking care of her, he can tell you.\n\ngood luck
37578
Acute injuries, by percentage: \nAnkle sprain 15 to 60 percent \nThumb or finger sprain 10 percent\nKnee sprain or meniscus tear 15 percent\n--------------------------------\nOveruse injuries, by percentage:\nPatellar tendinitis Up to 80 perecent\nShoulder tendinitis 8 to 20 percent\nLow-back pain 10 to 14 percent
1142918
Shin splints happen when the muscle on the tibia bone is pulled away from the bone. Usually this is caused by poor footwear or lots of pressure on your toes. For short term remedy a personal favorite is to wrap the inflicted area with an ace bandage and then apply ice over the bandage to lower in the swelling which is the primary cause of pain. For long term relief get some new shoes, socks and make sure they are supporting your feet properly.
979440
Go play hockey. The chances of you breaking your leg are slim. In fact your one of the first person I've heard of breaking their leg and I have play hockey since I was five mostly rep., your more likely to get a concussion of sprain something than break something. It a great sport and the people are great.