Your doctor can rotate your foot to determine its range of motion and check the alignment of the ligaments by gently feeling your ankle. Grade 1 sprains are treated by wrapping with an elastic bandage. Grade 3 sprains also require casts, but may also require surgical repair. While sprains affect ligaments in joints, strains or muscle pulls affect the muscles and tendons attaching the muscle to bone. In both cases the affected soft tissue is stretched or torn.
Strains usually occur after a sudden movement that pulls or twists the body violently.
The pain is immediate and is followed by stiffness, tenderness, and sometimes swelling in the affected area. Repetitive use of your forearms, especially in conjunction with a resistant force such as hitting a tennis ball, can strain the forearm muscles. Then they become inflamed, making it painful to lift, hit, or push. A velcro strap, available in most pharmacies, can be worn just below the elbow to immobilize the forearm muscles as you twist your arm. This device is used to both treat and prevent this problem.