What's the difference between a sprain and strain?
411965
Sprain:  A painful wrenching or laceration of the ligaments of a joint.   http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/sprain\nStrain:  A strain is when a muscle becomes overstretched and tears. This painful injury, also called a "pulled muscle," can be caused by an accident, improper use of a muscle, or overuse of a muscle.  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000042.htm
447382
I am assuming you mean bruised.\nBut it in a splint to avoid further movement and injury.
1107268
http://orthopedics.about.com/cs/sprainsstrains/a/hamstring.htm\nThis website is very informative and I hope it is of some help to you.  I did the same years ago and it HURTS!  Ouchy!  If it doesn't hurt anymore you should be ok but remember some things tore inside so be gentle on yourself.
314364
It all depends on exatly what you did and to which of the thigh muscles.  Did you pull a groin muscles or hamstring?  DId you bruise your quads?  \n\nA lot of sports injuries are treated with RICE:  Rest, ice, compression and elevation ... but once again it depends on exactly what you did.  If it's real bad I suggest you see a doctor.
995589
It certainly sounds like a bruise.\n\nFYI, not all bruises hurt.  When you hit something, and get a bruise from it, the pain comes from hitting something, not necessarily from the blood that creates the bruise.\n\nFor example, my daughter had her ACL replaced in her knee about a year-and-a-half ago.  She didn't like the way the prescribed vicadin made her feel, so she asked the doctor if it would be okay for her to just take the ibuprofen that she had previously been prescribed.  He said okay, so she discontinued the vicadin.  However, she ended up taking too much of it, which essentially caused some internal bleeding, and she ended up with a giant bruise on her ankle.  The doctor gave her a new prescription, for something else that didn't make her feel funny, and the bruise went away in just a couple of days.
508323
A plaster cast is better in my opinion because with a plaster cast, there is not as much movement alowed as with a plaster cast.  What i am trying to say is that the less movement there is, the faster the injury will heal--Good luck--Andy
88437
only thing that heals a sprain is time.use an ace bandage\nto keep the swelling down.see a doctor to make sure its not a broken bone or a tear.good luck.
606033
Sounds like shin splints.  You probably don't need to go to the doctor.  You should stay off your feet awhile, and use a cortisone cream on them.  Take an anti-inflammatory med, unless you have any medical condition which would make that unwise.  If they don't feel better with 3-4 days of relative ease, go to the doctor.  \nIf you're going to play softball and tennis regularly, make sure you're wearing good shoes that are designed for those specific uses, and stretch beforehand.
227020
Finger and ankle sprains. Player often also run into one another and that can create injuries in knees, hips, and head.  Additionally if the surface you play on is not checked for harmful debris an injury can be caused by tripping over or slipping or falling on the debris.
916820
Its the ACL or MCL I could tell. Its just a matter of if its a sprain tear or rupture. My bet is on small tear.\n\nEdit: They're now saying it might be a sprained knee
830559
Shin splints are impact stresses and stretching really doesn't help that much.\n\nYou need some really well cushioned shoes and to  do whatever it is you are doing on a softer flooring
891197
Okay, I'm no expert, but when I had a sprained ankle and wrist, it hurt, but I could still move it around a little, when you brake a bone, it should swell up*more than it does when it is simply sprained* an get pink, maybe purple, then when you try to move it, it should feel like you don't have a joint, like if it is your leg or ankle, it is a ruler, and when you move it, it feels stiff and VERY painful and uncomfortable. And sometimes when you put it up it will make it feel better.\nAnd for a wrist, my bast guess is try to move it in a circular motion, if it swells, it is probably fractured, broken, or sprained, it might not swell, but that doesn't mean it isn't. To be able to give you an accurate answer, I would have to know what happened, how long ago it happened, and maybe some more information.
408242
Could be bruised or even fractured, if its causing you alot of pain, go see a doctor.
1051156
Unless it is unstable (collapses under weight bearing or moves outside a normal ROM) it is unlikely to be a tear.  More likely a sprain   A couple more weeks doing what you are doing should clear it up.
31849
First you have to warm up with a little of cardio like jumping jacks or running because the muscles are still stiff and you need to "warm them up".  This prevents strains.  Well, then after that you can stretch.
862993
You did the right thing - going to get it checked out.\n\nA Grade II sprain means there are torn fibres in the ligament, but it hasn't ruptured.  There could be visible bruising as well as swelling, and it will take several weeks to heal fully.\n\nThe inflammatory process that happens as a result of injury pushes fluid out into the tissues over the first 24-48 hours and this is why you should follow the RICE principles of treatment.\n\nNow that this period has passed, the body is starting to heal the injury by laying down collagen fibres (fibrin), and the best healing comes by starting to weight bear at this time - so again, you were spot on by starting to walk at the weekend.\n\nSo for the next week or so, it's a GOOD thing to walk, and to make every effort to walk normally.  If you can't walk without limping, use a crutch or stick to help take some of the weight, and within a few days you should be walking with a normal pattern and full weight again.  \n\nYou shouldn't aim to walk more than usual - but aim for plenty of short frequent walks.\n\nThe ankle will probable stay a little swollen for a while - you could wear a light support for comfort for a while.\n\nSoaking it in warm water now will help, or put a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel on it for a while in the evenings.\n\nMake sure you wear shoes that accommodate the swelling and help you to walk comfortably - lace ups, done up proplerly to help support the foot, runners are ideal.\n\nAll in all, you should be feeling much better very soon.\nGood luck!
1104411
I had mine sprained for a month and a half once. I tore some ligaments. there's nothing you can really do for it. what i did was alternate ice and heat for a short period of time (on my down time). And i wrapped it with an ace bandage. This keeps pressure on your ankle, that way it doesn't hurt. I played volleyball and ran all throughout my injury. believe me, as long as you wrap it, you'll be okay for now! Make sure when you ankle heals you strenghten it with bands that was it will help prevent another sprain. That's what i did, believe me, you do not want to walk down the street and you ankle just give out (not fun). What i do now, i still wear a brace, it had metal rods on the sides to help with the rolling. But continue to play your sport and elevate it on your downtime. A sprain is no fun, you might as well enjoy your life while it is. Good luck!