What's the difference between a sprain and a strain? Which is worse and how can we avoid them? This will answer these questions.

1. Is Your Knee Pain a Sprain or Strain?
Knee injuries are the plague of athletes everywhere. They turn regular exercise into a form of torture.
Most athletes see it as a nuisance they want to work their way through. Unfortunately, that’s not how it
works.
Sprain
Pills only dull the pain, they don’t fix the problem. You can’t just fight through the injury and hope
everything will work out in the end.
That’s how you permanently injure yourself. Instead, you should spend some time identifying what the
problem is, and then finding out how you can fix it.
Start at the general diagnosis then work your way down to the
specifics. Telling the difference between a sprain and a strain is
a crucial way to begin.
Aside from the difference in the ‘p’ and the ‘t,’ a sprain deals
with the ligaments in your knees, while a strain is an injury to
the muscle or tendon. Take a look at the sprain first.
A ligament is a group of tough fibers that connect the bones together. An injury to the ligament can
cause a number of problems.
These injuries come from trauma (extreme force applied to the joint). They happen when something is
knocked out of place, or the body is overstretched or ruptured.
Some common examples of sprains come from running on uneven surfaces, falling on an outstretched
arm, or landing on the side of your foot, etc. You can usually identify one by the way you injured
yourself.
Strain
A strain is a muscle or tendon injury that results from overuse. You’ve drawn your muscles or tendons to
their breaking point.
That kind of strain on your muscles comes with a price. Too
much tension will cause them to rip.
These don’t often come from a brief moment. Usually they
happen because of prolonged, repetitive movement.
Your tendons can only take what they’re prepared for.
Consequently, overworking yourself in a training exercise will
give you a strain.

2. So will running farther than you’re used to or playing harder than normal. You’ll know this injury
because it hurts to contract the muscles when you try.
The milder versions of both sprains and strains will only irritate you for a few days, but you’ll find you
can walk around as normal. These just need some ice and rest.
However, if your knee feels unstable, or you’re experiencing moderate or severe pain, you should see a
doctor. If you begin limping, can’t move your knee or hear a popping noise and felt your knee give out at
the time of injury, self-diagnosis is no longer on the table.
You need to see a medical professional at once. The Salt Lake Orthopedic Clinic is open to take your
injuries.
The knee doctors there will help you identify the problem and put you on the path to recovery. The Salt
Lake Orthopedic Clinic is set up to ensure you get the best care for your injuries possible.
The sooner you get it checked out the better. Injuries have a better chance of full recovery the sooner
you get them taken care of.
Photo Credit: L-O-L-A, Shenky