Since children can get teary-eyed over injuries that are little more than scrapes or ignore problems that could be serious, it can be scary for parents to diagnose injuries and know when to head to urgent care. However, by knowing the differences between certain injuries, you can make sure your little one gets the kind of care they need. Here’s a closer look at the differences between strains, sprains, and fractures. 

Sprain

Ligaments are tissues that hold two bones together. Sprains occur when these are stretched or torn. While ankle sprains are most common in kids, children can also sprain their wrists, elbows, or any other joint. 

If a sprain has occurred, your child may experience mild to moderate pain, swelling, and bruising. Kids can also have a hard time moving the joint, or they may feel stiff and sore. To treat sprains, doctors may recommend standard RICE (rest, ice, compression, and elevation) therapy to help the swelling and pain subside. 

Strain

Strains are more serious than sprains because they involve stretched or torn muscles or tendons. When kids experience a strain, they may have muscle spasms, pain, or difficulty moving the muscle. 

To treat strains, your urgent care specialist may recommend RICE treatment. For a more serious incident, they may prescribe physical therapy or surgical intervention if the area isn’t getting better. 

Fractures 

Fractures occur when the bone physically breaks. There are many types of breaks, including hidden, full, or partial fractures.

While many parents check for broken bones by asking a child to move their fingers or wiggle their toes, this isn’t a foolproof method for screening for a break. 

Broken bones can cause pain, swelling, crepitus (where the skin feels crunchy), bruising, tenderness, and even deformity, where the extremity doesn’t look quite right. 

After evaluating the fracture with X-rays, urgent care doctors may splint the area until the swelling subsides, then cast the foot, arm, or hand until the bone has healed. 

If your little one sustains an injury, turn to Orange Beach Walk-In Medical Care for help. With more than 48 years of urgent care experience and a commitment to creating warm and welcoming experiences for his patients, Dr. James K. Hurson can help with everything from family checkups to in-office surgery. Learn more by visiting the Baldwin County, AL, practice online or give his office a call at (251) 964­-7425.