It’s probably only a sprain,” you say to yourself reassuringly as your ankle rapidly swells.

“It’s just a strain,” your friend says as a back spasm stops her in her tracks.

Indeed, both diagnoses may be correct, and you may be able to rely on self-care. But not always. Sometimes sprains and strains need prompt evaluation and treatment by a medical professional. When is it OK to stay home, and when should you go to your primary care physician or to the Emergency Department (ED)? Doylestown Hospital emergency medicine physician Lawrence Brilliant, MD, offers some guidelines.

Taking Action
“The first thing to do for a sprain or strain is to think RICE – rest, ice, compress, and elevate,” says Dr. Brilliant. “For relatively mild sprains and strains, using the RICE regimen at home and taking it easy for a couple of days should noticeably improve the situation.” However, if you experience any of the following, it may be wise to make your doctor’s office or the ED your next stop

1. You have severe pain and can’t put any weight on the injured joint.

2. The injured area looks crooked or has lumps and bumps (other than swelling) that you don’t see on the uninjured joint.

3. You can’t move the injured joint.

4. Your limb buckles or gives way when you try to use the joint.

5. You have numbness in any part of the injured area.

6. You see redness or red streaks spreading out from the injury.

7. You injure an area that has been injured several times before.

8. You have pain, swelling, or redness over a bony part of your foot.

9. You have breaks in the skin in the area of the injury.

10. You’re not sure about the seriousness of your injury or how to take care of it.

“As far as function goes, a severe sprain or strain can be as incapacitating as a fracture,” says Dr. Brilliant. So the sooner a moderate to severe injury is evaluated and treated, the better your chances of avoiding a difficult recovery or problems down the road. “I remind people that if they ever have any questions or concerns about an injury or illness, trained professionals are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at our ED to address their problems and meet their needs,” concludes Dr. Brilliant.

First Aid for Sprains and Strains
You can often reduce swelling and pain of sprains or strains with RICE:

Rest the injured area.
Ice the injured area for 20 minutes at a time, 4 to 8 times during the first 24 hours. (Don’t apply ice directly to the skin.)
Compress the injured area with an elastic bandage to protect and support the injury.
Elevate the injured area above the level of the heart to reduce swelling.