Are sprains generally harder to heal from than a strain?
J.G.: Some sprains never heal without surgery, and therefore never heal. Most strains of a muscle refer to a partial tear of a muscle. Muscle by definition has a better blood supply and healing ability than a nonvascular tissue or less vascular tissue like a ligament. So in general, a muscle has more ability to heal, therefore, a strain is more easily healed. But you could have a sprain that gets better much more quickly than a very significant muscle strain, like a bad hamstring or Achilles or calf strain. Sometimes severe strains take a long time to heal. What’s the difference between strains or sprains and tendonitis? Jim Ramsay: Muscle strains and sprains are what we call acute injuries. Basically, it’s an injury that occurs right away. There is definitely a trauma that has damaged that muscle. On the other hand, tendonitis comes on more gradually. It’s an overuse type of injury where there is some inflammation. It comes from microtrauma small little traumas that occur at the area
