A sprain is caused by severely tugged or twisted ligaments, which may result in pain and swelling. They most commonly happen in the ankle or wrist. By comparison, a strain means severely stretched muscles or tendons.

Sprains and strains are similar injuries involving the stretching or pulling of tissue. It can be hard to tell the difference between a fracture, dislocated joint, sprain or strain. If in doubt, err on the side of caution and treat them all as potential fractures.

Possible causes may include:

• Falling and landing on your arm
• Falling on the side of the foot
• Twisting a joint the wrong way