The same tried-and-true four first-aid measures whose acronym spells RICE can be applied to treating sprains and strains. They include: - rest (sometimes a sling or splint is used to immobilize the affected joint and allow damaged ligament or muscles to heal);
- ice applied daily, no longer than 20 minutes at a time, until pain and swelling subside and full range of motion and function return;
- compression, which involves wrapping the affected joint in elasticized bandage to reduce swelling and pain;
- and elevation to reduce swelling.
Your doctor may recommend over-the-counter pain-reducing medications or, in cases of more severe pain, prescribe stronger analgesics. Your doctor may refer you to a physical therapist who can devise an exercise program that will aid in returning strength and mobility to the affected joint. Severe sprains may require a cast. Severe cases in which ligaments are torn may require surgery. At the Johns Hopkins Division of Sports Medicine and Shoulder Surgery, our surgeons specialize in performing complex and challenging revision reconstruction surgeries such as that of an increasingly common sports injury: the torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), a ligament inside the knee that controls knee stability. In revision construction surgery of the ACL, a surgeon faces the following potential complications: reconstructing knee ligaments other than the ACL that may have contributed to the failure of the first operation, and harvesting new graft tissue from tendons in the quadricep, hamstring or patellar. The expertise and extensive experience of our team of surgeons -- Dr. Cosgarea alone has performed over 500 ACL reconstructions -- allow us to identify the specific needs of an individual requiring a revision reconstruction surgery and provide that patient with the best possible long-term outcomes, which include the greatest likelihood of permanent restoration of stability in the knee and avoidance of disabling arthritis. | 
