The times of the appearance of the sprains and strains can be painful that may restrict our range of motion for a time being and having to wait patiently until it is gone is the way we go about it otherwise it can tremendously be affected if we try to force our muscles to work normally in the time of injuries. But why not be aware of how it happens so that it is ultimately prevented and here is the brief read for you to go through.
What are strains and sprains?
And an injury impacting a tendon or a muscle is related to strains where the muscles or tendons get stretched or torn, resulting in the area being painful enough to cause distress.
An injury that affects the ligament, called connective tissue that links the bone to a joint is called sprains that get torn and stretched in the process.
The arrival of these two conditions is common to all those who are into sports or met with an accident that can hurt the tendons or ligaments. Significantly the strains are seen on the hamstring muscle which is located on the back of a thigh and it is prone to appear on the back muscle as well. Whereas the sprain is commonly experienced on an ankle but not if the fall is on the hand, then the wrist can feel the sprain too.
Since these injuries give a usual notice when involved in any activity, this may seem negligible but it isn’t. The symptoms that one can notice are swelling, bruising, pain, and the uneasiness of moving a joint for the sprains while strains can have a spasm in the muscles, cramping, and the troubles of moving.
As said the sprains can damage the ligament, the activities such as falling and then landing on the arm, twisting of the knee, and falling on the side gap of the foot can affect the ligaments to stretch and even break.
Especially overstressing of the muscles, or burdening the muscles more than needed by lifting things in the wrong way can make the muscle stretch. An observable note of this is seen when we exercise our body after a long break.
This may stay chronic when the same posture is made over and over again. So this is the reason why our every move needs to be monitored to avoid harming or hurting the muscles, ligaments, or joints for that matter. This applies especially to athletes, dancers, and sportsmen.
How is it analyzed?
A visit to a physical therapist would start by asking a few questions about the injury, examine the injured area, and finally take out an MRI or X-ray scan for a detailed view to see if any bones are affected.
The type of injury itself and the person is on which the healing time matters. But before resuming the normal activities the physical therapy treatment ensures if the patient has regained flexibility, strength, and motion. So the treatment is only implemented if the patient is ready for it and at the same time willing to take care as per the advice. If the sport is started soon without healing the current injury then it may lead to worsening the situation.
How is it treated?
For the troubles of pain, Physical therapy aids by offering therapeutic exercise to stretch and strengthen the muscles around the infected joint. The use of joint mobilization techniques is implemented in the infected areas. And an application of electrical stimulation modalities and ice or heat depending on the injury is carried out
While doing the strain, the point is to prevent the build-up of the large scar tissue through healing to get back on the feet by restoring the strength. So, here as well the therapeutic exercise is applicable. Here the soft tissue mobilization techniques are used to break up the scar tissue. And indeed the use of ice and heat for reducing the swelling.
Few words to conclude
Of course, every problem is meant to have a solution but always prevention is necessary to avoid even falling into those circumstances. So, excessive weight is prone to health issues, so maintain a healthy weight to avoid falls and slips. Eat healthy to allow the muscles to be strong and exercise keeps it all right. And monitoring the slightest of things like wearing good fit shoes or warming up before starting the sport or wearing equipment that protects while playing can do a lot. Taking care of avoiding the sport when tired or injured or using a flat surface to run are the wise choices to make.
Home remedies like RICE therapy called Rest, Ice, Compress and Elevate can help but if the condition becomes intolerable or needs guidance to take care of the healing then meet a physical therapist immediately to resolve the injury by the physical therapy treatment.
