Seek Professional Sprain Relief

Sprains are incredibly common, but they can take a long time to heal if you don’t get the right treatment.

A lot of people try to treat their sprain at home with over-the-counter medications or by using a brace or wrap, but these methods may not be the most effective.

Archer St Physiotherapy Centre is a professional physiotherapy clinic that can help you heal your sprain quickly and effectively. We offer a variety of treatments, including manual therapy, dry needling, sports taping and ultrasound therapy..

Study Sprain Anatomy

The ligaments are short bands of tough, flexible tissue made of many individual fibres that connect the bones in the body. Ligaments provide a passive limit to the movement between your bones. Approximately 900 ligaments exist in the human body.

A torn ligament will commonly occur in the knee or ankle. The joints are under high strain with any sudden change of direction or full-contact sports since they bear weight. Inherently unstable, the shoulder also has a high incidence of ligament injuries.

Knee Ligaments
A knee ligament is a band of tissue between your femur (thigh bone) and the tibia and fibula (lower leg bones). There are two main types of knee ligaments:

Collateral ligaments. You have two collateral ligaments on each side of your knee. On the inside of your knee, there is a ligament known as the medial collateral ligament (MCL). The fibula connects the femur with the tibia. You have a lateral collateral ligament (LCL) on the outer side of your knee. The femur connects to the fibula of your calf. Collateral ligaments keep the knee from moving side to side too much.
Cruciate ligaments. Your femur and tibia are connected by the cruciate ligaments inside your knee joint. They cross each other to form an X. At the front of the knee, you will find the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). The posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) is located behind the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Your knee moves forward and backward with the help of your cruciate ligaments.

Ankle Ligaments

The ankle ligaments are bands of tissue that connect the foot bones (talus and calcaneus) with your lower leg bones (tibia and fibula). The ankle ligaments consist of three main groups:

Medial ligaments, also known as deltoid ligaments. Ankle ligaments originate at the medial malleolus, which forms the bump on the inside of your ankle. The four ligaments then connect to the talus, calcaneus, and navicular bones.
Lateral ligaments. Usually, they start at the lateral malleolus (the end of the fibula, which forms the bump on the outside of the ankle). The three ligaments attach to the talus and calcaneus.
Syndesmotic ligaments. The tibia and fibula are connected by four ligaments.

Causes

Typical Causes Of Sprains

In a sprain, a ligament is overextended or torn by severely stressing a joint. The following situations are likely to cause sprains:

Near the ends of their bones, children have softer tissue called growth plates. Children are more likely to suffer a fracture than a sprain since ligaments around joints tend to be stronger than growth plates.

Ankle - Walking on uneven surfaces or landing awkwardly after jumping
Ankle - Sudden pivoting while bearing weight on the leg
Wrist - Falling and landing on an outstretched hand
Thumb - Injury caused by skiing or overextension during racquet sports like tennis

Common Symptoms Of Sprains

According to the severity of the injury, signs and symptoms may include:

Treatments

Physiotherapy Treatments For Your Sprain

01.

Ultrasound Treatment

With the deep heating delivered with this treatment, there is relaxation and softening of soft tissue, like muscle, ligaments, and tendons.

02.

Sports Taping

Restrict faulty motions to protect joint and muscle structures.

03.

Hands-on Therapy

Increase joint mobility to bring back normal range of motion

04.

Electrical Stimulation

Manage your pain by cutting off the transmission of pain signals and providing relief.

05.

Heat Therapy

Allow better reception of therapeutic treatments when using heat to improve tissue extensibility.

Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ's about Sprains

How do you determine the severity of a sprain?

There are several types of sprains, ranging from minor to severe. Depending on the amount of damage, your Physiotherapist is likely to assign one of three grade severities to your sprain:

Grade I sprains.
This type usually heals quite quickly. Upon maturation of collagen fibres, ligament strength reaches its maximum after six weeks. It’s helpful to rest from painful activity to ice the injury. Through electrical modalities, massage, and exercise, physiotherapy will help to speed up the healing process.
Grade II sprains.
These are more severe and disabling. The early healing phase requires load protection. In early treatment, this may include a weight-bearing brace or some supportive taping (which helps to ease the pain and prevent stretching of the healing ligament). Depending on the injury and what sports or activities the client wants to return to, it can take anywhere from 6 to 12 weeks.
Grade III injuries.
An orthopaedic surgeon is often required to perform early surgical repair of this very significant injury. Your surgeon and physiotherapist will guide your rehabilitation if surgery is needed.

In non-surgical ligament injuries, it is important to protect the injury from weight-bearing stresses. The objective is to allow ligaments to heal in a short/non-stressful position. Rehabilitation progresses as ligaments heal and a gradual return to normal activity occurs. Depending on the severity of the ligament injury, full recovery could take three to four months or even up to 12 months. Serious ligament injuries may even take longer to heal.

Do sprains show up on x-rays?

One benefit of an X-ray is to rule out a broken bone and to evaluate the alignment of the ankle joint. A sprain can cause just as much pain and swelling as a broken bone, so it can be difficult to tell the difference by just looking at the ankle. Therefore scans can be useful tools to eliminate damaged structures.

What are the differences between a sprain and a strain?

Overstretching or tearing of ligaments causes a joint sprain. A ligament is a tissue that binds two bones together at a joint. The ankle joint is the most common location for a sprain.

On the other hand, a joint strain occurs when muscles or tendons are overstretched or torn. The tendon is a dense fibrous cord of tissue that connects bones to muscles. The hamstring and the lower back are the most common sites for muscle strain.

A sprain and a strain have very similar symptoms. This is because the injuries themselves are very similar. It is no wonder they can be misdiagnosed on occasion. An important difference is that with a sprain, you may experience bruising around the affected joint, whereas with a strain, you may experience muscle spasms.

How can I prevent ankle sprains?

If you don’t want your weekend ruined by the dreaded ankle sprain, what can you do to prevent it? Below are six tips you should keep in mind:

Balance Yourself
You can prevent ankle sprains by improving your balance. Balance in your body can only be achieved if you understand how it works.

In the beginning, your sight impacts balance since your body moves based on anticipation, experience, and expectations from what it sees. Proprioception, or sense of where you are in space, is your body’s ability to detect where you are without the use of eyes. Nerves also help you keep your balance. When you walk, run, or jump, the nerves in your foot and ankle sense the surface beneath you. Your third sense of balance is something called the vestibular system, which is the inner ear’s way of telling you when you’re moving, spinning, falling, or in some other changing position.

Whenever all four of these balance systems are working properly, you are likely in good shape. There are ways to improve your balance, which can help prevent injuries. Practising balancing on one foot while brushing your teeth or performing light upper body exercises can help you do this. The nerves in your foot and ankle will continue to adjust and train the muscles in your ankle/leg/hip and even your lumbar stabilisers to function properly. In addition to helping improve balance issues, physiotherapy can also help improve vestibular conditions such as Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV).

Strengthen Your Core
How you move depends on the strength and function of your hips and trunk. Imagine running lightly and changing directions abruptly. The lack of hip control will result in your body moving if you lack core strength. The result could be a rolled ankle and/or a fall if your body weight exceeds the foot and ankle’s ability to control. When working out, you should focus on strengthening your hips and abdominals/back.
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Build Up Ankle Strength
It is good to strengthen your ankles to prevent injuries. You can strengthen one leg by performing squats, lunges, dips, and rubber band exercises. Staying on your feet and controlling your body position will be easier with a stronger base.

Improve Flexibility
It is important to maintain a balance between strength and flexibility. After a light warm-up, stretching for 30-60 seconds can help reduce discomfort and enhance mobility in the lower leg. Stretching should be done carefully and comfortably after an ankle sprain to prevent ligament or joint hypermobility.

Progressive Activity
The idea of hiking several miles out of the blue without preparing your body is not a good one. When you know, you will be participating in a new sport or activity. You should get your body ready. Rather than training your entire body, you should develop the habit of regular exercise and mimic your desired activity, (functional training). Muscle memory plays a role in preventing ankle sprains when you practice your movement or sport.

Brace for It
You shouldn’t hesitate to use a brace or tape on your ankle if you want to prevent injury. The support provided by braces and taping could make a big difference in maintaining health. Further, bracing allows your body to keep track of your ankle so that you can perform your desired activity.