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Everything You Need to Know About Your Sprains and Strains

One of the most common questions people ask whenever they hurt a part of their body is whether it’s a sprain or strain. They may seem similar, but there are distinctions between the two, and differentiating between them is actually easier than you think.

The first step is to understand the differences between a tendon and a ligament. Tendons are fibrous tissues that connect bone to muscle, and ligaments are similar in that they, too, are connective tissues to tendons but instead of connecting bone to muscle, they connect bone to bone. When the tendons attaching your muscle to bone are stretched too far or torn, a strain will occur. When the ligaments connecting your joints are damaged, a sprain will occur. Your ankles, knees, elbows and wrists can be affected by this, and in most cases, the joint is so badly twisted that the tissues will become stretched or torn. The pain caused by a sprain can be mild or severe, and depending on the situation, some patients will require physiotherapy and possibly even surgery.

Whether you are suffering from a sprain or strain, physiotherapy can help you recover. Physiotherapists are experts when it comes to movement, so they will provide you with relief and will also help you prevent further injury in the future. A lot of patients who turn to physiotherapy will not require medications or invasive surgery because it is an effective treatment that is proven to work. When it comes to sprains or strains, physiotherapy treatments will first focus on pain relief as this is the primary goal. Manual therapy, electrical nerve stimulation, stretching and ice therapies are a few examples of the pain-relieving services you may receive. Your physiotherapist will provide you with one or several of these based on the severity of your situation and pain.

Once you finalize pain management, the physiotherapist will then heal your injury. They will help you regain your range of motion in the joint that was affected or will help strengthen the muscles that were affected by your injury. The last step will focus on preventing future injury because once you sprain a joint or strain a muscle, it’s highly likely that you may do this again, but a physiotherapist can help in this regard. They will recommend strengthening exercises and will help you build muscle around the injured area, which will lower your risk of injury in the future.

The experts at Apex Physiotherapy & Chiropractic will provide you with the treatment you need, so if you have a sprain or strain, do not hesitate to contact us because we can provide you with relief right away. Our physiotherapists are knowledgeable, skilled and friendly and will eliminate your pain, so schedule an appointment with us today!