Sprains And Strains
Get a personalised physiotherapy assessment to understand your injury and receive appropriate guidance for recovery.
Contents
Take the First Step Towards Better Movement
Our experienced physiotherapists are here to help you improve mobility, regain strength, and move with greater comfort and confidence.
What Is It?
Sprains and strains are common musculoskeletal injuries that affect different types of body tissues.
A sprain occurs when a ligament, the strong tissue connecting one bone to another, is stretched or injured. Sprains commonly affect the ankles, knees, wrists, and other joints.
A strain occurs when a muscle or tendon is overstretched or injured. Strains can affect areas such as the back, neck, shoulders, thighs, hamstrings, and calves.
These injuries may range from mild stretching of tissues to more significant damage. Symptoms can include pain, swelling, bruising, stiffness, weakness, tenderness, and difficulty moving or putting weight on the affected area.
A proper assessment is important to understand the severity of the injury and rule out more serious problems. Physiotherapy may help restore mobility, strength, stability, and function during appropriate stages of recovery.
Causes
Sudden Twisting Movements: Quick changes in direction or awkward twisting can overstretch ligaments and cause sprains.
Falls: Falling can place excessive force on joints, muscles, and tendons, increasing the risk of injury.
Sports Injuries: Running, jumping, landing, tackling, and sudden changes in direction can lead to sprains and strains.
Overstretching: Stretching a muscle or joint beyond its normal range can damage surrounding tissues.
Lifting Heavy Objects: Incorrect lifting techniques or lifting more than the body can safely manage may cause muscle or tendon strains.
Sudden Movements: Quick, forceful, or unexpected movements can overstretch muscles, tendons, or ligaments.
Repetitive Movements: Repeated physical activity can gradually overload muscles and tendons and contribute to strain-related injuries.
Poor Exercise Technique: Incorrect form during exercise, sports, or strength training can place unnecessary stress on body tissues.
Muscle Fatigue: Tired muscles may provide less support and control, increasing the risk of injury during physical activity.
Previous Injuries: A previous sprain or strain may affect strength, stability, and movement control if rehabilitation is incomplete.
Inadequate Warm-Up: Beginning intense activity without properly preparing the body may increase the risk of muscle and soft tissue injuries.
Risk Factors
Sports Participation: Sports involving running, jumping, twisting, tackling, or rapid changes in direction can increase the risk of sprains and strains.
Previous Injury: A history of previous muscle, tendon, ligament, or joint injuries may increase the risk of recurring problems.
Muscle Weakness: Reduced muscle strength may affect joint support and movement control.
Poor Flexibility: Limited flexibility may affect normal movement and increase the risk of overstretching certain muscles.
Muscle Fatigue: Exercising or working while excessively fatigued can reduce coordination and movement control.
Sudden Increase in Activity: Rapidly increasing workout intensity, weight, duration, or training volume may overload muscles and other tissues.
Poor Exercise Technique: Incorrect movement or lifting techniques can increase physical stress and injury risk.
Inadequate Recovery: Not allowing enough recovery between intense workouts or physically demanding activities may contribute to overuse injuries.
Uneven Surfaces: Walking or running on uneven or slippery surfaces may increase the risk of falls and joint injuries.
Physically Demanding Work: Jobs involving lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, bending, or repetitive movements may increase the risk of strains.
Preventive Measures
Warm Up Before Activity: Prepare your muscles and joints before sports, exercise, or physically demanding work.
Increase Activity Gradually: Avoid sudden increases in workout intensity, duration, weight, or training frequency.
Strengthen Supporting Muscles: Suitable strengthening exercises may help improve muscle support, joint stability, and movement control.
Maintain Good Flexibility: Appropriate stretching and mobility exercises can help maintain comfortable movement.
Use Proper Exercise Technique: Correct form during sports, strength training, and exercise can help reduce unnecessary stress on the body.
Use Safe Lifting Techniques: Lift with proper body mechanics and avoid sudden twisting while carrying heavy objects.
Wear Suitable Footwear: Properly fitting and activity-appropriate footwear can support stability and safe movement.
Allow Adequate Recovery: Give your body enough time to recover after intense workouts, sports, and physically demanding activities.
Avoid Exercising Through Significant Pain: Persistent or sharp pain during activity should not be ignored.
Complete Rehabilitation: Follow an appropriate rehabilitation programme after an injury to help restore strength, mobility, and movement control before returning to demanding activity.
When To Seek Medical Help?
Some mild sprains and strains may improve with appropriate care. However, certain symptoms may indicate a more serious injury and require professional assessment.
Severe Pain: Intense pain that significantly affects movement or does not improve should be assessed.
Significant Swelling: Rapid or severe swelling around the injured area may require medical evaluation.
Inability to Bear Weight: If you cannot put weight on an injured leg, ankle, knee, or foot, seek professional assessment.
Inability to Move the Area: Significant difficulty moving the affected joint, muscle, or limb should be evaluated.
Visible Deformity: A noticeable change in the shape or position of a joint or limb after an injury requires prompt medical attention.
Severe Bruising: Extensive or rapidly developing bruising following an injury may require assessment.
A Popping Sound During Injury: A pop or snap at the time of injury, particularly when followed by significant pain, swelling, or instability, should be professionally evaluated.
Joint Instability: A feeling that a joint is giving way, slipping, or unable to support normal movement requires assessment.
Numbness or Tingling: New altered sensation after an injury should not be ignored.
Symptoms Getting Worse: Increasing pain, swelling, weakness, or loss of movement requires further evaluation.
Treatment Overview
Treatment for sprains and strains depends on the injured tissue, location, severity, symptoms, and stage of recovery. A proper assessment helps determine the most appropriate management and rehabilitation approach.
A physiotherapist may assess pain, swelling, joint movement, muscle strength, flexibility, stability, balance, walking pattern, and functional limitations.
During appropriate stages of recovery, treatment may focus on restoring comfortable movement, improving flexibility, gradually rebuilding strength, improving joint stability and balance, and preparing the body for a safe return to daily activities, work, exercise, or sports.
The rehabilitation programme is individualised according to the type and severity of injury. More serious injuries may require medical evaluation, imaging, or other treatment before physiotherapy progresses.
Physiotherapy Treatments
Detailed Assessment: A physiotherapist assesses the injured area, pain, swelling, movement, strength, stability, and functional limitations.
Pain and Symptom Management: Appropriate strategies may be used to manage symptoms and support comfortable movement during the early stages of recovery.
Activity Modification: Guidance may be provided to temporarily modify activities that place excessive stress on the injured area.
Mobility Exercises: Gentle and progressive exercises may help restore comfortable movement as appropriate for the stage of recovery.
Stretching Exercises: Suitable stretching may be introduced when clinically appropriate to improve flexibility and address muscle tightness.
Strengthening Exercises: Progressive exercises may help rebuild muscle strength and improve support around the affected area.
Balance and Stability Training: Exercises may help improve joint control, coordination, and stability, particularly following lower-limb injuries.
Proprioception Training: Specific exercises may help improve awareness and control of joint position and movement.
Manual Therapy: Hands-on physiotherapy techniques may be used where appropriate to address movement restrictions and musculoskeletal discomfort.
Soft Tissue Techniques: Suitable techniques may help address muscle tightness and surrounding soft tissue restrictions.
Gait Training: For lower-limb injuries, physiotherapy may help improve walking patterns and support a gradual return to normal mobility.
Movement Retraining: Treatment may focus on improving movement patterns during activities such as squatting, lifting, walking, running, jumping, or landing.
IFT Therapy: Interferential Therapy may be included as part of a broader physiotherapy programme for suitable individuals experiencing pain and muscle-related discomfort.
Ultrasound Therapy: Therapeutic Ultrasound may be considered as part of an individualised physiotherapy programme for suitable soft tissue and musculoskeletal conditions.
Laser Therapy: Laser Therapy may be included where appropriate as part of a personalised treatment plan.
Kinesio Taping: Therapeutic taping may be used as a supportive technique for suitable individuals during movement and rehabilitation.
Personalised Home Exercise Programme: A customised exercise programme may help support recovery and gradually improve mobility, strength, flexibility, stability, and confidence.
Start Your Recovery Journey Today
Don’t let pain, stiffness, or reduced mobility affect your daily life. Get personalised physiotherapy care designed around your condition and recovery goals.