Ligaments are made up of bundles of dense fibrous connective tissue, and are avascular without blood vessels which is why they appear white and take such a long time to heal e. This is different to a strain, which is muscle and tendon based injury. As muscles have rich supply of blood and nutrients from capillaries, they can heal much faster.
Tendons also have blood supplied although in small amounts via the musculotendinous between muscle and tendon and osseotendinous between bone and tendon junctions, so tendons also heal quicker than ligaments. The timeline for rehabilitation also varies depending on the severity of the injury, but as a general guideline the following three stages should be completed as soon as possible, injury permitting.
Understanding the differences between strains and sprains allows us to better understand how these injuries occur as well as how to treat and rehabilitate from them.
It also allows us to write better personal training programs, whether for recovery and rehabilitation from a sprain or strain, or manipulating current training around these injuries. Improve your own training, become a Qualified Personal Trainer and make a real difference in people's lives. Enquire now to find out more. Sprains vs Strains. But how do we actually know which is which? Sprains and strains. Actions for this page Listen Print.
Summary Read the full fact sheet. On this page. About sprains and strains Causes of sprains and strains Sprains Symptoms of sprains and strains Degrees of severity of a sprain or strain First aid for sprains or strains Overuse injuries Treatment for sprains and strains Where to get help. About sprains and strains Soft tissue injuries may be sudden acute or long-standing chronic. Causes of sprains and strains Soft tissue structures are made from bundles of fibres.
Sprains Joints are stabilised by a joint capsule and supported by tough bands of connective tissue called ligaments. Strains Muscles are anchored to joints with connective tissue called tendons.
Symptoms of sprains and strains The symptoms of a sprain or strain may include: pain swelling stiffness reduced efficiency of function.
Degrees of severity of a sprain or strain Acute soft tissue injuries can be graded according to their severity: grade I — a small percentage of fibres are torn and the site is moderately painful and swollen, but function and strength are mostly unaffected grade II — a moderate percentage of fibres are torn and the site is painful and swollen, with some loss of function and strength grade III — the soft tissue may be completely ruptured, with considerable loss of function and strength.
First aid for sprains or strains Suggestions for immediate treatment of acute sprains or strains include: Stop your activity. Rest the injured area. Put icepacks on the area for 20 minutes every 2 hours, separated from the skin by wet towelling. Compress or bandage the injured site firmly, extending the wrapping from below to above. Elevate raise the injured area above heart height whenever practical. Avoid heat, alcohol, running and massage of the affected area in the first 72 hours after the injury, as this can increase swelling.
If symptoms get worse in the first 24 hours, see your doctor for further medical investigation. Overuse injuries An overuse injury can affect anyone from athletes or those who play regular sport, to those who spend hours every day at a computer keyboard. Treatment for sprains and strains Most soft tissue injuries take a few weeks to heal, depending on the severity of the sprain or strain, any subsequent injuries or issues such as weakness, stiffness, poor balance or function, and the general health of the person.
Treatment may include: exercises, under the guidance of your doctor or other health professional, to promote healing, strength and flexibility manual techniques, such as mobilisation and massage electrotherapy pain-relieving medication talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking any medications, as they can sometimes disrupt the healing of soft tissue injuries gradually introducing activities to back-to-normal levels.
Give feedback about this page. Was this page helpful? Tendons are the cords of tissue that attach muscles to the bone. Strains are typically caused by overuse of a muscle or tendon. A strain has three categories: mild, moderate, and severe, and you may experience any or all of these symptoms in all cases. One is not technically worse than the other. Both tendons and ligaments are connective tissues, and both are measured by severity. You can have a mild sprain or a severe strain, or vice versa.
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