SORTING OUT YOUR SPRAIN– PT IS THE WAY TO GO PHYSICAL THERAPY, THE SMART WAY TO TREAT A LIGAMENT SPRAIN https://evolveny.com/blogposts/2022/05/09/sorting-out-your-sprain-pt-is-the-way-to-go

1. PHYSICAL THERAPY, THE SMART WAY TO TREAT A LIGAMENT
SPRAIN
Are you Suffering From a Ligament Sprain?
Whether you are running across the
soccer field to score a goal or walking
across your icy driveway on the way to
work, accidents happen, and muscle
strains and ligament sprains can happen
to anyone. While a strain refers to an
injury to a muscle, a sprain refers to an
injury to one of the ligaments that
stretches between joint surfaces to help
stabilize it. If you’ve ever sprained your
wrist or your ankle, then you know how
uncomfortable these injuries can be. The
good news is that in most cases the care
of a physical therapist can help reduce
your symptoms and get you back to your
full activities. Read more below to learn
about sprains and how PT can help you
recover.
WH AT H APPEN ED TO MY JOIN T?
Many times ligament sprains happen in response to stepping or landing awkwardly,
twisting the knee or ankle, or even falling and landing on an outstretched arm. Muscle
fatigue, such as at the end of a long workout may increase the risk of uncontrolled joint
movements that can injure ligaments. Uneven footing and improper or poorly-fitted
equipment may also put one at a higher risk for experiencing ligament sprains.
Ligaments are bands of tissue that support bones, joints and organs. Many ligaments
stretch from one side of a joint to the other to connect the bones together and stabilize
the joint. When a joint is moved beyond its normal range of motion it stresses and
stretches the inelastic fibers of the ligament and can cause tearing. For example, if
you’ve ever stepped wrong during a hike and rolled your ankle, the ligaments on the
outside of the ankle joint may have been sprained. If you’ve ever slipped on ice and
stuck your arm out behind you to brace your fall, your wrist may have extended a bit
too far causing a wrist sprain. Because the primary function of ligaments is to provide
passive stabilization to the area, loss of stability can range from mild to severe with a
ligament sprain.
We can categorize a sprain based on its severity:
- Grade I (mild): microscopic damage has occurred to the ligament but only mild local
tenderness and minimal bruising/swelling is noted without compromising joint stability.
Typically takes 2-3 weeks to heal.
- Grade II (moderate): partial tear/rupture of the ligament. Obvious swelling and
tenderness noted over the injured ligament but joint instability is either minimal or
absent. May require up to 6 weeks to heal.
- Grade III (severe): complete rupture of the ligament with severe swelling and
tenderness. This injury may be difficult to distinguish from a fracture initially. Instability
MAY 9, 2022
SORTING OUT YOUR SPRAIN– PT IS THE WAY
TO GO
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of the joint is noticeable due to the severity of the rupture. Prolonged time to heal is
frequent and may require surgery to repair.
S TART TH E H EALIN G PROCES S ON TH E RIGH T FOOT
If you’ve injured yourself, it is important to assess the severity of the injury and identify
what structures are involved. If you cannot move the injured joint, can’t bear weight on
it, or notice severe swelling and tenderness, it is important to see a doctor right away
to rule out a fracture. As noted above, severe ligament sprains and fractures can initially
mimic one another in their presentation, but their treatment is quite different.
A physical therapist can advise you on this matter and can also identify the ligaments
that may be injured. In the first week or so after injury your physical therapist will guide
you on how to protect the recently injured and newly healing ligament. You want to
minimize any movement that causes pain or places any stretch or strain across the
injured site. They may recommend bracing or taping to protect the injured area and
reduce pain or advise you to use crutches if you cannot walk without limping.
Aside from protecting the area of injury, in this very early phase your physical therapy
treatment will focus on reducing inflammation and pain, and maintaining strength in
unaffected areas above and below the injury. To achieve these goals your physical
therapy treatment may consist of the application of ice or light soft tissue work to
mobilize any edema. Modalities such as electrical stimulation or ultrasound may be
applied to increase circulation, decrease inflammation and control pain.
As the healing tissues become stronger, inflammation subsides and pain is reduced, it
is time to move on to the next phase of physical rehab. If your ligament sprain is in one
of the joints of the leg, ankle or foot, it is important that you are able to walk with a
normal gait pattern without any assistive devices before you start adding too much
stress to the healing ligament. Your PT will help you know when you have reached
these milestones and you may begin to perform gentle pain-free stretching and range
of motion exercises to restore mobility to the joint. It is also important in this phase to
start performing light resistance training to the muscles around the affected ligament
as muscles partner with ligaments to stabilize a joint.
Finally, in the later stages of healing your physical therapy treatment will focus on
exercises and activities that prepare the injured ligament to withstand the stress and
strain of everyday life and the sports and recreational activities we love to do. In this
stage you may begin more sport-specific exercises and activities to restore power,
agility and speed. Optimizing biomechanics and muscle strength and motor control is
essential to support the previously-injured joint and reduce the likelihood of
experiencing an injury in the future.
GET H EALTH Y AN D S TAY H EALTH Y
Because a moderate or severe sprain can compromise the integrity of the ligament and
cause long-term instability, having the guidance of a rehab professional like a physical
therapist is important to reduce the likelihood of re-injury. Though suffering an injury
can feel discouraging, you can speed up the time it takes you to get back to the
activities you love and reduce the risk of becoming re-injured through an individualized
physical therapy program. The physical therapists at Evolve are ready to get you feeling
better and back on track!
Click here for more information about physical therapy for sprains
About EvolveNY-
Brooklyn's Premier Holistic Physical
Therapy Clinics- There’s physical therapy,
there’s training, and then there’s
EVOLVE. We use the science of
biomechanics merged with fitness to
help our patients get better and stay
better! First we evaluate, then we heal,
then we strengthen our clients so they can reach their goals, feel better, and live
happier lives. We do so by utilizing a range of core techniques and specialized
treatments to reduce pain, improve mobility, enhance physical strength and deal with
the underlying issues, not just the pain itself.
Multiple Locations!
1-718-524-3261
https://EvolveNY.com
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