Strains and sprains are soft tissue injuries affecting tendons, muscles or ligaments.
To use precise terminology you may strain a tendon and sprain a ligament. Many people do not know the difference: a tendon connects a muscle to a bone and a ligament connects 2 bones to each other. Some people call tendons “guides” eg the fibrous bands you can see on the back of your hands. Ligaments occur at joints and prevent bones from slipping on each other on movement. Some of the most commonly sprained ligaments are those on the inner aspect of the knee (medial collateral ligament) and those on the outer aspect of the ankle.
If you suffer from a strain or sprain you should apply a local ice pack eg a bag of frozen peas to the area. Protect your skin from an ice burn by putting a smear of oil and a damp teatowel between your skin and the ice. 10-15 minutes is usually sufficient twice a day. Try to keep the injured area elevated.
Strains and sprains are frequently graded in severity from 1 to 4 and can range from just a few fibres being damaged to (rarely) complete rupture. In this situation there will be a lot of heat, swelling and bruising and immobilisation in plaster may be indicated. However, in most cases, physiotherapy is the treatment of choice.
A Chartered Physiotherapist can assess exactly which structures have been injured and can give advice on first aid measures, selective rest, appropriate mobilising exercises, specific massage techniques and ultrasound treatment. This accelerates the rate of repair by around 3 times. Strains and sprains usually take around 6 weeks to heal but physiotherapy can reduce pain levels, restore mobility and prevent complications occurring.
To see a Chartered Physiotherapist privately you do not need to be referred by your doctor.