Treating Sprains and Strains

Sprains and strains can be nagging, painful injuries and require medical attention. Though they sound similar to say, sprains and strains have some distinct differences that require different treatments. Sprains are ligament injuries, while strains impact the muscles and tendons. More specifically, sprains and strains occur when their affected body parts are overstretched.

Sprains and strains share many of the same symptoms, but there is a key difference. Sprains will generally show up in the form of bruising, whereas strains cause muscle spasms as a unique symptom. Pain, swelling and limited movement in the affected area are shared symptoms of sprains and strains.

If you feel you are struggling with either a sprain or a strain, seek medical attention immediately. After that initial treatment, you may need to receive physical therapy to get your body back up to speed after some time dealing with an injury.

At that point, Mid-County Physical Therapy can step in and guide you down the path to recovery. However, it still may not be fully understood why physical therapy is so important. Check out our process for handling sprains and strains below and learn more about the physical therapy process! 

Physical Therapy for Sprains

The most common area of the body to sprain is the ankle, so many physical therapy practices for sprains are based in that region of the body. Also, consider that there are different degrees of seriousness to sprains, meaning that the rigor of physical therapy for sprains will be altered depending on the extent of the ligament’s stretch.

Physical therapy for sprains can change depending on the movement ability that seems to be lacking in the patient. For example, some patients struggle to balance after suffering from a lower body sprain. In this case, we can prioritize balancing exercises to help with that issue directly.

The same logic goes for several other potential deficiencies, such as a lack of agility, weakness or pain, or a failure to complete simple daily tasks. We can mold the physical therapy plan and use specific physical therapy tools around the patient’s needs.

Physical Therapy for Strains

Though there are some stark differences between sprains and strains, the recovery process for each of them follows a similar pattern. Depending on the issues one is dealing with, we can craft a physical therapy plan that directly tends to your needs. The exercises we recommend and oversee will be based on where the damage is located on your body.

The general strategies used during physical therapy for sprains are also deployed to manage strains, including pain relief, agility improvement and strengthening tasks. We also recommend extra attention be put into your rest schedule and avoid doing anything too physically demanding while at home. Physical therapy is a collaboration between a medical professional and their patient, and both sides must put effort into the process, especially for strains and sprains. 

It is worth noting that both sprains and strains will require different therapy regimens depending on the patient’s activity level. Young athletes, for example, will have different expectations placed on them than sedentary older adults. Luckily, we provide specialized tips regarding the benefits of physical therapy for athletes that may offer some more insight for the patients who fit that description.

Mid-County Physical Therapy Can Help You Recover

Mid-County Physical Therapy can help you through the stressful recovery process through our empathetic approach to care. Our staff is well trained and prepared to tend to several medical problems requiring physical therapy, including sprains and strains. You can make an appointment online by using our simple portal or learn more about the ailments we treat by exploring our website. Get started on the road to recovery today!