Managing Sprains and Strains: Expert Care at a Sports Medicine Clinic
Does this sound familiar? You’re training at the gym when you feel a sudden, sharp pain in your hamstring–and suddenly, you can barely move your leg. Or how about this? You’re racing to home plate when your ankle rolls underneath you, and now you can barely move it. Sprains and strains are some of the most common sports injuries–but with expert sprain and strain care at Sievers Sports Medicine, you’ll be back in the game in no time!
Sprains and strains may sound similar, but they’re actually two distinct types of injury. Furthermore, sprains and strains can range from mild to severe, so treatment can consist of everything from simple mobilization exercises to surgery. Thankfully, our minimally invasive approach to treatment can help keep you out from under the knife.
Every athlete should understand the difference between a sprain and a strain, as well as the signs of each. That way, if you or a teammate suffers one, you’ll know to get them to our Portales clinic as quickly as possible for care.
Keep reading for an overview of these common sports injuries and our approach to expert sprain and strain care!
Sprains vs. Strains: Understanding the Differences (and Similarities!)
So, what exactly distinguishes a sprain from a strain? The answer is actually simple:
- A sprain affects your ligaments, the tissue that connects your bones together.
- A strain affects your muscles or tendons, the tissue that connects muscle to bone.
In both cases, the injury occurs when the tissue becomes overloaded, causing the tissue to tear. How much tissue tears will determine the severity of your injury:
- Mild (Grade 1): At this grade, only a few of the microscopic tissue fibers tear. You’ll likely just experience some ankle pain and tenderness, often delayed until the next day.
- Moderate (Grade 2): Here, approximately half of the fibers tear, leading to more intense symptoms. You’ll experience significant pain and some swelling immediately following the injury.
- Severe (Grade 3): A severe sprain or strain means the muscle, tendon, or ligament ruptured completely–which also means severe swelling and pain, along with a loss in functionality. A severe sprain will cause instability in the joint, while a severe strain will leave you unable to use the affected muscle at all.
Treatment will vary based on the severity of your injury, as will your recovery time. We can generally address mild and moderate sprains/strains with minimally invasive treatment options (such as rehab techniques or regenerative injections). However, a severe sprain/strain will usually require surgery and several months of rehabilitation.
What to Expect from Your Expert Strain and Sprain Care
No matter the details of your injury, our team can help! We’ll develop a customized treatment based on the type of injury, its location, and its severity, pulling from several different techniques and approaches:
- Immediate Relief: We’ll let you know what to do immediately following your injury, such as which medicines can help with pain relief and minimize swelling, how long you should rest the affected area, and whether you might benefit from compression techniques. Because we offer same-day urgent care, we can get you situated as quickly as possible.
- Bracing or Boot: If you’ve suffered a severe sprain, you may require a brace or walking boot for it to heal properly–which we can do in the clinic.
- Mobilization: Many people think rest is the best way to manage a sprain or strain, but you actually want to start mobilizing the affected area as soon as possible. We can recommend gentle mobilization techniques that will help reduce pain and maximize your recovery.
- Regenerative Medicine: Minimally invasive regenerative medicine treatments, such as PRP or stem cell injections, can further maximize your recovery, as they help facilitate the healing process.
- Return-To-Sport Schedule: We know you’re anxious to return to your usual activities. That’s why your treatment plan will include a return-to-sport schedule that lets you know what you can do, how much you can do, and when it’s safe for you to do it. We can also recommend movement modifications and functional training exercises so you don’t lose strength and mobility as you recover.
Sprain and Strain Care at Sievers Sports Medicine
Most athletes will experience a sprain or strain at some point in their sports journey, even if it’s just a mild one. For those who’ve suffered a moderate to severe sprain/strain, our team of sports medicine specialists is here to find the right blend of treatments to get you the results you’re looking for!
Ready to get started? Call us today to learn more about expert sprain and strain care at our Portales clinic.
Sources:
https://www.physio-pedia.com/Muscle_Strain https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/sports-injuries