What is a ligament sprain?

A sprain is a stretch or tear in a ligament. It is similar to a muscle strain and often a strain and a sprain are used interchangeably but they are not the same.

Ligaments are bands of fibrous tissue that connects bones to bones and therefore need to be strong.

Sprains are graded on how severe the damage is:
Grade I is stretching of the ligament or a very mild tear, with little or no instability at the joint.
Grade II is a more serious but still incomplete tear, with some looseness in the joint.
Grade III is a completely torn or ruptured ligament. This is not a broken bone but can feel like one since it’s often impossible to put weight on the joint or use the affected limb because the joint isn’t stable.

The most common type of sprain is a lateral sprained ankle, where there is inversion of the ankle. This will be the topic of a future blog so watch this space.

Sprains usually happen when a person falls, twists, or is hit in a way that forces the body out of its normal position.

Symptoms are pain and inflammation, and sometimes bruising, at the injured area. Depending on how bad the sprain or strain is, the pain may be mild, moderate, or severe with limited range of motion.

Treatment - you shouldn’t rest the injured area too long, or scar tissue could limit what you can do. Treatment can vary depending on the level of injury and the recovery stage, so if this sounds like an injury you might have, get in touch and we can discuss an injury rehab programme.