We Treat Sprains, Strains, And Tears In Dublin, Ireland
We know sprains, strains, and tears can be painful, and confusing, what is the difference? And how can you tell if you have a sprain or a strain? These are some of the questions I will answer in this blog.
That is why Dublin Physical & Chiropractic offers a variety of treatments to help relieve pain, swelling, and reduced range of motion associated with sprains, strains, and tears, but also look at the cause and prevent future injuries.
Preventative medicine and promotion of long-term health and wellness, and healthy ageing are the cornerstones of our practice at Dublin Physical & Chiropractic.
We offer an abundance of innovative and evidence-based treatment and care programs to effectively treat sprains, strains, and tears – physical therapy care and chiropractic care, exercise therapy, manual therapy, laser therapy, joint traction, spinal decompression, and intrinsic core strengthening.
If you think you might have or have been diagnosed by your doctor with, a ligament sprain, like an ankle sprain, or muscle strain or tear, like a hamstring, groin, or rotator cuff tear – call us to start for the journey back full health and function with Dublin Physical & Chiropractic or book your consultation online to see one of our physical therapists.
We are located in Monkstown in Dublin, Ireland.
What Is The Difference Between A Sprain And A Strain And A Tear?
First of all, they are all soft-tissue injuries. Soft tissues include all supportive or supporting tissues in the body – muscles, ligaments, tendons, blood vessels, fat, nerves, and many more.
- A sprain is a pulled or stretched or torn ligament (i.e an ankle sprain or ACL tear). A sprain can also be called a ligament tear.
- A strain is a pulled or stretched or torn muscle or tendon (i.e a hamstring tear).
- A tear is another term for a strain and can be used interchangeably.
Grading And Severity of Sprains, Strains, And Tears
The simplest way to define the severity of a sprain or tear is into the following three grades:
- Grade I: Local inflammation but no significant tissue damage.
- Grade II: Local inflammation with significant tissue damage or partial tear, and reduced strength.
- Grade III: Local inflammation with a with complete tear, and complete loss of function.
Symptoms of A Sprain, Strain, And Tear
The symptoms of a muscle strain/tear or ligament sprain are quite similar, so it can be difficult to determine if your injury is a tear or sprain.
- Significant pain.
- Swelling in the injured tissue, and redness in the skin.
- Bruising that develops within a few hours due to bleeding under the skin around an injury site.
- Loss of function.
- Reduced range of motion.
The location of the injury can give you an idea if it is a muscle or ligament injury. Our physical therapists will perform a thorough assessment to establish the severity of your injury and if it is a ligament or muscle injury.
How We Treat A Soft-Tissue Injury At Dublin Physical & Chiropractic
At Dublin Physical & Chiropractic our team uses a wide range of innovative and evidence-based treatment options.
- Physical therapy Care.
- Chiropractic Care.
- Exercise Therapy.
- Laser Therapy.
- Joint Traction.
- Spinal Decompression.
- Manual Therapy.
Physical therapy Care And Health Promote
A physical therapy-led rehabilitation program is fundamental for optimal recovery of the damaged tissued. Our physical therapists use a combination of manual therapy and a graded exercise program to reduce symptoms of inflammation like pain and swelling and to start to rebuild the damaged tissue to achieve an optimal recovery.
Exercise Therapy
Exercise therapy or a graded-loading program, not only reducing pain and dysfunction, and increases range of motion but also promotes the body’s natural healing processes and promotes the rebuilding of new and organized tissue fibers within the ligament, tendon, or muscles that have been damaged due to a sports injury or repetitive strain injury.
Laser Therapy
Laser therapy works in a similar way to a graded-loading program, it promotes the body’s natural healing processes through light therapy. It works on a cellular level to increase mitochondrial density and ATP (energy) production in the cells of muscles, ligaments, tendons, or even bone, nerves, or blood vessels.
Laser therapy is pain-free and each session only needs to last 15-20 to be effective. Our clients also find the warmth from the laser relaxing and soothing.
Joint Traction & Spinal Decompression
Joint traction and spinal decompression are natural drug-free ways to promote healing and reduce pain and swelling caused by a muscle tear. Joint traction and spinal work by moving the spine and joints away from their compromised positions, this relieves pressure on nerve endings that are being compressed by other muscles or bones, allowing space for the healing of the damaged tissues.
Manual Therapy
Manual therapy has been shown to be effective in treating sprains, strains, and tears. It is an excellent way of reducing pain immediately following an injury and reducing the number of muscle spasms.
Manual therapy is a gentle type of treatment that uses slow, sustained pressure on soft tissue to increase circulation and stimulate healing. The pain often reduces after the first or second visit as there are no drugs involved so it has no side effects like medications can have.
Rehabilitation Timeline For Sprains And Tears
How long does it take to recover from a sprain or strain? This is a question I get a lot in the clinic and it is understandable that you would like to know. The recovery timeline depends on a number of factors – the severity of the injury, your general condition at the time of the injury, sleep quality during recovery, and how soon you started physical therapy after the injury.
In general – recovery from this kind of injury can range from four to six weeks. But rehabilitation to achieve optimal recovery and formulation of strong, organized fibers can range from 12 to 16 weeks (or three to four months).
Unfortunately, it is hard to determine a defined timeline – because everyone is different, and how our body’s systems work to heal damaged tissue differs a lot from person to person.
Book Your Appointment At Dublin Physical & Chiropractic
We are Dublin Physical & Chiropractic, an innovative clinic located in Dublin, Ireland. Our mission is to provide the highest quality care and service for our clients. We use highly innovative technology and professional care. Our clients can avail of free parking, so you don’t have to worry about that.
Request An Appointment At Dublin Physical & Chiropractic Today!
Visit us in Dun Laoghaire, Dublin Ireland
Our physical therapy & other services extend throughout Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown including Blackrock, Cherrywood, Stillorgan, Rathfarnham, Shankill, Cabinteely, Foxrock, Clonskeagh, and Killiney.
Our office is located just outside of the center of Dun Laoghaire and is between Deansgrange and Monkstown. You can find our building entrance on Lower Mounttown Road, across from Woodland Park. We are a 30-second walk from Dublin Bus stop 2031 which is outside of Mccormick’s Pub.
References
[1] https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/understanding-sprains-strains#1
[2] https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases–conditions/sprains-strains-and-other-soft-tissue-injuries/
[3] https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/soft-tissue
