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Sprains and Strains
Restore your mobility, stability, and confidence after an injury.
Understanding a sprain
Whether an injury happened during sports, work, walking on an uneven surface, or a motor vehicle accident, our Doctors of Physical Therapy provide a personable, hands-on approach to help you get back to life in motion.
Sprains are injuries to ligaments—the bands that hold joints together. An ankle sprain occurs when the foot twists or turns beyond its normal range of movement, causing ligaments to stretch beyond their normal length. With enough force, a ligament may tear.
An injury can range from mild to severe depending on how badly a ligament is damaged or how many ligaments are involved. Sprains are commonly described as grade 1 (mild), grade 2 (moderate), or grade 3 (severe).
Sprains may also be acute, chronic, or recurrent. An acute sprain happened recently and is actively healing. A chronic sprain continues to cause symptoms beyond the expected healing time. A recurrent sprain happens easily and frequently, sometimes with minimal force.
COMMON SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
With most sprains, pain is felt right away at the ligament injury site. The area may swell immediately, bruise, feel tender to the touch, and hurt with movement.
With a more severe sprain, you may hear or feel a tear, pop, or snap. Severe pain and swelling can make it difficult to walk or put weight on the foot.
A THOROUGH PHYSICAL THERAPY EVALUATION
At Advanced Motion Physical Therapy, our Doctors of Physical Therapy are uniquely qualified to evaluate, diagnose, and treat sprains and strains. Same-day appointments are often available, allowing you to have an injury evaluated quickly and determine the appropriate next steps for recovery.
Your therapist performs a full evaluation and uses manual tests to determine how unstable the ankle is. When necessary, our Doctors of Physical Therapy can order appropriate imaging to help evaluate the injury and rule out other conditions.
In some cases, an X-ray may be needed to rule out a broken bone. With severe sprains, an MRI may be ordered to determine the extent of damage.
HOW PHYSICAL THERAPY HELPS YOU RECOVER
Our goal is to help you return to the roles you perform at home, work, and in your community. Without appropriate rehabilitation, decreased movement, chronic pain, swelling, and joint instability can limit your usual activities.
Early Protection
During the first 24 to 48 hours, treatment may include elevating the ankle, elastic bandages or supports, and 10-minute ice treatments. Your therapist can determine whether crutches or a cane may help protect the ankle while it heals.
Mobility and Strength
Swelling and pain can limit ankle mobility. We teach safe range-of-motion exercises to restore movement, then select strengthening exercises based on the severity of your injury and where you are in recovery.
Balance and Return To Activity
Body-awareness and balance training helps your muscles respond to uneven or unstable surfaces. When you can bear full weight without pain, we can progress toward activity-specific training for your work, sport, or daily demands.
Don’t let a recurrent sprain hold you back
If you have sprained your ankle more than once, returning to activity before your ankle regains normal strength can contribute to persistent pain or repeated injury. Our individualized care emphasizes proper movement patterns, strength, and the confidence to return to an active lifestyle.