Athletes and sports enthusiasts experience a lot of injuries related to sprains
and strains. But there is a difference between a strain and a strain. A sprain is when you stretch or tear a ligament. Ligament is a type of connective tissue that joins two bones together. This mostly occurs in knees, shoulders etc.
A strain on the other hand, occurs when you stretch a muscle or tendon too much. Tendons connect muscles and bones. Sprains and strains can occur due to many reasons like stretching too far, jumping and twisting etc. Mostly athletes are susceptible to them but an average person can also experience the problem.
When a sprain occurs, the person is likely to experience bruising, swelling, pain and inflammation wherever the sprain took place. Sometimes, when the sprain is severe, a tearing or popping sound is also heard.
In case of a strain, there is intense pain, inflammation, cramping, muscle weakness and spasm. Severe cases also make moving muscles a real problem. If left untreated, a sprain or strain can turn into some medical condition and may even leave a person bed-ridden or unable to play.
Chiropractics is an alternative form of medicine, that deals with manual treatment of the area that is causing pain. When you consult a Chiropractor, they will give your muscle or joint the adjustment required to reduce the pain and help you recover. By adjustment, we mean a short fast push to the affected region. This treatment is all about using natural things without prescribing any medicines or drugs. A Chiropractor may advice you to change your nutritional plan, do regular and recommended exercise, and suggest massages and other physical therapy sessions.
When you visit a Chiropractor, they will first of all give the area of sprain/strain a thorough examination. Then depending on the severity of the condition, they will treat the sprain or strain in such a way that would induce the speediest possible recovery. Chiropractor would give either one or a mixture of these treatments: therapeutic ultrasound, ice inferential muscle stimulation and physical therapies like stretching exercises, range of motion exercises, flexibility exercises and more. The aim is to restore complete functionality of the muscle or ligament as soon as possible.
Chiropractors also ensure that the muscle or ligament is strengthened enough so as not to cause any future problems. They make sure that the sprain or strain is completely recovered before allowing athletes to continue with their sports. They help in making your body balanced as that would prevent any re-injury of the sprained/strained spot.
Research shows that people who receive chiropractic care have faster recoveries and fewer chances of re-injuring the same ligament or muscle and further aggravating the injury. These patients also missed 2.3 days less of work than the patients who took medical treatments. Chiropractics is particularly beneficial for sprains or strains that take place in the lower back, neck, ankle, groin, foot, hamstring, fingers and wrists.