Physicians Health

A sprain is defined as a stretch or tear of your ligaments. This type of injury may occur in any joint of your body but is most common in the ankle. Sprains are a common occurrence, especially among people who frequently engage in physical activity. The risk for strains increase if a person has a lack of muscle strength, is fatigued, is overweight and has not warmed up properly.

A lack of muscle strength increases the strain on the ligaments. Fitness training is essential in building muscle strength to help support your body’s joints and avoid injury. Fitness training and physical therapy are also used to help speed up the recovery following an injury. When recovering from a sprain it is important not to engage in any fitness training until cleared by healthcare professionals.

Fatigued muscles are also another risk factor for developing ligament strains. Fatigued muscles equal weak muscles. Proper hydration, rest and breaks are important factors in maintaining muscle strength and joint health. This is especially true for athletes.

Increased body weight (especially fat tissue) leaves a person at increased risk of incurring damage on all of their body’s tissues. Their ligaments are no exception. Being overweight leads to an increased amount of strain placed upon all of your joints. Healthcare professionals agree that maintaining a healthy weight is crucial for maintaining high levels of physical performance and joint health.

Many healthcare professionals also stress the importance of a proper warm up before strenuous physical activity. A warm up loosens up a person’s muscles and increases the joints range of motion. This in turn decreases the chance of injuring ligaments.

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